MapleSpeakThe two writing tasks#
| Task | What you write | Words | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Writing an Email | An email answering a situation, covering three points given in the prompt | 150–200 | 27 min |
| 2. Responding to Survey Questions | Choose one of two options and explain why | 150–200 | 26 min |
Both tasks are rated in the same four categories. These are Paragon’s published factors, and the notes on every sample below use them.
| Category | Paragon’s factors |
|---|---|
| Content and coherence | Number of ideas, quality of ideas, organization of ideas, examples and supporting details |
| Vocabulary | Word choice, suitable use of words and phrases, range of words and phrases, precision and accuracy |
| Readability | Format and paragraphing, connectors and transitions, grammar and sentence structure, spelling and punctuation |
| Task fulfillment | Relevance, completeness, tone, word count |
The full guides to each task, with templates and a minute-by-minute plan, are CELPIP writing task 1: the email and CELPIP writing task 2: the survey.
Where to find official rated samples#
Paragon publishes real, rated responses for free, and they are worth reading alongside the samples on this page:
- The CELPIP Score Comparison Chart has two real test-taker responses at each CELPIP level for writing (and for speaking, with audio). Each pair answers the same prompts and comes with an analysis of why it earned that level.
- The Writing Pro study packs that go with Paragon’s free webinars include rated samples: the Target 5 packs are at or around level 5, the Target 9+ packs at or around level 9.
Paragon’s advice to teachers is useful for anyone studying alone: you learn most from responses at or a little below your own level, because you can see what to fix. That is why each set below starts with a basic answer.
The samples on this page were written by MapleSpeak to illustrate the criteria. The level labels are our estimates, not ratings by Paragon.
Task 1: one email at three levels#
The prompt
27 min · 150–200 wordsYou live in an apartment building, and the heating in your unit has not worked properly for over a week. Write an email to the building manager. In your email: describe the problem; explain how it is affecting you; say what you would like the manager to do.
Basic answer
Around level 5Dear Manager,
I am writing about the heating in my apartment. It is not working good since one week. The apartment is very cold, special in the night. I called the office two times but nobody answer me. I think the problem is in the heater because it make a noise and then it stop.
This problem is very bad for me and my family. My children are cold and my daughter is sick now. We use blankets all the time. I work from home and it is very hard to work when it is cold. I can not use my computer good because my hands are cold.
I want you to send someone to fix the heating very fast. Also I want to know when it will be fixed. If you can not fix it, please give us a small heater. Please call me soon.
Thank you,
Ravi Kumar, unit 304
- Task fulfillment: all three points are there, in the right order, and the word count is inside the range. That is what holds this answer up.
- Readability: frequent grammar errors (not working good since one week, nobody answer, it make) and simple sentences joined with and.
- Vocabulary: general words repeated: very cold, very bad, very fast, good.
- Content: no dates, no temperature, no time limit, so the manager can’t judge how urgent it is.
Solid answer
Around level 7Dear Ms. Fraser,
I am writing to report a problem with the heating in unit 304. For more than a week, the heater has been turning on for a few minutes and then stopping, and it makes a loud clicking noise. I called the office twice last week, but I have not received any reply.
The problem is affecting my family quite seriously. At night the apartment gets so cold that we sleep in sweaters, and my younger daughter has caught a cold. I also work from home, so I have to sit at my desk wearing a coat, which makes it difficult to concentrate.
I would be grateful if you could send a technician to inspect the heater as soon as possible, ideally before the weekend. If the repair will take longer, could you lend us a portable heater in the meantime? Please let me know when someone can come, so that I can make sure I am at home.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Ravi Kumar
- Content and coherence: one paragraph per point, each with a detail (the clicking noise, sleeping in sweaters, “before the weekend”).
- Readability: mostly accurate, with a mix of tenses (has been turning on, have not received) and connectors (also, so that, in the meantime).
- Task fulfillment: polite, formal tone that fits a building manager, and a request with a time frame.
- What keeps it from higher: the vocabulary is correct but safe, and the details could be more precise.
High answer
Level 9 targetDear Ms. Fraser,
I am writing about the heating in unit 304, which has not worked reliably since Monday, October 6. The baseboard heater switches on for a few minutes, clicks loudly, and then shuts off, so the living room rarely rises above 16°C. I left voicemails with the office on October 7 and 9 but have not yet heard back.
As the nights get colder, this is becoming a real hardship. My six-year-old daughter has developed a persistent cough, and the whole family has been sleeping in layers. Because I work from home, I am also spending eight hours a day at my desk in a winter coat, which is affecting both my comfort and my productivity.
Could you please arrange for a technician to inspect the system by Friday? I am happy to be available at any time that suits them. If the repair requires parts that need to be ordered, I would appreciate the loan of a portable heater until the work is complete.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.
Kind regards,
Ravi Kumar
- Content and coherence: precise facts the manager can act on: the start date, the dates of the calls, the room temperature, a deadline.
- Vocabulary: exact, natural words (reliably, hardship, persistent cough, productivity, prompt attention).
- Readability: varied sentences, including a reason clause (Because I work from home…) and a conditional (If the repair requires…).
- Task fulfillment: firm but courteous. It complains without sounding angry, and it offers flexibility (at any time that suits them).
| What changes | Basic | Solid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| The problem | “It is not working good since one week.” | “For more than a week, the heater has been turning on for a few minutes and then stopping.” | “…has not worked reliably since Monday, October 6… rarely rises above 16°C.” |
| The effect | “This problem is very bad for me.” | “The problem is affecting my family quite seriously.” | “As the nights get colder, this is becoming a real hardship.” |
| The request | “I want you to send someone… very fast.” | “I would be grateful if you could send a technician… ideally before the weekend.” | “Could you please arrange for a technician to inspect the system by Friday?” |
Task 2: one survey answer at three levels#
The prompt
26 min · 150–200 wordsYour city has money for one new project and wants residents’ opinions. Which do you prefer? Option A: a new public swimming pool. Option B: more protected bike lanes downtown. Choose one option and explain why you prefer it.
Basic answer
Around level 5I think the city should build a new swimming pool. It is a good idea for many people in our city.
First, swimming is very good for health. Many people in our city don’t do sport and they are not healthy. If we have a pool, people can go swimming after work and they will be more healthy. Also old people can swim because it is easy for the body.
Second, children need a place to play in summer. In summer it is very hot and children stay at home with the phone. With a pool they can go out and meet friends. It is good for them and for the parents too.
Bike lanes are good also but not many people use bike in our city because it is cold in winter. So I think the pool is better for more people.
For these reasons, I choose the swimming pool.
- Task fulfillment: a clear choice, two reasons and a closing: the structure is right.
- Content: the reasons are general (good for health, good for them) with no specific example.
- Readability: basic connectors (First, Second, Also) and errors such as more healthy, use bike.
- Vocabulary: good appears four times.
Solid answer
Around level 7In my opinion, the city should spend the money on a new public swimming pool, because it would benefit people of all ages throughout the year.
The main reason is health. Swimming is one of the few sports that almost anyone can do, including seniors and people with back or knee problems. At the moment, the only pool in our area is at a private gym, and a membership costs more than many families can afford. A public pool with low prices would give everyone a chance to stay active.
Another reason is that a pool can be used all year. Bike lanes are useful, but in our city many people stop cycling from November to March because of the snow and ice. An indoor pool, on the other hand, would be busy in every season, with swimming lessons, family times and fitness classes.
Although I understand why some people want safer cycling, I believe a pool would help more residents. For these reasons, I prefer Option A.
- Content and coherence: each reason has a specific supporting detail (the private gym, November to March).
- Readability: varied connectors (The main reason, Another reason, on the other hand, Although) and few errors.
- Task fulfillment: it acknowledges the other option before closing, which makes the choice sound considered.
- What keeps it from higher: the examples are reasonable but not vivid, and the sentences follow a similar pattern.
High answer
Level 9 targetI would choose Option A, a new public swimming pool, because it would serve a wider range of residents, in every season, than bike lanes could.
First and foremost, a pool is one of the most inclusive investments a city can make. Swimming is gentle on the joints, so it suits seniors, people recovering from injuries and young children alike. Currently, the nearest pool belongs to a private fitness club that charges over $70 a month, which effectively excludes many low-income families. An affordable public facility would close that gap.
Equally important, a pool would be used year-round. While protected bike lanes would undoubtedly make cycling safer, ridership in our city drops sharply once the first snow arrives, leaving the lanes largely empty for four or five months. An indoor pool, by contrast, could offer lessons in the winter, lane swimming before work and family sessions on weekends.
Admittedly, bike lanes would reduce traffic and emissions downtown, and I hope the city funds them in the future. For now, however, a pool would deliver the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people, which is why I strongly prefer Option A.
- Content and coherence: concrete, believable support (over $70 a month, four or five months) and a strong concession paragraph.
- Vocabulary: precise phrases (inclusive investments, effectively excludes, ridership drops sharply).
- Readability: a range of structures: While…, by contrast, Admittedly…, For now, however…
- Task fulfillment: the choice is stated in the first sentence and restated in the last, with a confident but fair tone.
Six moves that take a writing answer from 7 to 9#
Compare the solid and high samples above and the same changes come up again and again:
- Replace a general detail with a specific one. “For more than a week” becomes “since Monday, October 6”; “costs too much” becomes “over $70 a month”.
- Swap the safe word for the exact one. Problem becomes hardship; a cold becomes a persistent cough.
- Vary how sentences start. Begin some with Because, While, If or Admittedly, not only with I or The.
- Give the reader a reason to act. In the email, a deadline and an offer of flexibility; in the survey, a cost or a number that makes the reason convincing.
- Handle the other side. One sentence that recognises the option you didn’t choose, then a clear return to yours.
- Keep the tone steady to the last line. “Thank you in advance for your prompt attention” matches a formal email; “Cheers!” doesn’t.
Higher levels are not about length. The high samples are only 10 to 25 words longer than the solid ones; the difference is in how much each sentence says.
Practise with a word counter and timer#
Choose a task, start the timer and write your own answer to one of the prompts below. The counter turns green inside 150 to 200 words. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Ten prompts to practise with
Written for this guide in the style of the tasks.
- Email. A store delivered a damaged table. Write to the store: describe what happened, explain why it is a problem, and say what you want them to do.
- Email. Your manager is planning the office holiday party. Write to suggest an idea: describe it, explain why staff would enjoy it, and say how you could help.
- Email. A friend helped you move last weekend. Write to thank them: say what they did, explain how it helped, and invite them to something.
- Email. Your child’s school changed the bus schedule. Write to the principal: describe the change, explain how it affects your family, and propose a solution.
- Email. You can’t attend a course you paid for. Write to the organiser: explain why, ask about a refund or transfer, and say what you would prefer.
- Survey. Your workplace can offer one benefit. Option A: one day a week working from home. Option B: a free gym membership.
- Survey. Your neighbourhood can add one service. Option A: a weekly farmers’ market. Option B: a later bus service on weekends.
- Survey. Your community centre can run one free course. Option A: computer skills for seniors. Option B: first aid for parents.
- Survey. Your city is choosing a summer event. Option A: an outdoor music festival. Option B: a free cultural fair with food from different countries.
- Survey. Your building can spend its maintenance budget on one thing. Option A: new security cameras. Option B: a renovated laundry room.
Sources#
Writing tasks, word counts and timings: celpip.ca, test format and scoring and Paragon’s CELPIP-General overview study pack. Writing performance standards: celpip.ca, CELPIP test results. The Score Comparison Chart, the Writing Pro study packs and Paragon’s advice on choosing samples: celpip.ca, using CELPIP sample responses in the classroom (May 3, 2023). All prompts and sample answers on this page were written by the MapleSpeak team and were not rated by Paragon. Checked October 20, 2026.
Questions
How many words should a CELPIP writing answer have?
Both tasks ask for 150 to 200 words. Word count is one of the factors under task fulfillment, so stay inside that range: going far under leaves the task incomplete, and going far over takes time you need for checking.
How long do I have for CELPIP writing?
53 minutes in total: 27 minutes for task 1, the email, and 26 minutes for task 2, the survey answer. Each task has its own timer.
Are these official CELPIP writing samples?
No. They were written by MapleSpeak to show the differences the rating criteria describe, and they were not rated by Paragon. For real, rated responses, use Paragon’s free Score Comparison Chart, which has two test-taker responses at each CELPIP level with analysis.
What do CELPIP raters look for in writing?
Four categories: content and coherence (ideas, organization, examples), vocabulary (word choice, range, precision), readability (format and paragraphs, connectors, grammar, spelling and punctuation) and task fulfillment (relevance, completeness, tone and word count).
How can I go from CELPIP 7 to 9 in writing?
The jump is usually in precision rather than length: specific details instead of general ones, exact words instead of common ones, a mix of sentence structures, and a tone that fits the reader in every paragraph. The level 9 samples below show each of these.
Should I memorise a CELPIP writing template?
A structure helps: greeting, one paragraph per point, a closing. Memorised sentences that don’t fit the prompt don’t, because relevance and tone are scored. Use the structure and write the words fresh each time.
Which samples should I study?
Paragon advises that learners gain the most from responses at or slightly below their own level, because they can spot what to fix. Start with the basic and solid samples, then compare them with the high one.