CELPIP Writing Task 1 Sample: Email to Cancel a Gym Membership

The prompt

Cancelling a gym membership before moving

You have a one-year gym membership that you paid for in advance. You are moving to another city next month for a new job. Write an email to the gym.

In about 150–200 words, write an email to the gym’s membership office. Your email should do the following things:

Explain why you need to cancel
Ask what the cancellation process is
Ask about the months you have already paid for

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 11

CELPIP level 11 · CLB 11

195 words

Dear Membership Services, I am writing to cancel my annual membership (number 20481, under the name Samuel Achebe) with effect from November 30. I have accepted a position in Halifax that begins in early December, and since your club has no locations in Nova Scotia, I will no longer be able to use the facilities. This is not a decision I have taken lightly: the morning swim at your Bloor Street branch has been the best part of my week for the past two years. Could you let me know what the cancellation process involves? In particular, I would like to know whether you need written notice beyond this email, whether I have to return my access card in person, and how long the cancellation takes to come into effect. I paid the full year in advance last March, which leaves roughly four months unused. Your terms mention a prorated refund for members who relocate, so I would appreciate confirmation of the amount and of any documents you require, such as my new employment letter or lease. Thank you for two excellent years, and I hope to hear from you soon. Yours sincerely, Samuel Achebe

Category ratings

Category	Level	Why
Content / Coherence	11	Purpose stated in the first line, then one tightly organised paragraph per bullet; the request paragraph lists exactly what the reader must answer.
Vocabulary	11	Idiomatic and exact: "with effect from", "not a decision I have taken lightly", "come into effect", "prorated refund", "relocate".
Readability	11	Confident complex sentences (an embedded "whether… whether… and how" series, a non-defining relative clause), colon used correctly, no errors.
Task Fulfillment	11	All bullets fully addressed, formal and warm, with the membership details a real cancellation needs; 195 words.

What shows level 9 and above

Nuance This is not a decision I have taken lightly
Complex structure whether you need written notice beyond this email, whether I have to return my access card in person
Complex structure which leaves roughly four months unused
Specific example Your terms mention a prorated refund for members who relocate
Precise wording with effect from November 30
Specific example such as my new employment letter or lease

Level 11 writing reads like a competent professional's email: it anticipates every question the gym will ask (dates, membership number, documents, the clause in the terms) and does it in idiomatic English with no wasted words.

Sample answer at level 7

CELPIP level 7 · CLB 7

183 words

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to inform you that I need to cancel my gym membership. My membership number is 20481. The reason is that I got a new job in Halifax and I will move there next month. I checked your website and you don't have any gym in Halifax, so I can't continue to use my membership. I am sorry about this because I really liked the swimming pool in your gym and the staff was always friendly. I would like to know how I can cancel. Do I need to fill a form or send a letter? Also, do I need to give you back my card, or I can just stop coming? Please explain me the steps. Another question is about the payment. I paid the whole year in advance in March, so I still have four months which I didn't use. Is it possible to receive the money for these months back? If you need some documents from my new company, I can send them. Thank you in advance for your answer. Best regards, Samuel Achebe

Category ratings

Category	Level	Why
Content / Coherence	7	Clear paragraphs, one per bullet, with the key facts (membership number, dates, four unused months); development is adequate but plain.
Vocabulary	7	Correct everyday vocabulary; the formal terms are missing ("the money for these months back" instead of "a prorated refund").
Readability	7	Easy to follow; errors are noticeable but minor: "fill a form", "or I can just stop coming", "explain me", a comma missing before "so".
Task Fulfillment	8	Everything asked for is there, tone is polite and formal enough; 183 words.

Corrections

~~do I need to fill a form~~ → do I need to fill in a form
The phrasal verb is "fill in" (or "fill out") a form.
~~or I can just stop coming?~~ → or can I just stop coming?
The second half of a question keeps the question word order (auxiliary before subject).
~~Please explain me the steps.~~ → Please explain the steps to me.
"Explain" takes the thing explained as its object; the person comes after "to".
~~four months which I didn't use~~ → four months that I have not used
The months are still unused now, so the present perfect fits; "that" is the usual pronoun in a defining clause.
~~receive the money for these months back~~ → receive a refund for these months
"Refund" is the precise word; "receive… back" is awkward.

A good level 7: the reader gets every fact and every question, in a sensible order. The gaps are the formal vocabulary of memberships (notice, refund, prorated, come into effect) and a handful of small grammar errors in the questions.

What separates level 7 from level 11

State the purpose and the key identifiers (membership number, date) in the first two lines; raters reward emails that could really be sent.
When you ask several things, group them in one sentence with "whether… whether… and how"; it shows control and reads as organised.
Indirect questions keep statement order ("I would like to know whether I have to return the card"), direct questions keep question order ("Can I just stop coming?").
Learn the words of the situation: cancellation, notice, prorated refund, terms, access card.

Try this prompt yourself

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Score my email Task 1 guide

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See all CELPIP writing samples, the scoring and CLB levels guide, and the official CELPIP test format and scoring page.