Writing · Task 1

CELPIP Writing Task 1 Template: Writing an Email

A four-part email structure that adapts to any CELPIP Task 1 prompt, 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

Updated July 22, 20268 min read

Task 1 gives you a situation and a recipient, then 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 memorise. Examiners score Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, and Task Fulfillment; a memorised 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	The details, context, or reasons	2 paragraphs
Closing	A clear request or next step, then sign-off	2–3 lines

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 friend or 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 — Build the body around specifics

Two short paragraphs beat one long one. Vague complaints lose Content/Coherence marks; concrete detail earns them.

Paragraph 1 — the situation, with details:

[What happened], [when it started], and [how it has affected you].

Paragraph 2 — context or reasoning:

[Why it matters / what you have already tried / what you understand about their position].

Notice the second paragraph. Acknowledging the other side's position is what separates a Score 9 email from a Score 6 one — it shows you can hold a reader in mind.

Step 4 — Close with an actual request

Plenty of test-takers describe a problem beautifully and never ask for anything. Task Fulfillment drops immediately.

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. Write an email to the building's property manager to request the use of the party room for a family birthday gathering.

1. Read it for who, what, and the ask.
You are writing to your property manager — an official, so the register is formal — and the ask is a booking: you need to request the party room for a specific date and find out how to confirm it.

2. Plan — notes only.
A quick plan before the first line: fix the register, then decide what concrete details prove this is a real, reasonable booking.

Part	Your note
Greeting	Formal — property manager, so "Dear Ms. [Surname],"
Opening	I'm writing to request the party room, Sat Aug 15
Body — the situation	2–6 p.m., ~15 guests, mum's 70th, quiet lunch not a party
Body — reasoning	room's popular in summer; booking early on purpose; will clean up and pay any fee
Closing	Is it free? What do I do to confirm? 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 on Saturday, August 15th, for a small family birthday gathering.

Body — the situation:

The event would run from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and I expect around fifteen guests, most of them relatives. It would be a quiet afternoon celebration for my mother's seventieth birthday, with a light lunch and coffee rather than music or dancing.

Body — reasoning:

I know the party room is popular on summer weekends and that bookings are handled first-come, so I am writing well in advance. I am happy to take care of setting up and cleaning afterwards, and to pay any deposit or booking fee the building requires.

Closing:

Could you let me know whether the room is free on that date and what I need to do to confirm the reservation? I would be grateful for a reply by the end of next week.

Sincerely,
Alex Mercer

4. Read it back.

Dear Ms. Lindqvist,

I am writing to request the use of the building's party room on Saturday, August 15th, for a small family birthday gathering.

The event would run from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and I expect around fifteen guests, most of them relatives. It would be a quiet afternoon celebration for my mother's seventieth birthday, with a light lunch and coffee rather than music or dancing.

I know the party room is popular on summer weekends and that bookings are handled first-come, so I am writing well in advance. I am happy to take care of setting up and cleaning afterwards, and to pay any deposit or booking fee the building requires.

Could you let me know whether the room is free on that date and what I need to do to confirm the reservation? I would be grateful for a reply by the end of next week.

Sincerely,
Alex Mercer

5. Check before you submit.

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 barks loudly every night. Write an email to your neighbour describing the problem and requesting a solution.

Dear Mr. Patel,

I hope you're doing well. I'm writing about your dog, Max, who has been barking loudly most nights over the past two weeks, usually between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

The noise carries clearly into my bedroom, and I've been struggling to get enough sleep before early shifts at work. I understand dogs bark for all sorts of reasons, and I know Max is usually settled during the day, so I wanted to raise this with you directly rather than let it become a bigger issue.

Would it be possible to bring him inside a little earlier in the evening? If something else is unsettling him at night, I'm happy to help however I can.

Thanks very much for understanding.

Best regards,
Alex Mercer

Why this scores well: the greeting matches a neighbour, the first line names the issue, the details are specific (two weeks, 11 p.m.–1 a.m.), the second paragraph grants the neighbour's perspective, and the closing makes one clear, reasonable request.

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 apologise 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
Body has concrete detail — times, dates, amounts, names
One paragraph 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.

Writing · Task 1

CELPIP Writing Task 1 Template: Writing an Email

A four-part email structure that adapts to any CELPIP Task 1 prompt, 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

Updated July 22, 20268 min read

Task 1 gives you a situation and a recipient, then 27 minutes to write 150–200 words. The situation changes every time. The structure doesn't — which is exactly why a template works here.

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	The details, context, or reasons	2 paragraphs
Closing	A clear request or next step, then sign-off	2–3 lines

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 friend or 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 — Build the body around specifics

Two short paragraphs beat one long one. Vague complaints lose Content/Coherence marks; concrete detail earns them.

Paragraph 1 — the situation, with details:

[What happened], [when it started], and [how it has affected you].

Paragraph 2 — context or reasoning:

[Why it matters / what you have already tried / what you understand about their position].

Notice the second paragraph. Acknowledging the other side's position is what separates a Score 9 email from a Score 6 one — it shows you can hold a reader in mind.

Step 4 — Close with an actual request

Plenty of test-takers describe a problem beautifully and never ask for anything. Task Fulfillment drops immediately.

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. Write an email to the building's property manager to request the use of the party room for a family birthday gathering.

2. Plan — notes only.
A quick plan before the first line: fix the register, then decide what concrete details prove this is a real, reasonable booking.

Part	Your note
Greeting	Formal — property manager, so "Dear Ms. [Surname],"
Opening	I'm writing to request the party room, Sat Aug 15
Body — the situation	2–6 p.m., ~15 guests, mum's 70th, quiet lunch not a party
Body — reasoning	room's popular in summer; booking early on purpose; will clean up and pay any fee
Closing	Is it free? What do I do to confirm? 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 on Saturday, August 15th, for a small family birthday gathering.

Body — the situation:

The event would run from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and I expect around fifteen guests, most of them relatives. It would be a quiet afternoon celebration for my mother's seventieth birthday, with a light lunch and coffee rather than music or dancing.

Body — reasoning:

I know the party room is popular on summer weekends and that bookings are handled first-come, so I am writing well in advance. I am happy to take care of setting up and cleaning afterwards, and to pay any deposit or booking fee the building requires.

Closing:

Could you let me know whether the room is free on that date and what I need to do to confirm the reservation? I would be grateful for a reply by the end of next week.

Sincerely,
Alex Mercer

4. Read it back.

Dear Ms. Lindqvist,

I am writing to request the use of the building's party room on Saturday, August 15th, for a small family birthday gathering.

The event would run from about 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and I expect around fifteen guests, most of them relatives. It would be a quiet afternoon celebration for my mother's seventieth birthday, with a light lunch and coffee rather than music or dancing.

I know the party room is popular on summer weekends and that bookings are handled first-come, so I am writing well in advance. I am happy to take care of setting up and cleaning afterwards, and to pay any deposit or booking fee the building requires.

Could you let me know whether the room is free on that date and what I need to do to confirm the reservation? I would be grateful for a reply by the end of next week.

Sincerely,
Alex Mercer

5. Check before you submit.

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 barks loudly every night. Write an email to your neighbour describing the problem and requesting a solution.

Dear Mr. Patel,

I hope you're doing well. I'm writing about your dog, Max, who has been barking loudly most nights over the past two weeks, usually between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

The noise carries clearly into my bedroom, and I've been struggling to get enough sleep before early shifts at work. I understand dogs bark for all sorts of reasons, and I know Max is usually settled during the day, so I wanted to raise this with you directly rather than let it become a bigger issue.

Would it be possible to bring him inside a little earlier in the evening? If something else is unsettling him at night, I'm happy to help however I can.

Thanks very much for understanding.

Best regards,
Alex Mercer

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 apologise 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
Body has concrete detail — times, dates, amounts, names
One paragraph 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.