Should my CELPIP email be formal or informal?

Read the prompt carefully: writing to a manager or company is formal, while writing to a friend is informal. Each phrase below is tagged by register so you can choose correctly.

How long should the CELPIP Writing Task 1 email be?

Aim for 150 to 200 words organised into clear paragraphs. Use the connectors below to link ideas instead of padding the word count.

Writing Task 1: Writing an Email

Writing Task 1: Writing an Email is part of the Writing section of the CELPIP test. You get 150–200 words and 27 minutes to write. It is scored on Content / Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability, Task Fulfillment.

Length: 150–200 words
Time: 27 minutes
Prompts here: 23 published

The three-move email

1
Say your purpose in the first line
Not the topic — the purpose. Our CLB 5 answer opens "I am writing about my membership"; the CLB 11 opens "I am writing to formally raise a concern regarding the ongoing closure of your facility's swimming pool."
2
Give each bullet its own paragraph, with one concrete fact
Three bullets, three paragraphs. A date, an amount or a duration in each one is what separates a described problem from an asserted one.
3
Ask for one specific thing
"Please help me" is not a request. "A two-month extension at no charge, or a partial refund for the affected period" is — and it is Task Fulfillment that rewards it.

Specific beats strong.

Between CLB 5 and CLB 11 the anger does not increase. The detail does.

Build the email vocabulary that lifts your CELPIP Writing Task 1 score — openings, polite requests, linking phrases and closings for both formal and informal emails.

Task 1 asks you to write an email for a specific purpose and audience. Match your greeting, tone and sign-off to the situation, and use clear linking phrases to organise each paragraph around one purpose.

CELPIP · Writing

Faulty Laptop from Local Store

One of 23 published prompts · free, no account

You recently purchased a new laptop from a computer store in your neighbourhood. The salesperson assured you that the laptop was reliable and suitable for working from home. However, after using it for only a few days, you began experiencing several serious problems. When you contacted the store, the employee you spoke to was not helpful and refused to offer you a satisfactory solution. Write an email to the store manager in about 150–200 words. Your email should do the following things:

Your response must

Explain the problems you have experienced with the laptop.
Complain about the way the store employee handled your complaint.
Describe what you would like the store manager to do to resolve the situation to your satisfaction.

What raters reward here

Address the store manager directly and state in the first line that you are complaining about a recently purchased laptop.
Name two or three concrete faults (freezing, shutting down, battery draining) instead of saying the laptop "does not work".
Contrast what the salesperson promised with what you actually received — it makes the complaint stronger.
Keep the complaint about the employee factual: say what they did or refused to do, not that they were rude.
Finish with a specific remedy (replacement or refund) so the manager knows exactly what would satisfy you.

Three mistakes that cost points heremost common first

1Covering two bullets well and the third in half a line — the rubric scores all three.
2Matching the tone to your feelings instead of to the reader. A manager you have never met is not a friend.
3Ending without a request, so the reader has nothing to act on.

How Writing is scored

Content / Coherence: Whether your ideas are relevant, developed and easy to follow from one sentence to the next.
Vocabulary: The range and accuracy of your word choice, including how naturally words go together.
Readability: Grammar, spelling, punctuation and paragraphing — how easily a reader gets through it.
Task Fulfillment: Whether you did everything the prompt asked, in the register the situation calls for.

Model answersthe same prompt, four levels

These are the answers our scorer was calibrated against. Reading a CLB 5 beside a CLB 11 for the same prompt is the fastest way to see what a level actually means. CLB 9 is marked as the target because it is the level that earns maximum language points for Express Entry.

CLB 5110 words

Dear Manager, I want to talk about laptop I buy from your store. The man said it is good for work from home but it have many problem. It shut down alone and is very slow sometimes. This make me very upset because I need it for my job. I call the store and talk to a employee but she not help me. She not listen good and say is not store problem. I not happy with this. I want new laptop or my money back please. This laptop not working good and I need answer soon. I hope you can help me with this problem. Thank you, Sam Lee

CLB 7175 words

Subject: Problem with My New Laptop Dear Manager, I am writing to tell you about a problem with the laptop I bought from your store last week. The salesperson said it was reliable and good for working from home, but after few days it started to have many problems. Sometimes it shut down by itself and the screen freeze a lot. Also the battery is not charging good anymore. This make me very frustrated because I need the laptop for my work. When I called the store, the employee I talked to was not helpful. He didn't listen to me carefully and just said there is nothing he can do because I already open the box. I think this is not fair because the laptop have a serious problem, not just because I don't like it. I would like you to replace my laptop or give me a refund. I hope you can solve this problem soon because I trust your store when I buy this laptop. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Jordan Lee

CLB 9target188 words

Subject: Complaint About Faulty Laptop and Poor Service Dear Store Manager, I am writing to complain about a laptop I bought from your store last week. The salesperson told me it would be reliable for working from home, but after a few days it started overheating, freezing, and shutting down without warning. Because of this, I have not been able to use it for my work. When I brought it back to the store, the employee I spoke to was not helpful. He said the problem was probably caused by me, and he refused to give me a replacement or a refund. I think this was very unprofessional, especially since I only had the laptop for a short time. I would like to ask for a full refund, or a new laptop of the same value that actually works properly. I feel this is a fair solution since the product did not meet what was promised at the time of purchase. I hope you can look into this issue soon and make sure your staff deal with customers' complaints in a better way in future. Sincerely, Jordan Lee

CLB 11192 words

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Faulty Laptop and Unsatisfactory Service Dear Store Manager, I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with a laptop I purchased from your store last week. Despite being assured that the device was reliable and well-suited for remote work, it has developed several serious issues within days of use, including random shutdowns, a rapidly draining battery, and a screen that intermittently flickers. When I brought these problems to the attention of your staff, I was met with indifference rather than assistance. The employee dismissed my concerns, insisted the issues were user error, and refused to discuss a replacement or refund. Frankly, I found this response both unprofessional and inconsistent with the standard of service one would expect from a reputable retailer. Given that the laptop is essential for my work, I would appreciate a prompt resolution. Specifically, I request either a full refund or an exchange for a properly functioning unit, along with an assurance that staff will handle future customer concerns with greater professionalism. I trust this matter will be addressed swiftly, and I look forward to your response within the next few business days. Sincerely, Jordan Lee

Now do it yourself and find out where you land

A model answer shows you the target. It cannot tell you whether your own writing hits it — that is a CLB level for each criterion, with the sentences that earned it.

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Questions people ask

Should my CELPIP email be formal or informal?: Read the prompt carefully: writing to a manager or company is formal, while writing to a friend is informal. Each phrase below is tagged by register so you can choose correctly.
How long should the CELPIP Writing Task 1 email be?: Aim for 150 to 200 words organised into clear paragraphs. Use the connectors below to link ideas instead of padding the word count.

The other 22 Writing an Email prompts0 free

·Disappointing Used-Car Dealership Visit
·Problems in a New Apartment
·Problems After Cancelling a Credit Card
·Fitness Centre Service Complaints
·Contaminated Fuel from a Gas Station
·Unreliable Monthly Transit Pass
·Power Outage Complaint
·Unauthorized Charge on Bank Account
·A Party That Went Wrong
·Dog Waste in the Neighbourhood
·An Unexplained Charge on a Car Lease
·Problems at the Public Library
·Reporting a Hit-and-Run
·Swimming Pool Facilities
·A Neighbour's Barking Dog
·Music Festival Complaint
·A Group Project Missed the Deadline
·Photography Course Complaint
·Damage in the Shopping Centre Car Park
·Cancelled Party Room Booking
·A Gym Membership That Was Charged During a Freeze
·Dog Grooming Complaint

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