CELPIP Writing Task 1 Sample: Informal Email to a Friend Who Wants to Visit
Two original answers to the same Task 1 prompt: one at CELPIP level 9 and one at level 5, each rated on the four official categories (Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment). Read both, then write your own email on this prompt and get it scored.
Updated October 20, 2026
The prompt
A friend wants to visit next month
A close friend who lives in another province has written to say they would like to visit you next month. Write an email to your friend.
In about 150–200 words, write an email to your friend. Your email should do the following things:
- Suggest the best dates and explain why
- Describe what you could do together
- Explain the arrangements for where they will stay
Time on the test: 27 minutes. Recommended length: 150–200 words. This is an original practice prompt in the official format, not a test question.
Sample answer at level 9
CELPIP level 9 · CLB 9192 words
Category ratings
| Category | Level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Content / Coherence | 9 | Each bullet gets a paragraph with a reason behind it (why those dates, why that restaurant, why the roommate's room); the plan feels real. |
| Vocabulary | 9 | Natural informal phrasing: "the sooner the better", "if the weather holds", "worth the trip on its own", "a proper bed". |
| Readability | 9 | Mix of short and longer sentences, two conditionals and a relative clause, all correct; punctuation is clean. |
| Task Fulfillment | 9 | All three bullets covered; the friendly tone matches the reader from the first line to the sign-off; 192 words. |
What shows level 9 and above
- Precise wording
the sooner the better
- Complex structure
If the weather holds, we could rent bikes
- Complex structure
where the Saturday breakfast is worth the trip on its own
- Specific example
because my exams finish on the 12th
- Cohesion
My roommate will be away that week, so you will have her room
Informal does not mean careless. This email shows the same control as a formal one (conditionals, relative clauses, precise detail) in a warm, natural register, which is exactly what Task 1 to a friend rewards.
Sample answer at level 5
CELPIP level 5 · CLB 5145 words
Category ratings
| Category | Level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Content / Coherence | 5 | The three points appear in the right order, but ideas are listed in short sentences with almost no development ("it is very beautiful place"). |
| Vocabulary | 5 | Basic and repetitive ("very happy", "very beautiful", "very delicious", "many things"); no collocations beyond the most common. |
| Readability | 5 | Errors in almost every sentence: missing articles and infinitives ("want visit", "ride bicycle"), prepositions of time ("in 12 November", "in Saturday"), agreement ("my friend have"), comma splices. |
| Task Fulfillment | 6 | All bullets touched; friendly tone is appropriate; 145 words. |
Corrections
you want visit me→ you want to visit me
"Want" is followed by the to-infinitive.in 12 November→ on November 12
Dates take "on"; months and years take "in".I must work in Saturday→ I have to work on Saturday
Days take "on"; "have to" is the natural way to talk about an external obligation.it is very beautiful place→ it is a very beautiful place
A singular countable noun needs an article.My friend have a jazz concert→ My friend has a jazz concert
Third-person singular subject takes "has".We can go to the river and ride bicycle, it is very beautiful place.→ We can go to the river and ride bikes; it is a very beautiful place.
Two independent clauses cannot be joined by a comma alone (comma splice).
Level 5 because the email is understandable and complete but the reader has to work through an error in almost every sentence, and nothing is developed beyond a name and "very + adjective". The quickest gains: articles, "on" for days and dates, and one reason per suggestion.
What separates level 5 from level 9
- Friendly tone is required when the reader is a friend: "Hi", contractions and "See you soon" are correct, not careless.
- Give a reason for each suggestion ("because my exams finish on the 12th"); it turns a list into a plan.
- Prepositions of time: "on" + day or date, "in" + month or year, "at" + clock time.
- Replace "very + adjective" with one precise phrase ("worth the trip on its own", "a proper bed").
Try this prompt yourself
Write your own email on the prompt above and get an estimated CELPIP level with corrections and a model answer. Free, no sign-up, two reports a day.
More Task 1 samples
- Renovation noise from the apartment upstairs
Levels 10 and 6
- A community-centre course that changed halfway
Levels 9 and 7
- Cancelling a gym membership before moving
Levels 11 and 7
- Proposing a carpool to a coworker
Levels 9 and 6
- Longer weekday evenings or Sunday opening at the library
Task 2 · levels 10 and 6
- Working from home or a four-day week
Task 2 · levels 9 and 7
See all CELPIP writing samples, the scoring and CLB levels guide, and the official CELPIP test format and scoring page.