CELPIP Writing Task 1: Writing an Email

CELPIP Writing Task 1 Sample Answer: Six-Hour Wait for a Montreal Flight

This prompt asks you to write to an airline about a six-hour delay that made you miss a family event and cost you money, and to ask for compensation. The tricky part is turning frustration into a calm, factual account with exact costs so the request is easy for the airline to approve.

Time

27 minutes

Length

150–200 words

Tone

Formal or semi-formal, depending on the reader

The question

Last Friday, you were flying from Vancouver to Montreal for your sister's wedding. Your flight was delayed by six hours, and passengers received very little information while they waited at the gate. Because you arrived after midnight, you missed an important family event and had to pay some unexpected costs.

Write an email to the airline's customer relations department in about 150-200 words. Your email should do the following things:

Describe what happened with your flight.

Explain the problems the delay caused you.

Say what compensation you would like.

How to plan your answer

What they want

A formal, firm but polite email to the airline's customer relations department about a six-hour delay.
Cover: what happened, the problems it caused, and the compensation you want.

Plan (27 min)

Greeting: "Dear Customer Relations Team," with your flight number, date and booking reference.
What happened: departure moved from 2 p.m. to after 8 p.m.; updates every hour said only "operational reasons"; a $15 meal voucher.
Problems: you missed your sister's rehearsal dinner, the last train into the city, so you paid for a taxi and lost a prepaid hotel night.
Compensation: ask for the amounts back (taxi $75, hotel $180) plus the compensation the airline's policy allows, with receipts attached.
Closing: thank them, full name, booking reference.

Useful vocabulary

delay, departure gate, booking reference, meal voucher
compensation, reimburse, receipts, inconvenience

Phrases

My flight was scheduled to depart at..., but...
As a direct result of the delay, I...
I am therefore requesting...

Avoid

Asking for "something" with no amount.
An angry tone; stick to facts and costs.

Excellent answer: around CLB 11–12

Dear Customer Relations Team, I am writing about flight 412 from Vancouver to Montreal on Friday, October 3 (booking reference KX7Q2M), which was delayed by more than six hours. The flight was due to depart at 2 p.m., but we did not board until shortly after 8 p.m. Throughout the wait, announcements referred only to "operational reasons," and passengers were left guessing whether the flight would leave that day at all. The only assistance offered was a $15 meal voucher. The delay had serious consequences for me. I was travelling to my sister's wedding and missed the family dinner held the evening before, an occasion I cannot get back. Landing after midnight also meant the airport train had stopped running, so I had to take a $75 taxi, and I forfeited a prepaid hotel night worth $180. I am therefore requesting reimbursement of these expenses, totalling $255, for which I have attached receipts. In addition, I would ask that you provide the compensation your policy offers for delays of this length. Thank you for your time. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Anh Nguyen

185 words

Why it scores high

Content/Coherence: "passengers were left guessing whether the flight would leave that day at all" shows the poor communication, not just the length of the delay.
Vocabulary: Formal, precise words such as "forfeited a prepaid hotel night," "reimbursement" and "an occasion I cannot get back" suit the claim well.
Task Fulfillment: The request links an exact total with attached receipts and asks for policy compensation, covering both refund and goodwill in two sentences.

Good answer: around CLB 7–8

Dear Customer Relations Team, I am writing about flight 412 from Vancouver to Montreal on Friday, October 3 (booking reference KX7Q2M). The flight was scheduled to leave at 2 p.m., but it did not depart until after 8 p.m. During the six-hour wait, gate staff gave us very little information, and the only help offered was a $15 meal voucher. This delay caused me several problems. I was travelling to my sister's wedding and missed the family dinner the night before, which my whole family had planned for months. Because I landed after midnight, the airport train had stopped running, so I paid $75 for a taxi. I also lost one prepaid hotel night worth $180. I would like to be reimbursed for the taxi and hotel, a total of $255. I have attached my receipts. I would also ask for any additional compensation that your policy offers for delays of this length. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Anh Nguyen

167 words

What works, and what's missing

Task Fulfillment: Exact details such as the "booking reference KX7Q2M" and "a total of $255" make the claim easy for the airline to check and process.
Readability: "This delay caused me several problems" opens the second paragraph clearly, and each cost follows logically from the late arrival.
Vocabulary: Accurate but mostly plain; phrases like "caused me several problems" and "the only help offered" are correct but could be more precise and forceful.

Basic answer: around CLB 4–5

Dear Customer Relations, My name is Anh Nguyen. Last Friday, October 3, I take your flight from Vancouver to Montreal. The flight must leave at 2 p.m. but it leave after 8 p.m. We wait at the gate six hours and the staff only say "delay" and don't explain why. They give me only $15 voucher for food. I go to Montreal for my sister wedding. Because of the delay I miss the family dinner before the wedding, and my sister was very sad. Also I arrive after midnight and there is no train, so I pay $75 for taxi. I also lose one night in hotel that I already pay, $180. I think this is not okay. Please give me back the money for the taxi and hotel. I have the receipts. Also I want some compensation for the problem. Thank you, Anh Nguyen

145 words

What holds it back

Content/Coherence: The events and costs are all there, but "I think this is not okay" is a weak link between the problems and the request.
Vocabulary: Present-tense verbs for past events, as in "I take your flight," "it leave after 8 p.m." and "I miss the family dinner," appear throughout.
Task Fulfillment: The refund request is clear, but "some compensation for the problem" is vague and gives the airline no clear amount to consider.

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB