Health & Wellness — Part 4
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
What you'll learn: formal written-register phrases and connectors for health-related CELPIP Writing tasks — a workplace sick-leave email, or a survey response on public health policy.
Why health writing needs careful tone
A formal email explaining a health-related absence, or a Task 2 opinion response about healthcare policy, both require a measured, respectful tone — different from the casual phrasal verbs in Part 3. This lesson covers the connectors that let you explain a health situation formally or argue a health-related opinion in structured, academic language.
Explaining versus arguing
As with the other topics in this kit, these phrases split into two functions: formally explaining a personal health situation (due to a medical condition, on medical advice) and building an argument about public health (evidence indicates, this has significant implications for). Task 1 emails typically need the first set; Task 2 policy responses need the second.
Word bank: formal health-writing phrases
| 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. |
| I regret to inform you that | formally delivers unwelcome news | I regret to inform you that I will need to reschedule our meeting. |
| evidence indicates that | introduces a claim supported by data or research | Evidence indicates that regular exercise reduces stress levels. |
| this has significant implications for | signals an important consequence | This has significant implications for public health spending. |
| a marked increase/decrease in | a noticeable, measurable change | There has been a marked increase in gym membership since spring. |
| it is essential that | emphasizes a necessary condition | It is essential that patients receive timely follow-up care. |
| in order to safeguard | states a protective purpose | In order to safeguard staff wellbeing, the office introduced flexible hours. |
| I would appreciate your understanding | polite formal request for patience or leniency | I would appreciate your understanding regarding this absence. |
| public health authorities recommend | cites an official or expert recommendation | Public health authorities recommend at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly. |
| as a precautionary measure | describes an action taken to prevent a problem | As a precautionary measure, the clinic rescheduled all appointments. |
| I will keep you informed of any developments | formally commits to future updates | I will keep you informed of any developments regarding my recovery. |
Worked example — Writing Task 1 email
"Dear Mr. Osei,
I regret to inform you that I will be unable to attend work this week due to a medical condition. On medical advice, I have been told to rest for at least five days. As a precautionary measure, I have also informed HR to avoid any scheduling conflicts. I would appreciate your understanding during this time, and I will keep you informed of any developments regarding my return date.
Sincerely, T. Okafor"
Common mistakes
- "Because I'm sick" instead of due to a medical condition — too informal for a workplace email; the formal phrase maintains appropriate distance without oversharing details.
- "The doctor said" instead of on medical advice — acceptable in speech, but the formal phrase is more appropriate in written correspondence.
- "Studies show" used repeatedly instead of varying with evidence indicates that — both are correct, but relying only on one phrase throughout a Task 2 response limits perceived vocabulary range.
- Omitting a formal closing after bad news — always follow I regret to inform you that with a polite closing like I would appreciate your understanding, not an abrupt sign-off.
Recap
Formal connectors let you explain a personal health situation respectfully in an email and build a well-supported argument in a Task 2 response about health policy. Draft a short email explaining a plausible health-related absence, using at least four phrases from this table, then compare its tone against the spoken example from Part 3.