CELPIP Writing Task 1 Template: Writing an Email
A four-part email structure that adapts to any CELPIP Task 1 prompt — one body paragraph per bullet point — with a worked example and the tone rules that decide your Task Fulfillment score.
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
Task 1 describes a situation, names a recipient and lists the points your email must cover — usually three bullets. You have 27 minutes to write 150–200 words. The situation changes every time. The structure doesn't — which is exactly why a template works here.
Use this as a shape to fill, not a script to memorize. Examiners score Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfillment; a memorized answer that ignores the prompt scores badly on all four.
The four-part structure
| Part | What goes in it | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Salutation matched to the recipient | 1 line |
| Opening | Why you are writing, in one sentence | 1–2 lines |
| Body | One paragraph per bullet, in the prompt's order | 3 paragraphs |
| Closing | A clear request or next step, then sign-off | 2–3 lines |
Try the structure on a real Task 1 prompt
27 minutes, 150–200 words, on the exam-style screen. Free.
Step 1 — Match the greeting to the recipient
The prompt always names who you are writing to. That single detail sets the tone for everything after it.
| Recipient | Greeting | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| A manager, landlord, company, or official | Dear Mr. / Ms. [Surname], | Sincerely, |
| A named person you don't know | Dear [Full name], | Best regards, |
| An unnamed department | Dear Sir or Madam, | Sincerely, |
| A coworker you know well | Hi [First name], | Best, |
| A neighbour you don't know well | Dear Mr. / Ms. [Surname], | Best regards, |
| A friend or close neighbour | Hi [First name], | Thanks, |
The most common register mistake is "Dear Sir or Madam" to a neighbour. Read the prompt for the relationship before you write a word.
Step 2 — State your purpose in the first line
Do not warm up. The examiner should know why you are writing by the end of sentence one.
I am writing to [request / report / ask about / follow up on] [the specific thing].
Applied:
I am writing to report a problem with the heating in apartment 4B.
Step 3 — One body paragraph per bullet
The prompt tells you exactly what the body must contain: its bullets. Give each one its own short paragraph, in the order the prompt lists them, so the rater can tick them off. Skip one and Task Fulfillment drops, however good the rest is. Vague answers lose Content/Coherence marks; concrete detail earns them.
[Point 1 — answered directly, with one concrete detail: a date, a time, a number, a name.]
[Point 2 — answered directly, with the consequence or reason behind it.]
[Point 3 — answered directly; if it's the request, make it specific.]
Where it fits, let one paragraph show you understand the reader's side ("I know the room is popular on summer weekends..."). Holding the reader in mind is what separates a strong email from an adequate one.
Step 4 — Close with an actual request
Plenty of test-takers describe a problem beautifully and never ask for anything. If the request is one of the bullets, it belongs in its own paragraph; either way, end with a clear next step.
Would it be possible to [specific action]? I would appreciate [outcome] by [timeframe].
Step 5 — Match the sign-off to the greeting
If you opened with "Dear Ms. Okafor," do not close with "Cheers." Consistency of register is explicitly assessed.
Worked walkthrough
Here is the whole process on one prompt, from a blank screen to a finished answer.
Prompt: You live in a condominium building with a shared party room, and you would like to use it for a family event. Write an email to the building's property manager in about 150–200 words. Your email should do the following things:
- Explain what the event is and when you would like to use the room.
- Describe your plans for the event.
- Ask what you need to do to confirm the booking.
1. Read it for who, what, and the ask.
You are writing to your property manager — an official, so the register is formal. The three bullets are your body paragraphs: the occasion and date, your plans, and how to confirm.
2. Plan — notes only.
A quick plan before the first line: fix the register, then one concrete detail per bullet.
| Part | Your note |
|---|---|
| Greeting | Formal — property manager, so "Dear Ms. [Surname]," |
| Opening | I'm writing to request the party room for a family gathering |
| Point 1 — event + when | mum's 70th; Sat Aug 15, 2–6 p.m.; room's popular, so booking early |
| Point 2 — plans | ~15 guests, quiet lunch not a party; I set up and clean |
| Point 3 — confirm | Is it free? What do I do to confirm? Will pay deposit, sign form |
| Closing | Reply by end of next week; Sincerely |
3. Turn each note into a line.
Greeting:
Dear Ms. Lindqvist,
Opening:
I am writing to request the use of the building's party room for a small family gathering.
Point 1 — the event and when:
The occasion is my mother's seventieth birthday, and I would like to book the room on Saturday, August 15th, from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. I know the room is popular on summer weekends, so I am writing well in advance.
Point 2 — your plans:
I expect around fifteen guests, most of them relatives. We are planning a quiet afternoon with a light lunch, coffee and cake rather than music or dancing. I will take care of setting up and cleaning afterwards, and I will make sure the room is left exactly as we found it.
Point 3 — how to confirm:
Could you let me know whether the room is free on that date and what I need to do to confirm the reservation? I am happy to pay any deposit or booking fee the building requires, and to sign an agreement if one is needed.
Closing:
I would be grateful for a reply by the end of next week.
Sincerely,
Alex Mercer
4. Read it back — the finished model answer.
Dear Ms. Lindqvist,
I am writing to request the use of the building's party room for a small family gathering.
The occasion is my mother's seventieth birthday, and I would like to book the room on Saturday, August 15th, from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. I know the room is popular on summer weekends, so I am writing well in advance.
I expect around fifteen guests, most of them relatives. We are planning a quiet afternoon with a light lunch, coffee and cake rather than music or dancing. I will take care of setting up and cleaning afterwards, and I will make sure the room is left exactly as we found it.
Could you let me know whether the room is free on that date and what I need to do to confirm the reservation? I am happy to pay any deposit or booking fee the building requires, and to sign an agreement if one is needed.
I would be grateful for a reply by the end of next week.
Sincerely,
Alex Mercer
174 words
5. Check before you submit.
- All 3 points answered, one paragraph each, in the prompt's order.
- Length is inside 150–200 words.
- Register is consistent — formal greeting, formal sign-off, no drift.
- The body carries concrete detail: date, time window, guest count, the occasion.
- The ask is unmistakable — availability plus how to confirm, with a timeframe.
Full model answer
Prompt: Your neighbour's dog has been barking late at night. Write an email to your neighbour, Mr. Patel, in about 150–200 words. Your email should do the following things:
- Describe the problem.
- Explain how it is affecting you.
- Suggest a solution.
Dear Mr. Patel,
I hope you're doing well. I'm writing about your dog, Max, and some barking late at night.
Over the past two weeks, Max has been barking loudly on most nights, usually between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. It seems to start when he is left out in the backyard, and it often goes on for twenty or thirty minutes at a time.
Because my bedroom faces your yard, the noise carries straight in, and I've been struggling to sleep before my early shifts at the hospital. Last week I was so tired that I nearly missed my bus two mornings in a row.
I understand that dogs bark for all sorts of reasons, and Max is always calm and friendly during the day. Would it be possible to bring him inside a little earlier in the evening? If something is unsettling him at night, I'm happy to help however I can.
Thanks very much for understanding, and please let me know if there is a good time to chat.
Best regards,
Alex Mercer
176 words
Why this scores well: the greeting matches a neighbour, and the first line names the issue. Each bullet then gets its own paragraph: the problem with specific detail (two weeks, 11 p.m.–1 a.m., the backyard), the effect on the writer (lost sleep before early shifts), and a reasonable solution that also grants the neighbour's side. The tone stays friendly and polite from greeting to sign-off.
Model answer at two levels
Prompt: Your neighbour's dog has been barking late at night. Write an email to your neighbour, Mr. Patel, in about 150–200 words. Your email should do the following things: describe the problem; explain how it is affecting you; suggest a solution.
Dear Mr. Patel,
I hope you're doing well. I'm writing about your dog, Max, and some barking late at night.
Over the past two weeks, Max has been barking loudly on most nights, usually between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. It seems to start when he is left out in the backyard, and it often goes on for twenty or thirty minutes at a time.
Because my bedroom faces your yard, the noise carries straight in, and I've been struggling to sleep before my early shifts at the hospital. Last week I was so tired that I nearly missed my bus two mornings in a row.
I understand that dogs bark for all sorts of reasons, and Max is always calm and friendly during the day. Would it be possible to bring him inside a little earlier in the evening? If something is unsettling him at night, I'm happy to help however I can.
Thanks very much for understanding, and please let me know if there is a good time to chat.
Best regards,
Alex Mercer
Dear Mr. Patel,
I hope you are well. I am writing to you about your dog, Max. He barks a lot at night, and it is a problem for me.
For the last two weeks, Max has barked almost every night. He usually barks from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. I think he barks when he is outside in the backyard. Sometimes he barks for twenty or thirty minutes without stopping.
This is very hard for me because my bedroom is next to your yard. I can hear the noise very clearly, so I cannot sleep well. I work early shifts at the hospital, so I need to sleep. Last week I was very tired, and two times I was almost late for my bus.
I know Max is a good dog, and he is very friendly during the day. Can you please bring him inside earlier in the evening? I think this will help a lot. If there is a problem with him at night, I can help you.
Thank you for your help. Please tell me a good time to talk.
Best regards,
Alex Mercer
176 words (target 150–200)
Highlighted: phrases the CLB 7 version doesn't have
What moves this answer from CLB 7 to CLB 9
Both answers are illustrative examples written by Celpip Plus to show the difference between levels. They are not official CELPIP rated samples.
Adapting the shape to any prompt
| Prompt type | Opening line | Closing request |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint | I'm writing about [problem] with [thing]. | Would it be possible to [fix]? |
| Request | I'm writing to ask whether [request]. | I'd be grateful if you could [action]. |
| Apology | I'm writing to apologize for [what happened]. | I hope we can [make it right]. |
| Suggestion | I'm writing to suggest [idea] for [context]. | Would you consider [proposal]? |
| Invitation | I'm writing to invite you to [event]. | Please let me know if you can join. |
| Follow-up | I'm writing to follow up on [previous contact]. | Could you update me on [item] by [date]? |
Before you submit
- Greeting matches the recipient's relationship
- First line states why you are writing
- All 3 points answered, one body paragraph each
- Body has concrete detail — times, dates, amounts, names
- Where it fits, one line acknowledges the reader's side
- Closing contains a clear, specific request
- Sign-off register matches the greeting
- Length is 150–200 words
Common mistakes
- Describing without asking. No request means incomplete Task Fulfillment, whatever the prose is like.
- Register drift. "Dear Mr. Patel" followed by "hey, anyway" reads as two different writers.
- Padding to reach the word count. Under 150 words hurts, but repetition hurts Vocabulary just as much. Add a real detail, not another adjective.
- Reusing one word throughout. If "situation" appears four times, your Vocabulary score reflects it. Vary with issue, problem, matter, difficulty.
For five more Task 1 prompts to practise with, each with a short answer plan, see CELPIP Writing practice questions.
Prompts like this one draw on the vocabulary in the housing and community, work and careers and shopping and consumerism topic pages of the Collocations Kit, and the formal phrases for CELPIP Writing help you keep the tone right.
Frequently asked questions
Write 150–200 words in 27 minutes. That leaves time to plan before you start and to reread the email at the end, which is where most slips get caught.
Yes. The text box has spell-check built in, but it won't catch a wrong word or a grammar slip, so accuracy still has to come from you. Keep a few minutes at the end to reread for what spell-check misses.
Then the email is incomplete. Task Fulfillment looks at whether you address every part of the task, so give each point its own paragraph, even if one of them is short.
Learn the structure and a few flexible phrases, not a script. Every prompt is different, and a memorized answer that doesn't fit the prompt misses the task, which is exactly what Task Fulfillment looks at. Practise filling the structure with new prompts until the order comes without thinking.
The CLB 7 and CLB 9 model answers are our estimates of how each one reads, not official scores. Celpip Plus wrote both to show what changes between the two levels, and neither is an official CELPIP rated sample.