CELPIP Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions

CELPIP Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Ferry schedule survey

This survey asks island residents whether extra ferry trips should go to the busy summer months or to late evenings all year. The challenge is arguing from a resident's point of view rather than simply repeating that tourists make the ferry crowded.

Time

26 minutes

Length

150–200 words

Structure

Choose Option A or B and support it

The question

Ferry Service Survey

Your island community depends on a ferry to reach the mainland. The ferry service can add more trips, but only in one way. One option is to add six extra sailings a day in July and August, when there are many tourists. The other option is to add two late-evening sailings every day all year. The ferry service is asking residents to complete a survey.

Choose the option that you prefer. Why do you prefer your choice? Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words.

Option A: I would prefer more sailings in July and August.

Option B: I would prefer late-evening sailings all year.

Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Choose between six extra ferry sailings a day in July and August (A) or two late-evening sailings all year (B) for your island community.

Plan (26 min)

State your choice. Option B is easier to argue: it serves residents every day, not just tourists.
Reason 1: islanders can stay on the mainland for evening events, hospital visits or late shifts and still get home. Example: missing a concert because the last ferry left early.
Reason 2: twelve months of service helps commuters and students all year, while summer extras end in September.
Optional nod: tourists bring money, but long lineups last only two months.
Conclusion: restate your choice and main benefit.

Useful vocabulary

sailings, mainland, ferry terminal, ferry lineup
year-round service, islanders, peak season, stranded

Phrases

As a resident, I would prefer... because...
Late sailings would allow us to...
Although summer tourists need more ferries, ...

Avoid

Choosing both options.
Writing only about tourists when residents are being asked.

Excellent answer: around CLB 11–12

I would prefer Option A: six additional sailings a day in July and August. For residents, summer is when the ferry stops working as a dependable link to the mainland. On a typical weekend in July, cars line up for hours, and islanders regularly miss two or three sailings before getting on board. That is more than an inconvenience when you are trying to reach a medical appointment, a job interview or a flight. Six extra sailings a day would clear those lineups and make the service reliable again during the very months when it is under the most strain. There is also an economic argument. Much of our island depends on the summer season, from cottage rentals and restaurants to kayak tours and craft shops. Easier access would bring more visitors, and the income earned in July and August helps many local families get through the quieter months. Late-evening sailings all year would certainly be convenient for people who work late or enjoy events on the mainland. However, outside the summer, I suspect those boats would carry very few passengers, whereas extra summer sailings would solve the most serious problem our community actually faces.

195 words

Why it scores high

Vocabulary: 'stops working as a dependable link to the mainland' and 'under the most strain' frame the problem in precise, memorable terms.
Content/Coherence: concrete local detail, 'cottage rentals and restaurants to kayak tours and craft shops', makes the economic argument feel rooted in this specific community.
Task Fulfillment: the closing contrast, 'very few passengers' versus 'the most serious problem our community actually faces', fairly weighs Option B before rejecting it.

Good answer: around CLB 7–8

I would prefer Option A, adding six extra sailings a day in July and August. The biggest problem with our ferry service is the summer crowds. During July and August, the ferry is often full, and residents sometimes have to wait for two or three sailings before they can get on. This makes it very hard to get to work, medical appointments or the airport on time. Six extra sailings a day would greatly reduce these long waits for both residents and tourists. In addition, tourism is very important for our island's economy. Many local people work in restaurants, hotels and shops that depend on summer visitors. If it is easier to reach the island, more tourists will come, and local businesses will earn more money for the quiet winter. Late-evening sailings would be useful for some residents who work late or want to attend events on the mainland. However, during most of the year, I think very few people would use them. For these reasons, I believe more summer sailings would benefit our community the most.

177 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: 'wait for two or three sailings before they can get on' and the list 'work, medical appointments or the airport' show the real cost to residents.
Task Fulfillment: the economic paragraph links summer visitors to income 'for the quiet winter', a smart connection between the two seasons in the prompt.
Vocabulary: wording stays safe, as in 'very hard' and 'greatly reduce these long waits'; the ideas are solid but rarely expressed with more vivid or exact language.

Basic answer: around CLB 4–5

I prefer Option A, more sailings in July and August. In summer there is too many tourists on the ferry. Every weekend the ferry is full and people who live on the island must wait two or three hours. Last summer I miss my doctor appointment in the mainland because I can not get on the ferry. It was very bad. Six more sailings every day is a lot. It will help everybody, the tourists and the people who live here. Also more tourists can come, so the hotels, restaurants and shops on the island make more money. Many people here work in tourism. Late evening sailing is good too, maybe for people who work late. But in winter not many people use the ferry at night, so I think the boat will be almost empty. For me, summer is the biggest problem, so I choose Option A.

148 words

What holds it back

Readability: 'there is too many tourists' and 'Last summer I miss my doctor appointment' contain agreement and tense errors that interrupt an otherwise strong example.
Vocabulary: plain phrases like 'It was very bad' and 'Six more sailings every day is a lot' tell the reader a feeling instead of showing the impact.
Content/Coherence: the missed appointment is a good personal detail, but the tourism reason is squeezed into 'so the hotels, restaurants and shops on the island make more money'.

These are original CELPass examples written at each level. The CLBs are our estimates, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB