CELPIP Writing Templates: Task 1 and Task 2 Structures with Sample Answers

For the CELPIP Task 1 email, plan a purpose, developed body paragraphs, a requested action and a suitable closing. For Task 2, state your choice, support it with two reasons and finish with a brief conclusion. The templates below help you plan those parts while leaving the wording and details to you.

Each template is applied to one shared prompt three times, with models written to illustrate Level 9, 10 and 12 characteristics. Compare their detail, vocabulary, sentence control and task fulfillment to see what changes as writing gets stronger.

Can you use a template in CELPIP Writing?

Yes, if the template is a structure rather than a script. An email needs a clear purpose, developed body paragraphs, a request and a natural closing. A survey response needs an early position, separate reasons, relevant examples and a conclusion. Knowing those parts in advance means fewer decisions under the timer, and more of your 27 or 26 minutes go into ideas and language.

The danger begins when you memorize complete introductions, examples or conclusions. A sentence such as 'This controversial issue has sparked considerable debate in modern society' is usually a poor fit for an everyday workplace survey. It consumes words without answering the question. Likewise, a formal complaint opening sounds unnatural when the Task 1 reader is a friend. Keep the framework; change the language, detail and tone for every prompt.

CELPIP Writing format and scoring

Writing lasts 53 minutes: Task 1 (Writing an Email) gets 27 minutes and Task 2 (Responding to Survey Questions) gets 26, with about 150 to 200 words expected for each, according to the official CELPIP test format and CELPIP's 2026 preparation material. For the full walkthrough of timing, scoring and a time plan, see our CELPIP Writing test guide.

CELPIP lists four Writing performance dimensions: Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment. The official results and scoring page explains the factors inside each dimension. A template mainly helps with organization and completeness, which sit inside Content/Coherence, Readability and Task Fulfillment. Your vocabulary and the quality of your ideas still have to come from you.

CELPIP Writing Task 1 template

A structure also needs a realistic length budget. If your opening crowds out your examples, follow the worked word-count editing examples to see which details to keep, cut or develop.

Task 1 gives you an everyday situation and instructions to cover in an email. Before writing, identify four things: who the reader is, why you are writing, what points must be included and what you want the reader to do. Those answers set the structure and tone.

The frame stays the same whatever the tone; the greeting, the request wording and the sign-off change with the reader. CELPIP's 2026 overview study pack says most Task 1 emails should be neither too formal nor too informal, so plan for a polite, semi-formal register unless the prompt names a close friend or an organization you have never dealt with. The Writing test guide explains how to pick the tone for each type of reader.

Task 1 planning template

1. 1Reader and tone: who is the reader, and does the email need to be formal, semi-formal or informal?
2. 2Purpose sentence: why am I writing?
3. 3Instructions: one note per bullet in the prompt, each with a specific detail such as a date, an effect, a reason or an example.
4. 4Request or next step: what should the reader do, decide or know?
5. 5Closing: which sign-off fits the relationship?

Useful Task 1 language by purpose

Task 1 comparison prompt

The elevator in your apartment building has stopped working three times this month. Write an email to the property manager. Describe the problem, explain how residents have been affected and request specific action. Write about 150 to 200 words.

Task 1 sample answer: Level 9 target

Dear Ms. Wilson,

I am writing about the elevator in Maple Court, which has stopped working three times this month. The latest breakdown began on Friday evening and continued until Monday morning. No notice was posted, so several residents waited for the elevator before realizing that it was unavailable.

These repeated outages are creating serious difficulties. I live on the sixth floor with my two-year-old son, and carrying him, his stroller and groceries up the stairs is exhausting. Our neighbour on the eighth floor uses a walking aid and was unable to leave the building for a medical appointment on Saturday.

Could you please arrange a complete inspection instead of another temporary repair? Residents would also appreciate an email or lobby notice explaining when service will return. If the repair will take more than one day, please provide assistance for residents with mobility limitations.

Thank you for looking into this matter. I hope a reliable solution can be arranged soon.

Kind regards,

Maya Singh

Original model written to target Level 9, 164 words

Why this model targets Level 9 characteristics

• The purpose and requested action are clear.
• Relevant details develop the impact on two residents.
• Paragraphs move logically from problem to effect to solution.
• Vocabulary is accurate and appropriate without sounding memorized.
• The formal but cooperative tone fits a resident writing to a property manager.

Task 1 sample answer: Level 10 target

Dear Ms. Wilson,

I am writing to request urgent attention to the recurring elevator failures at Maple Court. The elevator has broken down three times this month, most recently from Friday evening until Monday morning. During that period, residents received neither an advance warning nor an estimated repair time.

The disruption extends beyond inconvenience. As a parent on the sixth floor, I had to carry a toddler, stroller and groceries up several flights of stairs. More seriously, an eighth-floor resident who relies on a walking aid missed a medical appointment because she could not safely leave the building. Repeated short-term repairs are clearly not resolving the underlying fault.

Please arrange a comprehensive inspection by a qualified technician and share the findings with residents. A text or email alert should also be introduced for future outages, together with temporary assistance for anyone with limited mobility.

Could you confirm the inspection date and the building's emergency plan by Friday? These measures would restore confidence and help residents plan safely. Thank you for your prompt attention.

Kind regards,

Maya Singh

Original model written to target Level 10, 177 words

What develops from Level 9 to Level 10

• The impact is framed more precisely as a safety and access problem.
• The writer connects repeated failures to the possibility of an underlying fault.
• Requests are more specific: inspection, findings, alerts, assistance and a confirmation deadline.
• Transitions and sentence structures connect details more tightly.
• The response remains concise even though it communicates a wider range of facts and requested actions.

Task 1 sample answer: Level 12 target

Dear Ms. Wilson,

I am writing on behalf of several Maple Court residents to request a permanent response to the building's repeated elevator failures. Three outages have occurred this month alone; the latest left the building without service from Friday evening until Monday morning, with no notice or repair estimate provided.

For residents above the fifth floor, the consequences are significant. I carried my toddler, folded stroller and groceries up to the sixth floor, while an elderly neighbour who uses a walking aid had to cancel a medical appointment. In an emergency, the same lack of access could place a vulnerable resident at genuine risk.

Another temporary repair would therefore be inadequate. Please commission a full diagnostic inspection, circulate its findings and provide a schedule for any recommended replacement work. I also suggest an outage protocol that combines immediate text alerts, lobby notices and direct welfare checks for residents who have registered mobility needs.

Would you confirm by Friday when the inspection will occur and who residents should contact during future failures? A transparent, preventative plan would address both the mechanical problem and the loss of confidence it has created.

Sincerely,

Maya Singh

Original model written to target Level 12, 193 words

What develops from Level 10 to Level 12

• The email serves a wider purpose by representing several residents, not only the writer.
• Details are selected to show inconvenience, accessibility, emergency risk and confidence in management.
• The solution becomes preventative: diagnosis, communication, replacement planning and welfare checks.
• Vocabulary is precise and situation-specific, including diagnostic inspection, outage protocol and mobility needs.
• The tone balances urgency, evidence and cooperation without becoming aggressive.

CELPIP Writing Task 2 template

Task 2 asks you to choose one of two options and explain why you prefer it. Choose the side you can support with two different reasons. The test is not checking whether your real opinion is popular; it checks whether you can state a position clearly and develop it under the timer. No greeting or sign-off is needed, because this is a survey response, not an email. You can drill this task on its own with CELPIP survey-response questions.

Task 2 planning template

1. 1Choose the option that gives you two clear, different reasons. CELPIP's own study material suggests two or three, each in its own paragraph; two developed reasons are easier to fit into 26 minutes.
2. 2Write a one-sentence position that names the option and overall benefit.
3. 3For reason one, add an affected person, realistic situation or measurable consequence.
4. 4For reason two, add a different benefit and supporting example.
5. 5Note one limitation of the alternative that helps the comparison.
6. 6Decide how the conclusion will summarize the value without copying the opening.

Task 2 comparison prompt

Your company wants to change employee schedules. Option A is to allow flexible daily starting times. Option B is to introduce a four-day compressed workweek with longer working days. Which option do you prefer? Explain your reasons in about 150 to 200 words.

Task 2 sample answer: Level 9 target

I would prefer flexible daily starting times because this option would help more employees manage their responsibilities without making each workday longer.

First, workers have different commuting and family schedules. A parent could begin at 7:30 a.m. and leave in time to collect a child from school, while someone who uses public transit could start later to avoid the busiest travel period. Employees would still complete the same number of hours, but with less daily stress.

Flexible starting times could also improve concentration. Some people work best early in the morning, whereas others are more productive later. Giving employees a choice would allow them to complete demanding tasks when they are most alert.

A four-day week would provide an extra day off, but the longer shifts could be difficult for parents, caregivers and employees with health concerns. Fatigue near the end of a ten-hour day may also reduce the quality of work.

Overall, flexible hours would be the fairer and more practical option for a diverse workplace.

Original model written to target Level 9, 167 words

Why this model targets Level 9 characteristics

• The preferred option appears in the first sentence and remains consistent.
• Two distinct reasons (personal scheduling and concentration) are supported with realistic examples.
• The alternative receives a relevant comparison rather than an unrelated criticism.
• Common workplace vocabulary communicates the intended meaning accurately.
• The progression from choice to reasons, comparison and conclusion is easy to follow.

Task 2 sample answer: Level 10 target

I would choose flexible starting times because they would improve both accessibility and performance while preserving a sustainable workday.

Employees balance very different obligations. A parent might start at 7:00 a.m. to manage school pickup, while a commuter could arrive after rush hour and avoid an unreliable connection. Since everyone would still complete the required hours, the company could provide flexibility without reducing coverage or output.

This policy could also make teams more productive. Employees who schedule demanding work during their strongest hours are likely to concentrate better, and staggered schedules could extend the period when clients can reach the office. Managers could protect collaboration by setting core meeting hours, such as 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

A compressed week offers an appealing extra day off, but four ten-hour shifts may create fatigue and exclude caregivers or employees managing health conditions. Flexible start times provide many of the same scheduling benefits without concentrating the workload into exhausting days.

For these reasons, they are the more inclusive and operationally reliable choice.

Original model written to target Level 10, 170 words

What develops from Level 9 to Level 10

• Each reason is connected to an organizational result such as coverage, output or collaboration.
• The core-hours proposal anticipates a weakness and offers a practical safeguard.
• The comparison becomes more balanced by acknowledging why the four-day week is appealing.
• More precise phrases, including sustainable workday and operationally reliable, sharpen the recommendation.
• Sentence patterns vary while the response stays concise and readable.

Task 2 sample answer: Level 12 target

I would recommend flexible starting times because the policy accommodates individual needs while giving the company greater control over service, productivity and staff retention.

Its immediate advantage is accessibility. Parents, caregivers and transit users could adjust arrival times without requesting repeated exceptions, yet remain accountable for the same working hours. A defined collaboration window from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. would preserve meetings and teamwork.

Flexibility could also strengthen operations. Staggered schedules would extend client coverage beyond traditional office hours, while employees could reserve their most analytical work for periods when they are genuinely alert. The company could measure the policy through response times, project delivery and employee feedback, then adjust it if performance declined.

A compressed four-day week is attractive in principle, but it exchanges one free day for four unusually long shifts. That arrangement may intensify fatigue, create childcare difficulties and unintentionally disadvantage employees with disabilities or medical routines.

Flexible starting times deliver meaningful autonomy without imposing the same solution on everyone. They therefore offer the more inclusive policy and the more defensible long-term business decision.

Original model written to target Level 12, 178 words

What develops from Level 10 to Level 12

• The recommendation addresses individual needs, company performance and long-term retention together.
• The writer proposes both a safeguard and a way to measure whether the policy succeeds.
• The alternative is evaluated through several plausible consequences without losing focus.
• Vocabulary is broad but exact, moving naturally between accessibility, operations and policy language.
• Complex ideas remain economical, controlled and precisely adapted to a workplace audience.

What changes between CELPIP Levels 9, 10 and 12?

From Level 9 to Level 12, ideas are developed more fully, vocabulary becomes more precise, sentence control covers a broader range and tone fits the reader more exactly. Length and rare words are not what separates the levels. That progression comes from the current CELPIP level descriptors. If you need a specific level for immigration, look up the CELPIP scores needed for Canada PR so you know which target to practise toward.

For responses that CELPIP itself has rated, use the official CELPIP Score Comparison Chart. It shows a sample question, a response and an analysis at each Writing level, which makes a useful check on the models above.

Real rated responses are less tidy than our models. The Level 12 sample email in CELPIP's 2026 overview study pack still contains a sentence fragment and a few missing commas. Our models leave errors out on purpose so the differences in development, precision and tone are easier to see; they do not mean a high level requires flawless writing.

Phrase bank for adapting the templates

Phrase banks are most useful when organized by function. Learn several natural ways to perform the same job, then choose the one that fits the prompt and the reader. Purpose-specific email phrases (complaint, request, apology) are in the Task 1 table above; this bank covers openings and closings by register plus the linking jobs both tasks share. Build more topic-specific language with CELPIP vocabulary practice.

Common CELPIP Writing template mistakes

• Using the same greeting and closing for a friend, manager and public official.
• Writing a long general introduction before answering the task.
• Copying words from the prompt without adding a specific effect or example.
• Forcing an advanced phrase into a sentence where it sounds unnatural.
• Starting every paragraph with the same memorized connector (Firstly, Secondly, In addition) instead of showing how the ideas relate.
• Giving three shallow reasons when two developed ones would fit the time better.
• Discussing both Task 2 options without stating a definite preference.
• Missing one Task 1 instruction because the memorized structure took priority.
• Treating a model answer's target level as the level it would actually receive in the official test.

How to practise with these templates

1. 1Read the prompt and make a plan without looking at the template.
2. 2Use the template to check whether the plan covers purpose, reader, instructions and development.
3. 3Write under the real Task 1 or Task 2 timer.
4. 4Review the response across all four official dimensions.
5. 5Compare your development with the three models, but do not copy their topic-specific sentences.
6. 6Rewrite the weakest paragraph using clearer detail, more precise vocabulary or better organization.
7. 7Use the same structure on a completely different prompt to prove that you can adapt it.

Your next step is to write, not to read more samples. Plan one email and one survey response with the templates, then check each plan against them before drafting. When you can adapt both structures to prompts you have not seen, sit both tasks back to back in the free CELPIP Writing Test 1. If you are preparing all four skills, Days 5 and 11 of the 30-day CELPIP study plan schedule one email and one survey response at the real timers, and the Speaking test guide applies the same flexible-structure approach to all eight Speaking tasks.