CELPIP Writing Task 1: Writing an Email

CELPIP Writing Task 1 Sample Answer: Unreliable Home Internet Contract

This prompt asks you to complain to an internet company about a slow, unstable connection, its effect on your life, and poor customer service. The tricky part is fitting problems, consequences, service history and a clear demand into 200 words while staying firm rather than angry.

Time

27 minutes

Length

150–200 words

Tone

Formal or semi-formal, depending on the reader

The question

Two months ago, you moved to Halifax and signed a 12-month contract for home internet. You pay $85 a month for a high-speed plan, but the connection often cuts out and is much slower than promised. You have called the company's help line several times, but nothing has been fixed.

Write an email to the company's customer service team in about 150-200 words. Your email should do the following things:

Describe the problems you have had with your internet service.

Explain how these problems have affected your daily life.

Describe your experience with customer service and say what you want the company to do.

How to plan your answer

What they want

A formal, firm but polite email to the customer service department about your unreliable internet in Halifax.
Cover: the problems, the effect on your daily life, and your customer service experience plus what you want done.

Plan (27 min)

Greeting: "Dear Customer Service Team," with your account number and when you signed the 12-month contract.
Problems: the connection drops several times a day; a speed test shows a fraction of the speed you pay $85 a month for.
Effect: give one or two real examples, such as a video call with a client that froze or children who cannot submit homework.
Customer service: how many times you called, how long you waited on hold, any missed technician visit.
Request: a technician within a set time, a credit for the bad months, or cancelling without a penalty.
Closing: thank them, full name, account number.

Useful vocabulary

connection drops, speed test, advertised speed, outage
on hold, technician, account credit, cancellation fee

Phrases

I am writing to report ongoing problems with...
As a result, I have been unable to...
I would like you to... by...

Avoid

Only saying the service is "bad"; give numbers and examples.
An angry or rude tone; stay firm and factual.

Excellent answer: around CLB 11–12

Dear Customer Service Team, I am writing about persistent problems with my home internet at 14 Agricola Street, Halifax (account 55-20817). In August, I signed a 12-month contract for your 500 Mbps plan at $85 a month, but the service has been unreliable from the first week. My connection cuts out four or five times a day, and speed tests rarely exceed 50 Mbps, a tenth of the advertised speed. On some evenings, there is no connection at all. Because I work from home as a bookkeeper, this has had real consequences. Last Tuesday, a video meeting with a new client froze twice and I had to finish it on my phone. My daughter has also been unable to upload assignments on time. Unfortunately, your support has made things worse. I have called four times, spent nearly three hours on hold, and a technician booked for October 3 never arrived. I am therefore asking for a technician visit within seven days and a credit for August and September. If the issue cannot be resolved, I expect to be released from my contract without a cancellation fee. Sincerely, Grace Nwosu

189 words

Why it scores high

Content/Coherence: Linking phrases such as "this has had real consequences" and "Unfortunately, your support has made things worse" carry the reader from problem to effect to service.
Vocabulary: Precise terms like "persistent problems," "a tenth of the advertised speed" and "released from my contract" sound businesslike without being stiff.
Task Fulfillment: The request is measurable, "within seven days and a credit for August and September," with a clear fallback if the company fails.

Good answer: around CLB 7–8

Dear Customer Service Team, My name is Grace Nwosu, and I am writing about my home internet service at 14 Agricola Street in Halifax. I signed a 12-month contract in August for the 500 Mbps plan, which costs $85 a month. Since then, my connection has dropped several times every day, often for ten or fifteen minutes. When it does work, speed tests usually show between 30 and 50 Mbps, far below what I am paying for. These problems have made my daily life very difficult. I work from home as a bookkeeper, and last Tuesday I lost a client call twice. My daughter has also missed online quiz deadlines. I have called your help line four times and waited on hold for up to an hour. A technician was booked for October 3, but nobody came or called. I would like a technician to visit within one week and a credit for the last two months. If the problem cannot be fixed, please let me cancel without a penalty. Sincerely, Grace Nwosu

173 words

What works, and what's missing

Task Fulfillment: Every point is covered in order, with specific numbers such as "between 30 and 50 Mbps" and "waited on hold for up to an hour."
Readability: One paragraph per point, opened by phrases like "Since then" and "These problems," makes the email easy to follow.
Vocabulary: Accurate and clear, but mostly plain; words such as "advertised speed" or "outage" would make the complaint sound more precise and professional.

Basic answer: around CLB 4–5

Dear Customer Service, My name is Arjun Mehta and I am your customer since August. I sign a one-year contract for the fast plan and I pay $85 every month. But the internet is very bad. It stop working four or five times in a day, and when I do speed test it is only 40 Mbps. I work from home in Halifax, so this is big problem for me. Last week my video call with a client cut off two times and I feel embarrass. My son also can't send his homework online. I called your help line three times. I wait almost one hour each time, and the technician did not come on the promise day. Please send a technician this week to fix it. If you can't fix, I want to cancel my contract with no fee and get back two months money. Thank you, Arjun Mehta

150 words

What holds it back

Content/Coherence: All three points appear, but the effect paragraph gives only short examples, and "the fast plan" never states what speed was promised.
Vocabulary: Verb errors such as "I sign a one-year contract," "It stop working" and "I feel very embarrass" repeat across the email.
Readability: Most sentences start with "I" or "It," and missing articles in "this is big problem" make the email read like a list of complaints.

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