MapleSpeakWhat the task looks like
You read a short situation: a city, a company or a school is asking people’s opinion. Two options follow, each with two or three facts. The instruction asks you to choose the option you prefer and explain the reasons for your choice.
| Time | 26 minutes |
|---|---|
| Length | 150 to 200 words |
| What to do | Choose Option A or Option B and explain why |
| Scored on | Content and coherence, vocabulary, readability, task fulfillment |
| Spell check | None |
Task 1 is an email to a specific reader. Task 2 has no reader to greet, so skip “Dear…” and “Best regards”. Our task 1 guide covers the email.
Pick the option you can explain best
Raters score your reasons, not your choice. So before you start, spend one minute on a quick test: for each option, can you think of two reasons and one real example? Pick the option where the reasons come faster, even if you would vote for the other one in real life.
The facts under each option are clues. They usually point to the strongest arguments, such as cost, time, who benefits and how often. Use them, but add something of your own: a reason the task doesn’t say, or an example from your life.
The template
Five short paragraphs. The order does the organising for you, which is what readability and coherence reward.
1. Your choice, one sentence. I prefer Option B, a new sports centre, for two main reasons.
2. Reason 1 with an example. First, … For example, …
3. Reason 2 with an example. Second, … This would mean that…
4. The other option, one or two sentences. A library would also be useful, but…
5. Conclusion, one sentence. For these reasons, I believe…
Useful phrases for each part:
- Choosing: I prefer Option A because… · I would choose… · I support…
- Adding reasons: First, … · My second reason is that… · Another advantage is…
- Giving examples: For example, … · For instance, my neighbour… · In my experience, …
- Showing results: As a result, … · This would mean that… · so that…
- Answering the other side: Option A would also be useful, but… · I understand that…, however…
- Concluding: For these reasons, … · Overall, I believe…
A weak paragraph and a strong one
Most lost points come from reasons that are true but empty. Here is the same idea written twice.
A sports centre is good for health. Health is very important for everyone. So the sports centre is a good option for our neighbourhood.
A sports centre would improve everyone’s health. Many adults in our area work in offices and don’t exercise enough. With a gym close to home, they could work out before or after work without a long trip. For example, my neighbours told me they would join a morning swimming class if it were nearby.
The strong version says who benefits, explains how, and ends with a concrete example. It also uses more precise words (work out, a long trip, nearby), which helps vocabulary without any difficult grammar.
Sample 1: a library or a sports centre
Your city has money to build one new facility in your neighbourhood and is asking residents for their opinion. Option A: a public library, with books, computers and study rooms, and free classes for all ages. Option B: a sports centre, with a swimming pool and gym, and sports teams for children. Choose the option you prefer and explain the reasons for your choice.
I prefer Option B, a new sports centre, for two main reasons. First, our neighbourhood has many young families, but there is nowhere for children to play sports in the winter. The nearest pool is a thirty-minute drive away, so many children never learn to swim. A sports centre with a pool and youth teams would keep kids active and teach them important skills like teamwork. Second, a sports centre would improve everyone’s health. Many adults in our area work in offices and do not exercise enough. With a gym close to home, they could work out before or after work without a long trip. For example, my neighbours told me they would join a morning swimming class if it were nearby. A library would also be useful, but we already have a small one at the school, and many people now read books online. For these reasons, I believe a sports centre would benefit more residents of all ages.
Why it works: the choice comes in the first sentence, each reason has its own paragraph with a detail (a thirty-minute drive, office workers), and the short paragraph about the library shows the writer considered both options.
Sample 2: a weekend trip or a volunteer day
Your company is planning this year’s staff event and wants employees’ opinions. Option A: a weekend trip, two nights at a nearby resort with activities and team games. Option B: a volunteer day and dinner, helping a local charity for one day, then dinner together in the evening. Choose the option you prefer and explain the reasons for your choice.
I would prefer Option B, a volunteer day followed by dinner. My first reason is that it is easier for everyone to attend. Many employees have young children or care for older parents, so leaving home for a whole weekend is difficult. A single day during the week means that more people can participate, and nobody feels left out. My second reason is that volunteering builds a stronger team. When we work together to help others, for example by sorting food at a food bank or painting a community centre, we see our colleagues in a different way. We also feel proud that our company supports the community. The dinner in the evening would then be a relaxed time to talk and celebrate what we did. A weekend trip would be fun, but it is expensive and some people might feel tired after it. For these reasons, I think a volunteer day and dinner would be the best staff event this year.
Why it works: the first reason looks at the people the survey affects (employees with families), which is a strong angle for any workplace survey. The examples inside the second reason (a food bank, painting) turn a general idea into a picture.
Sample 3: a garden or more parking
Your apartment building wants to change how it uses part of the parking lot, and the owners are asking residents. Option A: a community garden, with small garden plots for residents and benches and a picnic table. Option B: more parking spaces, ten new spaces for a monthly fee of $50. Choose the option you prefer and explain the reasons for your choice.
I prefer Option A, a community garden. First, a garden would bring neighbours together. Right now, most residents only see each other in the elevator. If we had garden plots, people could grow vegetables and flowers side by side and share tips. The benches and picnic table would also give families a nice place to sit outside on summer evenings. Second, a garden is better for our health and for the environment. Fresh vegetables are expensive, and growing our own tomatoes or herbs would save money. Plants also make the area cooler and more beautiful, while more parking would only add more concrete and traffic. I understand that some residents need parking, but there is a public parking lot just across the street, and the building is close to two bus lines. The new spaces would also cost fifty dollars a month, which is a lot for many people. For these reasons, I believe a community garden is the better choice for our building.
Why it works: it uses the facts from the task (the $50 fee, the benches) and adds facts the task doesn’t give (a public lot across the street, two bus lines), which shows real thinking rather than copying the options.
A plan for the 26 minutes
| Minutes | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | Read both options. Choose the one you can explain best. Note two reasons and one example for each. |
| 3 to 21 | Write the five paragraphs in order. |
| 21 to 26 | Check that your choice is clear in the first sentence, then check spelling, verb forms and plurals. |
Common mistakes
- Not choosing. “Both options are good” doesn’t answer the survey.
- Copying the option facts. Repeating “books, computers and study rooms” adds words, not reasons.
- Reasons without examples. Each reason needs a who, a how or a for example.
- Writing an email. No greeting, no sign-off: this is a survey answer.
- Spending the whole time on the other option. One or two sentences about it is enough; your reasons are the answer.
Practice topics
Surveys come from everyday community, workplace and school life. Practise with topics like these, written for this guide:
- Your town wants to reduce traffic downtown: free public buses, or more bike lanes?
- A high school is choosing a clothing rule: school uniforms, or a dress code?
- Your workplace can improve one thing: a bigger kitchen, or a quiet room for focused work?
- Your city wants to use an empty lot: a dog park, or a playground?
- Your community centre can offer one free course: first aid, or computer skills for seniors?
Writing is one of the four skills that decide your CLB. See what each level unlocks in the CELPIP score chart.
Sources
Task timing, word count and rating criteria: CELPIP-General test format on celpip.ca and Paragon’s CELPIP-General overview study pack (2026). The sample surveys and answers were written for this guide and are not official CELPIP material. Checked October 7, 2026.
Questions
How many words is CELPIP writing task 2?
150 to 200 words, written in 26 minutes. The box counts your words as you type.
Can I choose both options in CELPIP writing task 2?
Choose one. The task asks which option you prefer, so a clear choice is part of task fulfillment. You can mention the other option briefly to explain why it is weaker.
Does the option I choose affect my score?
No. Raters score how well you support your choice, not which one you pick. Choose the option you can explain with the best reasons and examples, even if it isn’t your real preference.
Is task 2 an essay or an email?
Neither, exactly. It is a survey answer: no greeting or sign-off, just your choice and your reasons in clear paragraphs.
What is the difference between CELPIP writing task 1 and task 2?
Task 1 is an email in 27 minutes with three points to cover, written for a specific reader. Task 2 is a survey answer in 26 minutes where you choose between two options and explain why.