Writing courseW1 · Writing an Email

How to Answer CELPIP Writing Task 1

This lesson explains how to answer the part. It is not a timed practice set. A 150–200 word email covering every required bullet, in the tone the reader expects.

Practise this part

27 minTime
150–200 wordsLength
Usually 3Bullets
VariesTone

What is expected

Read the audience first (friend, neighbour, colleague, manager, or stranger) and lock the tone before writing.
Cover every required bullet. Missing one caps your score at a lower band, no matter how well the rest reads.
Finish with a sign-off that matches the audience. The wrong close flags register drift to raters.

What raters look for

Coverage of every required bullet
Tone consistency from greeting to sign-off
Accurate, natural vocabulary (not flashy)
Readability: paragraphing, grammar, cohesion

Answer structure

01
Greeting
Match the audience: 'Hi Sam,' / 'Dear Mr. Patel,' / 'Hello,' for strangers.
02
Opening line
State the purpose of the email in one sentence. No small talk.
03
Body
One short paragraph per required bullet. On topic, nothing padded.
04
Closing + sign-off
One closing sentence, then a register-matched sign-off and your name.

A worked example

Prompt

Write to your neighbour. Your car was scratched in the shared parking lot, likely by their vehicle. (1) Describe the damage. (2) Ask how it happened. (3) Propose a fair next step.

Model

Hi Jordan,

I'm writing about my car, which I noticed has a long scratch on the driver's side this morning. It looks fresh, and based on where our cars are usually parked, I suspect it may have happened when one of us was pulling in or out.

Could you let me know if you noticed anything, or if there's any chance your car might have been involved? I want to stress: I'm not assuming anything, I just want to understand what happened.

If it turns out it was accidental, I'd suggest we each get a quick repair estimate and split the cost fairly. That seems like the quickest way to sort it out without involving insurance.

Thanks for taking a look,
Alex

Why it works

Greeting and sign-off sit in the same semi-formal register throughout.
Each required bullet has its own clearly-marked paragraph.
Tone is firm but not accusatory, the balance CELPIP raters reward.

Traps that cost points

Skipping a bullet because you ran out of time.
Mixing casual and formal greetings / closings in the same email.
Accusatory or over-polite language: both sound unnatural to a Canadian rater.

ProWarm-up

Writer's Warm-up for W1

Train the pre-writing decisions that cost most candidates a band.

Start Warm-up

Writing courseW1 · Writing an Email

How to Answer CELPIP Writing Task 1

This lesson explains how to answer the part. It is not a timed practice set. A 150–200 word email covering every required bullet, in the tone the reader expects.

Practise this part

27 minTime
150–200 wordsLength
Usually 3Bullets
VariesTone

What is expected

Read the audience first (friend, neighbour, colleague, manager, or stranger) and lock the tone before writing.
Cover every required bullet. Missing one caps your score at a lower band, no matter how well the rest reads.
Finish with a sign-off that matches the audience. The wrong close flags register drift to raters.

What raters look for

Coverage of every required bullet
Tone consistency from greeting to sign-off
Accurate, natural vocabulary (not flashy)
Readability: paragraphing, grammar, cohesion

Answer structure

01
Greeting
Match the audience: 'Hi Sam,' / 'Dear Mr. Patel,' / 'Hello,' for strangers.
02
Opening line
State the purpose of the email in one sentence. No small talk.
03
Body
One short paragraph per required bullet. On topic, nothing padded.
04
Closing + sign-off
One closing sentence, then a register-matched sign-off and your name.

A worked example

Prompt

Write to your neighbour. Your car was scratched in the shared parking lot, likely by their vehicle. (1) Describe the damage. (2) Ask how it happened. (3) Propose a fair next step.

Model

Hi Jordan,

I'm writing about my car, which I noticed has a long scratch on the driver's side this morning. It looks fresh, and based on where our cars are usually parked, I suspect it may have happened when one of us was pulling in or out.

Could you let me know if you noticed anything, or if there's any chance your car might have been involved? I want to stress: I'm not assuming anything, I just want to understand what happened.

If it turns out it was accidental, I'd suggest we each get a quick repair estimate and split the cost fairly. That seems like the quickest way to sort it out without involving insurance.

Thanks for taking a look,
Alex

Why it works

Greeting and sign-off sit in the same semi-formal register throughout.
Each required bullet has its own clearly-marked paragraph.
Tone is firm but not accusatory, the balance CELPIP raters reward.

Traps that cost points

Skipping a bullet because you ran out of time.
Mixing casual and formal greetings / closings in the same email.
Accusatory or over-polite language: both sound unnatural to a Canadian rater.

ProWarm-up

Writer's Warm-up for W1

Train the pre-writing decisions that cost most candidates a band.

Start Warm-up

How to Answer CELPIP Writing Task 1

What is expected

What raters look for

Answer structure

Greeting

Opening line

Body

Closing + sign-off

A worked example

Traps that cost points

Writer's Warm-up for W1

How to Answer CELPIP Writing Task 1

What is expected

What raters look for

Answer structure

Greeting

Opening line

Body

Closing + sign-off

A worked example

Traps that cost points

Writer's Warm-up for W1