CELPIP Vocabulary for Health and Wellness
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
Health & Wellness collocations for CELPIP
Health is a frequent CELPIP topic because it fits so many everyday situations. Writing Task 1 may ask you to email a clinic about a cancelled appointment, or a manager about time off after an injury. Writing Task 2 surveys may ask whether a workplace should open a gym or offer longer lunch breaks. In Speaking, Task 1, Giving Advice, often involves a friend who is stressed or unwell; Task 2, Talking about a Personal Experience, may ask about a time you were sick or injured; and Task 7, Expressing Opinions, may ask whether sugary drinks should be taxed. These collocations help you describe symptoms, treatment and healthy habits precisely.
Verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| book an appointment | schedule a visit, often with a doctor | I need to book an appointment with my dentist this week. |
| catch a cold | become infected with a common cold | She caught a cold after walking home in the rain. |
| follow your doctor's advice | act on medical recommendations | He followed his doctor's advice and cut back on salt. |
| make a full recovery | completely heal from an illness or injury | Thankfully, she made a full recovery within a month. |
| maintain a healthy diet | consistently eat in a balanced, nutritious way | Maintaining a healthy diet has improved his energy levels. |
| get enough sleep | rest an adequate amount each night | Teenagers often don't get enough sleep during exam season. |
| manage stress | control or reduce stress levels effectively | Yoga helps her manage stress after long workdays. |
| take medication | use prescribed or over-the-counter drugs | He takes medication for his blood pressure every morning. |
| build immunity | strengthen the body's resistance to illness | Regular sleep and exercise help build immunity over time. |
| suffer from (a condition) | live with an ongoing illness or health issue | Many older adults suffer from joint pain. |
| stick to a routine | consistently follow a set schedule of habits | She sticks to her exercise routine even in the winter. |
| undergo treatment | receive medical care for a condition | He is currently undergoing treatment for a knee injury. |
Adjective + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a balanced diet | a diet with a healthy variety of nutrients | A balanced diet includes protein, vegetables and whole grains. |
| a sedentary lifestyle | a lifestyle with little physical activity | Office work often leads to a sedentary lifestyle. |
| a chronic condition | a long-lasting or recurring health problem | Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. |
| a speedy recovery | a fast return to health after illness or injury | Everyone wished him a speedy recovery after the surgery. |
| a nagging injury | a minor but persistent injury | A nagging knee injury kept her out of the tournament. |
| a restful night's sleep | sleep that is calm and restorative | A restful night's sleep made a huge difference to her mood. |
| an intense workout | hard physical exercise | He prefers an intense workout to a light jog. |
| mild symptoms | symptoms that are not severe | She had only mild symptoms and recovered quickly. |
| a strict diet | a diet followed with little flexibility | He's on a strict diet ahead of the competition. |
| an active lifestyle | a lifestyle with regular physical activity | An active lifestyle has clearly boosted her energy. |
| a preventable illness | a health condition that could be avoided with care | Many preventable illnesses are linked to diet and inactivity. |
| a serious condition | a health issue requiring urgent or careful attention | The doctor confirmed it wasn't a serious condition. |
Phrasal verbs
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| come down with (an illness) | begin to suffer from an illness | I think I'm coming down with the flu. |
| shake off (a cold) | recover from a minor illness | It took me over a week to shake off that cold. |
| work out | exercise, typically at a gym | She works out three times a week. |
| cut back on (sugar) | reduce how much of something you have | He cut back on sugar after his last checkup. |
| pass out | lose consciousness suddenly | He nearly passed out from the heat during the run. |
| pick up (a bug) | catch an illness, usually a minor one | I picked up a stomach bug while travelling. |
| bounce back (from illness) | recover quickly and fully | She bounced back from surgery faster than expected. |
| wear (someone) down | gradually exhaust or weaken someone | The long hours were wearing him down. |
| warm up (before exercise) | prepare the body with light activity before exercise | Always warm up before a heavy workout. |
| flare up (a condition) | suddenly get worse, often a chronic problem | Her back pain flares up during cold weather. |
| get over (an illness) | fully recover from a sickness | It took two weeks to get over the flu. |
| slow down (for health) | reduce your pace or activity, often to recover | The doctor told him to slow down for a few weeks. |
Formal and spoken phrases for health and wellness
These phrases belong to health situations. Use the formal ones in Writing Task 1 emails to a clinic or employer, and the spoken ones when you talk about your own health or give advice in Speaking.
Formal phrases for Writing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| due to a medical condition | formally states a health-related reason | Due to a medical condition, I will be unable to attend this week. |
| on medical advice | states that an action follows a doctor's recommendation | On medical advice, I am taking two weeks of rest. |
| seek medical attention | get help from a doctor or nurse | If your symptoms get worse, seek medical attention right away. |
| public health authorities recommend | cites an official health recommendation | Public health authorities recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. |
| a doctor's note | a short letter from a doctor confirming an illness | I have attached a doctor's note covering my absence from March 4 to 6. |
| a follow-up appointment | a second visit to check progress | The physiotherapist booked a follow-up appointment for two weeks later. |
| wait times | how long patients wait to be seen | Wait times at the walk-in clinic are often over two hours. |
| a gradual return to work | coming back to work slowly, with fewer hours at first | My doctor has recommended a gradual return to work, starting with half days. |
| sick leave | time off work because of illness | I would like to use two days of sick leave this week. |
Spoken phrases for Speaking
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I've been feeling under the weather | I've been slightly sick | I've been feeling under the weather since the weekend. |
| be on the mend | I'm getting better after an illness or injury | My ankle is on the mend, so I'm back to short walks. |
| run-down | tired and weak, often just before getting sick | You sound really run-down. Are you getting enough sleep? |
| take it easy | rest and avoid hard activity | The doctor told me to take it easy for a few days. |
| I threw my back out | I suddenly hurt my back, usually by lifting something | I threw my back out shovelling snow last winter. |
| my family doctor | the doctor you see regularly | I'd talk to your family doctor before trying that diet. |
| a walk-in clinic | a clinic where you can see a doctor without an appointment | If you can't get in with your doctor, try a walk-in clinic. |
| get a checkup | have a routine medical examination | I get a checkup every year, even when I feel fine. |
Connectors such as "evidence indicates that" and chunks such as "little by little" fit any topic, so they are collected on two shared pages: Formal Phrases for CELPIP Writing and Natural Spoken Phrases for CELPIP Speaking.
Worked examples
Writing Task 1: A cancelled physiotherapy appointment
Prompt: You injured your knee and have been going to a physiotherapy clinic. Your last appointment was cancelled without notice. Write an email to the clinic manager. In your email:
- describe your injury and treatment;
- explain what happened with the cancelled appointment;
- say what you would like the clinic to do.
Dear Clinic Manager,
I have been a patient at your clinic since January, when I hurt my knee playing hockey. I am currently undergoing treatment with Ana Silva twice a week, and I have been following her advice carefully, including the daily exercises she gave me. Until last week, I was on track to make a full recovery by the spring.
Unfortunately, when I arrived for my appointment last Thursday, the receptionist told me it had been cancelled. Nobody had called or emailed me. I had left work early and paid for parking, and because I missed a session, the nagging injury has started to flare up again when I climb stairs.
I would appreciate it if you could book me a follow-up appointment with Ana this week, preferably after 4 p.m. I would also ask that the clinic confirm cancellations by phone or email in the future, so that other patients do not have the same problem.
Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Daniel Fortin
The email covers the three bullets in order, explains the effect of the cancellation with specific details, and makes two clear requests.
Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice
Prompt: Your friend has been feeling tired and run-down for weeks. She works long hours and rarely exercises. Give her advice about how to feel better.
Hi Leah, I'm glad you told me about this, because you've seemed really run-down lately. I have a few ideas that might help.
First, I think you should book an appointment with your family doctor, just to rule out anything serious. Being tired for weeks isn't normal, and it's better to get a checkup than to guess.
Second, try to get enough sleep. I know you've been working until ten most nights, but even one extra hour would make a difference. When I started going to bed before eleven, I felt better within a week.
Third, you don't need an intense workout to feel better. A twenty-minute walk at lunch would help you manage stress and get you away from your desk. Sitting all day adds up to a sedentary lifestyle, and that drains your energy.
Finally, think about what you eat. You don't have to go on a strict diet. Just try to cut back on coffee and sugar in the afternoon, and bring a proper lunch so you maintain a healthy diet during the week.
If you do these things, I'm sure you'll bounce back quickly. And if you want company on those walks, just let me know.
Four pieces of advice, each with a reason or a personal example, fill the 90 seconds without padding.
CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways
CLB 7 version: I was sick for two weeks, but now I am better and I do exercise again.
CLB 9 version: It took me two weeks to get over the flu, but I've bounced back and I'm working out again.
What changed: "was sick" and "am better" became the phrasal verbs "get over" and "bounce back", and "do exercise" became "working out", which is what people usually say.
Common mistakes
- "I caught diabetes" → I developed diabetes or I have diabetes. "Catch" is only for infections you get from someone else, such as a cold or the flu.
- "I'm doing a healthy diet" → I'm maintaining a healthy diet or following a healthy diet. Diets are followed or maintained, not done.
- "I took a treatment for my knee" → I underwent treatment or received treatment for my knee. "Take" goes with medication, not treatment.
- "A hard diet" → a strict diet. "Strict" is the normal adjective for a diet with firm rules.
- "A small symptom" → a mild symptom. Symptoms are mild or severe, not small or big.
- "A lazy lifestyle" (in formal writing) → a sedentary lifestyle. "Lazy" judges the person; "sedentary" neutrally describes how little they move.
- "I fell down with the flu" → I came down with the flu. "Fall down" means dropping to the ground; "come down with" means starting to get sick.
- "I took off my cold" → I shook off my cold. "Take off" is for clothes or planes, not illness.
- "I cut back sugar" → I cut back on sugar (or cut down on sugar). Both phrasal verbs need "on" before the thing you reduce.
- "I work up at the gym" → I work out at the gym. "Work up" means building something gradually, as in "work up an appetite".
- "Because I'm sick, I can't come" (in an email to your employer) → Due to illness, I will be unable to work this week. The formal phrase keeps the right distance without sharing private details.
- "The doctor said I have to rest" (in a formal email) → On medical advice, I will be resting for the next two weeks. Fine in conversation, but less suitable in writing.
- "The doctor gave me a recipe" → The doctor gave me a prescription. A recipe is for cooking; the word is a false friend for speakers of several languages.
- "I have a headache since Monday" → I've had a headache since Monday. A condition that started in the past and continues now needs the present perfect.
- "I make exercise every morning" → I exercise every morning or I work out every morning. Use "exercise" as a verb, or say "get some exercise"; it is never made.
- "I feel myself tired" → I feel tired. "Feel" takes the adjective directly, with no reflexive pronoun.
- "I'm sick of the flu" → I'm sick with the flu or I have the flu. "Sick of" means fed up with something.
Practise
- Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
- Writing Task 1 practice: write an email to a clinic or employer and use at least five collocations from this page.
- Speaking Task 1 practice: give a friend health advice using "get enough sleep", "manage stress" and "cut back on".