Pick a task, then write beside its plan
Choose an email plan or a survey plan. Both show each step’s word count and an example line, then an opening that sounds natural next to one that sounds memorized, plus phrases that fit its task. Below it, draft an answer to a practice prompt; the plan stays on screen and lights up the step your draft has reached.
Task 1: Writing an Email
27 min · 150–200 words- ~25 wordsOpening: who you are, why you write“I have been a member at Northgate Fitness since March, and I would like to pause my membership for two months.”
- ~45 wordsPoint 1: a specific detail“My company is sending me to work at another office from June 2 to July 31, so I will not be able to come in.”
- ~45 wordsPoint 2: a specific detail“Your membership terms mention a freeze option, but they do not say whether there is a fee for it.”
- ~45 wordsPoint 3: a specific detail“Could you pause my account from June 1 and restart it automatically on August 1?”
- ~20 wordsClosing: ask for what you need“Please let me know before the end of May whether this is possible, so I can plan my payments.”
- Dear Ms. Park, I am contacting you about…
- Hi Rhea, I have a quick favour to ask…
- Would it be possible to…?
- Please let me know by Friday whether…
- Thanks again, and see you soon,
The heater in your apartment stopped working three days ago, and the nights are getting colder. In about 150–200 words, write an email to your building manager. In your email, you should:
- explain the problem
- say how it is affecting you
- ask for a repair date
- Opening: who you are, why you write~25
- Point 1: a specific detail~45
- Point 2: a specific detail~45
- Point 3: a specific detail~45
- Closing: ask for what you need~20
This editor does not submit anything. Copy your draft before you leave the page.
Why a plan beats a memorized template
A memorized template is a block of text pasted into every answer. A plan is a set of steps filled with new words each time. Raters score how well writing fits this prompt, this reader, this situation. Set phrases that could start any email add words without adding information, while lines that clash with a prompt stand out.
- It fits this prompt. Task Fulfillment and Content/Coherence reward details that belong to this situation. A plan leaves room for them; a script fills that space with lines that could belong anywhere.
- It protects a word budget. Both tasks allow 150–200 words. A memorized 30-word opening spends 15–20% of them on nothing specific.
- It holds up under pressure. When a prompt asks for something a script does not cover, that script breaks. A plan only asks two questions: which step comes next, and which detail goes there?
- It shows your real level. Exact, natural language at higher levels comes from writing for a real situation, not from recycled sentences.
“My usual treadmill has been out of order since Saturday. Could you tell me when it will be repaired?”
“I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you regarding the matter mentioned below.”
So learn both plans’ steps plus a handful of flexible phrases, then practise filling those steps with new prompts. Once a plan is automatic, attention goes where it matters most: details, word choice and tone.
CELPIP writing template for Task 1: an email plan
A Task 1 email plan has five steps: an opening, a paragraph for each point the prompt lists, then a closing. With three points, that is about 25 words to open, 45 per point and 20 to close: roughly 180 in all.
- 1
Greet, then state your purpose
Greet your reader in a fitting tone, then say in a sentence or two why you are writing. If this reader may not know you, say who you are first: a member, a tenant, a customer, a parent. To a friend, one line is enough: “I have a small favour to ask about next weekend.”
- 2
Give each point its own paragraph
Follow the prompt’s order. Start each paragraph with its point, add one specific detail (a date, a time, a number, a name) and say what it means for you. Two or three sentences per point is usually enough.
- 3
Close by asking for what you need
End with a clear request or next step, plus a deadline if timing matters. Then sign off to match that greeting: “Kind regards” after “Dear”, “Take care” after “Hi”.
| Step | Words | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Opening: who you are, why you write | about 25 | Hi Rhea, I have a small favour to ask: could you water my plants while I’m away next week? |
| Point 1: a specific detail | about 45 | I fly out on Monday morning and get back late on Sunday, so it would only mean two visits, on Wednesday and Saturday. |
| Point 2: a specific detail | about 45 | The big fern by my window needs a full jug each time, but the cactus on my shelf can be ignored. |
| Point 3: a specific detail | about 45 | I’ll leave a spare key with Mr. Lam in 3B, and you’re welcome to anything in my fridge. |
| Closing: ask for what you need | about 20 | Let me know by Friday if that works, and I’ll bring you some coffee from the coast. Take care, Mina |
One detail per point
Before writing, pick one fact per point: a time, a number, a place or a result. “My class moved” becomes “my class moved to a room with no stove in week three”. This habit most clearly separates level 7 from level 9 emails in our CELPIP writing samples.
To see one prompt taken from plan to finished email at three levels, read our Task 1 email guide.
Formal or informal: write for your reader
Your reader decides which tone fits. Write formally to an organization, a company or a manager you do not know well. Write in a friendly way to a friend, a neighbour or a coworker you know. In between sits a semi-formal tone, polite, complete but warm, for a manager or coworker you work with every day.
“Could you tell me when my replacement part is expected to arrive?”
“So when is my part coming? I kind of need it ASAP.”
“Any chance I could borrow your ladder on Saturday? I’ll have it back by lunch.”
“I would be grateful if you could lend me your ladder at your earliest convenience.”
| Part of an email | Formal | Friendly |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Dear Ms. Reyes, | Hi Tuan, |
| Opening | I am contacting you about my order of May 3. | Quick question about Saturday. |
| Asking | Would it be possible to…? | Any chance you could…? |
| Saying sorry | I apologize for such short notice. | Sorry this is so last-minute. |
| Closing | Please let me know by Friday whether this is possible. | Let me know what works for you. |
| Sign-off | Kind regards, or Sincerely, | Cheers, or Take care, |
Contractions such as I’m or I’d sound natural to a friend; full forms such as I am or I would read better in a formal email. Whichever tone fits, keep it from greeting to sign-off. An email that opens with “Dear Sir or Madam” but ends with “Cheers” reads as careless, even if every sentence is correct.
CELPIP writing template for Task 2: a survey answer plan
A Task 2 answer needs a choice backed by reasons, not an email format. Pick one of two options within a minute, give two reasons each backed by an example, then spend a sentence on the other option. This plan fits in about 175 words.
- 1
Pick one option fast
Either option can be argued well, so pick whichever has better examples behind it, not whichever sounds more impressive. A slow decision costs writing time.
- 2
State your choice first
Name it plainly so nobody has to guess; do not switch sides halfway through.
- 3
Give two reasons, each with an example
One paragraph per reason: state the reason in a sentence, add an example from daily life or a community you know, then say why it matters.
- 4
Answer the other side briefly
Consider it fairly, then say why yours still wins. More than a sentence or two can blur a position.
- 5
End on your choice
Close on one line that restates your choice in new words. Skip “In conclusion” if that line already sounds like an ending.
No greeting, no sign-off
A survey answer is not an email. Start with your choice rather than “Dear Sir or Madam”, and end with your last reason or a summary line rather than “Regards”.
A minute-by-minute plan for each task
Each task has its own timer: 27 minutes for an email, 26 for a survey answer. Use one rhythm in both: a few minutes to plan, most of the time to write, a few more to check.
Task 1 email, 27 minutes
- 0–2 min
Read, then decide on a tone
Read the prompt twice. Who will read this email, and what should they do? That answer sets greeting, tone and closing.
- 2–5 min
Plan each detail
Decide on one specific detail per point and what it means for you, plus what your closing will ask for.
- 5–20 min
Write
Opening, one paragraph per point, closing. Keep moving; a doubtful sentence can wait until later.
- 20–24 min
Reread against the prompt
Tick off each point. Does every point have a detail? Is the tone steady from start to end?
- 24–27 min
Fix and count
Check verb tenses, articles and plurals, then make sure the email sits inside 150–200 words.
Task 2 survey answer, 26 minutes
- 0–1 min
Choose
Read both options, then pick the one you can support best. Once writing starts, keep that choice.
- 1–5 min
Plan two reasons
Settle on two reasons, an example for each, and the sentence you will write about the other option.
- 5–19 min
Write
Your choice first, then one paragraph per reason, a line on the other option and a closing line.
- 19–23 min
Reread for your position
Does every paragraph support one choice? Does each reason have its example?
- 23–26 min
Fix and count
Check grammar and punctuation, then count words: 150–200.
Practise this rhythm in Task 1 practice or Task 2 practice, which keep each task’s timer, or write both tasks in our free mock test after listening and reading.
Linking words for CELPIP writing, by job
Linking words show a reader how two ideas connect. Pick them for what they do, then vary them: three sentences in a row that start with “Also” read like a list, not an argument.
| Job | Words to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adding | also, in addition, what is more, on top of that (friendly) | “Our kitchen has only two microwaves. On top of that, one of them is often broken.” |
| Contrasting | however, although, even though, while, on the other hand | “Although a quiet room sounds relaxing, most of us spend our break eating.” |
| Giving reasons | because, since, as, which is why, that is why | “My shift ends at 6 p.m., which is why a 7 p.m. class is my only option.” |
| Giving examples | for example, for instance, such as, in my case | “Last month, for instance, I waited fifteen minutes to heat up my lunch.” |
| Summing up | overall, for these reasons, all in all | “Overall, a bigger kitchen would help more people every working day.” |
Watch your punctuation. “However” starts a new sentence or follows a semicolon, while “although” joins two ideas inside one sentence. Mixing them up is an easy Readability slip to avoid.
CELPIP writing templates PDF
This PDF puts both plans on one sheet: each step with its word guide and example line, natural versus memorized openings, plus useful phrases. Keep it nearby while practising at first, then try a full answer without it.
Both writing plans on one sheet
celpip-writing-templates.pdf · 9 KB · print it and keep it beside you while you practise
Final check: CELPIP writing tips for your last minutes
Go through this list at the end, biggest problems first.
- Task 1: every point in the prompt gets its own paragraph and a specific detail.
- Task 2: your choice comes first and never changes.
- Task 1: the tone suits its reader from greeting to sign-off.
- Each point or reason has an example, a time, a number or a result.
- Verb tenses fit the timeline: what happened, what is happening now, what you want next.
- Articles and plurals are right: “a refund”, “the third week”, “two sessions”.
- Word count: between 150 and 200.
- No sentence came from a memorized script.
Then paste your answer into our writing checker to catch repeated words, very long sentences and set phrases before submitting a practice answer to be graded.