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Tip: Speaking Task 5: pick one option and stay with it. Comparing both is fine, switching sides isn't.
Tip: Speaking Task 5: pick one option and stay with it. Comparing both is fine, switching sides isn't.
Draft a perfectly structured 150-200 word email with appropriate tone and clear paragraphing.
Understanding the assessment criteria helps you deliver exactly what examiners are looking for.
Your ability to adjust your vocabulary and formatting based on who you are writing to. A complaint to a manager requires a very different tone than an invitation to a friend.
The prompt will give you 3 specific bullet points to cover. If you miss even one of these bullet points, your score will drop significantly regardless of your grammar.
Examiners look for a logical flow: A greeting, an opening statement of purpose, 2-3 body paragraphs addressing the bullet points, a call to action, and a sign-off.
Mixing simple, compound, and complex sentences. If every sentence starts with 'I', your grammar score will suffer.
Ready-to-use expressions that help your answer sound natural, organized, and easy to follow.
See how a high-scoring response sounds with clear structure and practical supporting details.
You recently ate at a restaurant and the service was terrible. Write an email to the restaurant manager (150-200 words). Include: 1) Details of your visit, 2) What went wrong, 3) What you want the manager to do.
"Dear Restaurant Manager, I am writing to formally express my extreme disappointment regarding the service I received at your establishment last Friday evening."
"My family and I visited your downtown location at 7:00 PM to celebrate my mother's 60th birthday. We had booked a table for six under my name two weeks in advance, expecting a wonderful celebratory dinner."
"Unfortunately, the experience fell completely short of our expectations. Despite our reservation, we were forced to wait over 45 minutes for a table. Furthermore, when we were finally seated, our waiter was incredibly dismissive and brought out two of our main courses completely cold."
"Given the premium prices your restaurant charges, this level of service is simply unacceptable. I would appreciate it if you could investigate what happened with the kitchen staff that evening. Additionally, I believe a partial refund for the cold meals would be an appropriate gesture of goodwill."
"I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter. Sincerely, John Doe"
Learn from these frequent errors that lower scores on this task.
The prompt gives you exactly 3 things to write about. Many candidates get distracted by their own story and forget to answer one of the bullets.
Before you start typing, write the 3 bullet points into the text box. Then expand each bullet point into a paragraph.
Starting an email to a CEO with 'Hey dude, what's up?' or ending an email to your best friend with 'Sincerely, John Doe'.
"Dear Sir, I want to tell you about the awesome party. Please come. Best regards."
"Hi Sarah, I'm throwing a huge party this weekend and I'd love for you to come! Cheers,"
Writing 300 words doesn't get you extra points. It actually increases the chances of you making grammar and spelling errors.
Submitting one giant block of text.
Hit the 'Enter' key twice between every single paragraph to create clean white space. It instantly makes your email look organized.
Test your understanding of Writing Task 1: Writing an Email with these quick questions.
The official CELPIP test does have a very basic spell checker (words will be underlined in red), but it does not auto-correct, and it does not check grammar.
Yes! If the prompt says 'Write an email to a store manager', make up the store name, the manager's name, the date you visited, and the items you bought. Specific details make the email sound authentic.
Absolutely. You must use standard email formatting. That means starting with 'Dear [Name],' having distinct paragraphs separated by blank lines, and ending with 'Sincerely, [Your Name]'.
You have 27 minutes—take 3 minutes to brainstorm before you type. Even a basic, simple sentence addressing the bullet point is infinitely better than skipping it entirely.
Jump between all 2 CELPIP Writing templates and review the structure for each task.