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CELPIP Writing Task 1: Email

Make your request easy to act on

Explain what happened, why it matters, and what you want the reader to do next.

Task at a glance: 27 minutes to write 150–200 words.

Guide 1 of 2 in the Writing path · Reviewed

Know the task

Writing Task 1 asks for an email of about 150–200 words. Read the situation and every instruction before you write. Choose details and a level of politeness that suit the reader and your purpose. A complaint, invitation, and recommendation need different details.

See the official CELPIP test format

A useful approach

  1. 1

    List what you need to include

    Note who you are writing to and why. Then list every point in the instructions. Here, you need to describe the cancellation, explain the transport problem, and ask for another appointment.

  2. 2

    Explain how the problem affected you

    Give a detail that shows why the cancellation matters. Here, the writer needs to arrange transport again. Use a word such as “so” to connect the problem to its effect.

  3. 3

    Ask for a specific action

    Say what help you need and when you need it. Offer another option if your first choice is unavailable. Here, ask for next Saturday morning or the next free weekend appointment.

  4. 4

    Check your email before finishing

    First, check that you answered every instruction. Then check your language, dates, details, and word count. Make sure your greeting and closing suit the person you are writing to. Read the email yourself as well as using spellcheck.

Sample question and answer

Sample question: Your appointment at a community repair clinic was cancelled after you had arranged transport for your sewing machine. Write to the coordinator. Describe the appointment and cancellation, explain the inconvenience, and ask for a new appointment. Suggest another time if your first choice is unavailable.

Example email · Select a passage to see its explanation.

Reason for writing

The first sentence tells the coordinator which appointment the email is about.

Read the full sample answer

Dear Clinic Coordinator,

I’m writing about the repair appointment that was cancelled on Saturday. I had booked the ten o’clock session to have my sewing machine examined, but the cancellation message arrived after I had already left home.

I had arranged a lift for my sewing machine, so rescheduling also means finding transport again. My neighbour took time away from work to drive me, and we only discovered the clinic was closed when we reached the community centre. I understand that volunteers can become unavailable; however, an earlier message would have saved us both an unnecessary journey.

Could you offer me an appointment next Saturday morning? If that is full, please let me know the next available weekend slot. I would also appreciate confirmation the day before, so I can make reliable transport arrangements. The machine is too heavy for me to carry safely on the bus.

Thank you for helping residents repair useful equipment. I hope we can arrange another visit soon, as I need the machine to finish some curtains for my home.

Kind regards, Alex Morgan

Check your understanding

The email already explains the cancelled appointment and its impact. Which sentence best completes the request?

A common mistake

Leaving the reader to guess what you need.

Less useful: I hope you can do something about this.

More specific: Could you offer me an appointment next Saturday morning?

The clearer sentence tells the coordinator exactly what help the writer wants. The rest of the email still needs to explain the problem and answer the other instructions.

Useful language in context

arrange a lift

Plan a journey with someone who can drive you.

I arranged a lift because the machine was too heavy to carry.

reschedule an appointment

Move a booked appointment to another time.

Could we reschedule the appointment for next Saturday?

an available slot

A time that is open for booking.

Please let me know if an afternoon slot becomes available.

Try it yourself

  1. Imagine that a delivery arrived with an item missing. Choose the item.
  2. Write two sentences: name the missing item, then ask for a replacement or another solution.
  3. Check that your sentences name the item and say what you want the seller to do. Add either detail if it is missing.
Practise this task free