CELPIP Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions

CELPIP Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Public beach improvement survey

Residents choose between summer lifeguards and new washrooms and change rooms at a busy town beach. The challenge is moving beyond 'safety first' and showing why the safety argument actually outweighs comfort here.

Time

26 minutes

Length

150–200 words

Structure

Choose Option A or B and support it

The question

Public Beach Survey

The beach at the lake in your town becomes very busy in the summer. The town has enough money for one improvement next year. One option is to hire lifeguards to watch the swimming area every day from June to August. The other option is to build new washrooms and change rooms near the beach. The town is asking residents for their opinion.

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 to hire lifeguards for the summer.

Option B: I would prefer new washrooms and change rooms.

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

How to plan your answer

What they want

Choose between hiring lifeguards from June to August (A) or building new washrooms and change rooms (B) at the busy town beach.

Plan (26 min)

State your choice. Option A is easier to argue: safety and saving lives outweigh comfort.
Reason 1: a busy beach means crowded water; children and weak swimmers can get into trouble in seconds. Example: a news story about a drowning at a lake.
Reason 2: lifeguards give parents peace of mind and can give first aid for cuts or heat stroke.
Optional nod: new washrooms are needed, but portable toilets can work until next year.
Conclusion: restate your choice and main benefit.

Useful vocabulary

lifeguards, swimming area, drowning, supervise
first aid, peace of mind, change rooms, water safety

Phrases

I strongly believe the town should hire... because...
Without lifeguards, ...
Although new washrooms would be convenient, ...

Avoid

Choosing both options.
Being too dramatic; keep examples realistic.

Excellent answer: around CLB 11–12

I would prefer Option A, hiring lifeguards to supervise the swimming area every day from June to August. My reasoning comes down to one word: safety. On a hot July afternoon, our beach is packed with families, and no parent can watch a child every second. Drowning is often silent and can happen in under a minute, which is exactly why trained lifeguards matter. They can spot a struggling swimmer before anyone else notices, and they also prevent accidents by warning people about drifting too far out or diving where the water is shallow. Lifeguards would also encourage more residents to use the lake. Several families I know drive forty minutes to a supervised beach because they don't feel comfortable letting their kids swim here. Keeping that summer traffic in town would benefit local businesses as well. Admittedly, the current washrooms are dated, and new change rooms would make visits more pleasant. However, the existing facilities still function, and inconvenience is something people can live with. A preventable tragedy is not. For these reasons, I believe hiring lifeguards is the wiser use of next year's budget.

186 words

Why it scores high

Vocabulary: 'My reasoning comes down to one word: safety' and 'can happen in under a minute' open with confidence and precise detail.
Content/Coherence: families who 'drive forty minutes to a supervised beach' adds an unexpected local-business angle that broadens the argument.
Readability: the short final contrast, 'inconvenience is something people can live with. A preventable tragedy is not.', gives the response a powerful rhythm.

Good answer: around CLB 7–8

I would prefer Option A, hiring lifeguards to watch the swimming area every day from June to August. My main reason is safety. In the summer, the beach is extremely crowded, especially on weekends, and it is impossible for parents to keep their eyes on their children every second. Drowning can happen very quickly and silently, so having trained lifeguards on duty could truly save lives. Lifeguards can also teach people about water safety and stop dangerous behaviour, such as swimming too far out or diving in shallow areas. In addition, having lifeguards would make families feel more comfortable visiting the beach. Many parents, including some of my friends, avoid the lake because they are worried about their kids. With lifeguards there, more residents might enjoy this beautiful place. I agree that new washrooms and change rooms would be convenient, and the current ones are old. However, they are still usable, and people can change at home before coming. Comfort is nice, but it is not as important as protecting people's lives. For these reasons, I believe lifeguards are the better choice for our town.

185 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: 'Drowning can happen very quickly and silently' and examples like 'diving in shallow areas' show what lifeguards actually do.
Task Fulfillment: the concession that the current washrooms 'are old' but 'still usable' handles Option B fairly before restating the choice.
Vocabulary: expressions such as 'keep their eyes on their children every second' work well, but the conclusion 'Comfort is nice' is plainer than the rest.

Basic answer: around CLB 4–5

I prefer Option A. I think the town should hire lifeguard for the summer. In the summer the beach is very busy. There is many children in the water and the parents cannot watch them all the time. Sometimes the parents is on the phone or sleeping in the sun. If a child have a problem in the water, a lifeguard can help very fast. This can save a life. Last year I hear about a boy who almost drown in a lake near our town. Nobody see him for a long time. This is very scary for me because I have two kids. New washroom is nice, but it is not so important. People can change in the car or at home before they come. The old washroom is not beautiful but it still working. Safety is more important than comfort. So I choose lifeguards.

146 words

What holds it back

Readability: 'There is many children', 'the parents is on the phone' and 'If a child have a problem' show repeated subject-verb agreement errors.
Content/Coherence: the story of 'a boy who almost drown in a lake' is moving, but past-tense errors like 'Nobody see him' weaken its impact.
Vocabulary: 'it is not so important' and 'it still working' dismiss Option B in very simple language, without explaining why comfort matters less.

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