CELPIP General Task – Email Writing

The CELPIP General Writing Task 1 measures your ability to communicate about common practical
issues. You have 26 minutes to respond to a question prompt, by writing a email to a person,
company, or institution. Your response is worth about 30% of your writing score and is graded
separately from the Task 2.

The information below includes test-taking tips, strategies, expressions, sample questions, model
emails, and references. It can help you get the highest possible score on the email-writing section of
the CELPIP. Use it regularly to keep track of your progress.

TIPS FOR CELPIP GENERAL – Email Writing

1. Identify the type of email you are being asked to write.
• Formal
• Semi-formal
• Informal
Step 2 will help you recognize each type of email.

2. Identify the purpose of the email.

TYPETYPE PURPOSEPURPOSE
Requesting information from a company
Applying for a job
Formal Complaining to a bank, store, airline
re:product/service
Making a recommendation/suggestion
Complaining to a landlord
Semi - formal Explaining to a neighbor
Asking a professor for permission
Inviting someone you know well
Thanking a friend
Informal
Apologizing
Asking for advice
Decide whether the question requires a formal, semiformal, or informal response. Steps 1 & 2 will help
you choose the right language, style, and tone for your email.
3. Open and close the email correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose of the email.

4.Start the email appropriately.

a. Open a formal and semi-formal email with a formal sentence and paragraph. Get down to
business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to be friendly, as you do not know the person you
are writing to.

Formal:
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inquire about…

I am writing in connection with…

Semi-formal :
Dear Mr Johnson,

I am writing to inform you that…

I am writing to…

b. Open an informal email with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge your friendship first,
before explaining the reason for your email. In fact, the first paragraph could include just friendly
small talk, unrelated to the reason for your writing.

Dear Rajat

I hope you and your family are all well! It was so wonderful to spend time with all of you last month.
It felt great to catch up with you and Samarth, get to know your children, and have fun together
after so long. You have always been dear friends of mine, and always will be.
 Anyway, the reason I’m writing is that I have some good news: I am getting married in September…

5. Learn and use standard written phrases.

In English email writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases. These not only save
time and effort, but also make it easier for the reader to understand our meaning. You can add on
the specific information you wish to communicate to these standard phrases. A list of Useful
Expressions is given below.

6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and practice the correct spelling of words you are
likely to use on the exam. Examples are: “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in connection with”,
“apologize”, and so on. This is an easy way to boost your score.

7. Divide your email into paragraphs. Usually you need four paragraphs:

• Introduction
• Problem / Situation
• Solution / Action
• Conclusion
Make sure to signal the start of a new paragraph in one of two ways:

Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing a little to the right of the
left margin.

Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing directly from the left margin.

8. Write at least 150 words. Practice writing emails till you know what 150 words feels like and
looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose marks if you write more.
9. Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of the points given to you in the
question prompt, you will get a lower grade. Answer all the points. In your email:

• explain the problem

• describe why
• suggest a solution(or an instance)

10. Finish in time.

The CELPIP General Task I email is worth about 40% of your writing score, so make sure you
complete the whole email. Though you have to make up a story to explain the situation, keep it
simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to keep the rest of the time to complete the respond
to survey in Task 2, which is worth much more in terms of points.
11. Read model emails but don’t memorize them. Instead, read the emails to get an idea of the
overall flow and to pick up new vocabulary and expressions.

12. Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score by knowing what examiners look
for and how they award or deduct points.

CELPIP General Task 1 Grading Criteria

Do everything you are asked to do

Give a full developed response
Task achievement
Include/cover all the necessary points
Write 150 words

Coherence:
Present ideas logically
Use structured paragraphs

Coherence & cohesion Cohesion:

Write so points stick together, make
sense, and convey your message
Use standard expressions & transition
words
 Use a wide range of vocabulary naturally,
correctly, and fluently
Use correct spelling
Readability
Choose the right words (word choice)
Use the correct form of words, such as
verbs, nouns, etc. (word form)

Use a wide range of grammar structures

Include different kinds of sentences –
Grammar range & accuracy simple, compound, complex
Use effective punctuation
Use correct capitalization

CELPIP GENERAL Writing : USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR EMAIL-

WRITING
To complete your CELPIP email-writing task within 27 minutes, learn to use and spell common
phrases and expressions correctly. Choose the correct level of formality based on your question
prompt. By using these phrases, you will save time and effort and earn a higher CELPIP score. Most
of the expressions below are arranged from formal to semi-formal to informal.

Apologizing
Please accept my sincere apologies for…

I am very sorry about…

Sorry for…

Asking for help

I’d be grateful if you could…

I would appreciate it if you could…

Could you please…

Asking for information

I am writing to enquire about…
I am writing to find out about…

I would like to know about…

Closing
I look forward to hearing from you,

I look forward to seeing you,

I look forward to meeting you,

Complaining
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…

I am writing to express my annoyance with…

I’m not happy with…

Expressing satisfaction
I was delighted to learn that…

I was thrilled to hear that…

I was very glad to hear that…

Expressing concern
I am writing to express my concern about…

I was very sorry to learn that…

I was really sorry to hear that…

Giving bad news

I regret to advise you that…

I regret to inform you that…

I am sorry to tell you that…

Giving good news

I am pleased to advise you that…

I am delighted to inform you that…

I am happy to tell you that…

Giving reasons
This is due to…

This is a result of

… This is because…
 Making suggestions
Perhaps it would be useful to…

Perhaps it would be possible to…

It might be helpful to…

Thanking
I am extremely grateful for…

I really appreciate…

Thank you for…

Email Templates:
Task 1:

Informal:
__

You borrowed an important textbook from a classmate the last term. You now realize your classmate
had returned home overseas and you still have the book. Write a letter to him/her. In your letter:

· apologize for the mistake

· find out how important the book is to him / her

· say what you will do

Begin your letter as follows: Dear _____________

You should write between 150-200 words.

__

Greeting

1. I hope all is good with you and your husband. I am sorry I have not been in contact,
but maybe this letter will make up for it.

2. Answer the first bullet.

3. Second bullet.

4. Third bullet.

5. I hope this letter finds you in good health. Please respond to me as soon as you
can. Let's talk soon!

Take care,
( name)

Formal:
You exercise regularly and have been a member of many different gyms. Recently, you moved into
a new neighborhood and joined a new gym. You have noticed that people at this gym do not bother
to wipe down the machines after use and often leave dirty towels on the benches in the change
rooms. Write to Mr. Koto, the manager. In your letter:

· explain who you are

· describe the problem exactly

· make suggestions to improve the gym

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr. Koto,

You should write at between 150-200 words.

__

Greeting

1. My aim in writing to you now is to tell you about...

2. First bullet.

3. Second bullet.

4. Third bullet.

5. I'm eager to see whether my recommendations result in timely responses from your end.
Your gracious assistance would be greatly valued.

OR (in different cases):

We sincerely appreciate your participation in this situation. Furthermore, it would be quite

beneficial if you kept the lines of communication open in this situation.__

Note:
We discussed two versions in the conclusion above. The first one is primarily for a question
in which you had to list some issues and then provide some fixes. Since this kind of query
appears frequently in CELPIP, a unique template was created for it.

Nonetheless, you will typically come across circumstances that call for a broader judgment.
Asking "your future landlord some questions to make sure this apartment is right for you"
is one way the query might have gone.

In this case, the second conclusion will fit perfectly!

Moreover, realize that the phrase "Furthermore, it would be quite beneficial if you kept
the lines of communication open in this situation" is just an elegant way of stating "I am
looking forward to talking to you." Examiners enjoy uncommon and infrequent words and
phrases, so yes, we deliberately make things more complicated. It's true that you will score
similarly to others if you write similarly!