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CELPIP Writing Task 2: Survey Response

Support your choice with clear reasons

Choose one option, give two different reasons, and explain how people would benefit.

Task at a glance: 26 minutes to write 150–200 words.

Guide 2 of 2 in the Writing path · Reviewed

Know the task

Writing Task 2 asks you to choose between survey options and explain your choice in about 150–200 words. Write an opinion response, not an email. Either choice can lead to a good answer if your reasons fit the situation.

See the official CELPIP test format

A useful approach

  1. 1

    Choose an option and two reasons

    Write down your choice before drafting. For longer library hours, one reason is access after work. Another is a quiet place away from a noisy home. Saying “useful” and “helpful” does not give two different reasons.

  2. 2

    Explain who benefits and how

    Connect each reason to people in the situation. For example, longer hours let daytime workers visit after their shifts. Explain that connection so the reader can see why your choice helps.

  3. 3

    Add a realistic example

    Show how someone could use the improvement. “A shop assistant could study after work” makes the benefit easy to picture. Use “could” for an imagined example, and use only facts supplied in the prompt when giving figures or research findings.

  4. 4

    Compare the options and check your ending

    You can mention a benefit of the other option, then explain why you still prefer yours. Keep this comparison short so you have room for your reasons. Check that your ending supports the choice you made at the start.

Sample question and answer

Sample question: Your local library has enough money for one improvement: longer quiet-study hours on weekday evenings, or new weekend workshops. Choose one option in your survey response. Explain why it would be more useful for residents.

Example survey response · Select a passage to see its explanation.

Clear choice

The first sentence tells the reader which option the writer supports. A survey response does not need an email greeting.

Read the full sample answer

Extending quiet-study hours would be the more useful choice for our library. Although weekend workshops could be enjoyable, access to a dependable study space would meet a more regular need in the community.

Residents who work during the day need a calm place to study when they are actually free. For example, a shop assistant finishing at six could spend an hour preparing for an evening course before going home. If the library closes before that person can arrive, its study facilities offer little practical help.

A longer opening period would also benefit residents whose homes are crowded or noisy. Sharing a small apartment can make reading or completing an assignment difficult, even when family members are considerate. An available desk at the library would let these learners concentrate without asking everyone at home to change their routine.

Workshops would still be valuable, but their topics and schedules might suit only some residents. Extended hours would let people choose their own learning activity and return whenever necessary. I therefore support the weekday evening option because it would make an existing public resource more accessible and useful.

Check your understanding

Your first paragraph argues that longer hours help people who work during the day. Which second reason adds a different benefit?

A common mistake

Repeating your choice without explaining why it helps.

Less useful: Longer hours are better because they are the best option.

More specific: Longer hours would give residents who work during the day a quiet place to study after their shifts.

The clearer sentence explains who benefits and how. Calling an option “better” or “best” does not give a reason to choose it.

Useful language in context

extend the hours

Keep a service open for longer.

Extending the hours would make evening visits possible.

meet a regular need

Provide something people often need.

A quiet study space meets a regular need for residents taking courses.

a dependable resource

Something useful that people can count on.

The library can be a dependable resource for independent learners.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose one improvement for a recreation centre: more bicycle parking or more benches.
  2. Write two different reasons for your choice. Add an example to explain one reason.
  3. Check that your reasons give different benefits. Does your example show who would benefit and how? Add either detail if it is missing.
Practise this task free