CELPIP Writing Task 10+ - How to Write with Precision, Clarity, and Confidence
Model Answers, Vocabulary and Grammar Strategies + Practice + checklist
By Language Flow Lab | CELPIP Writing Preparation
Can you write grammatically correct English but still struggle to achieve CELPIP Writing Level 12?
The difference between a competent response and an advanced one is not simply the number of sophisticated words you use.
At Level 12, your writing needs to demonstrate precise communication, logical development, strong vocabulary choices, excellent grammatical control, and effective task fulfillment.
In this guide, we will analyze two CELPIP Writing tasks using a top-down, then bottom-up approach.
Top-down analysis: Understand the task, audience, purpose, organization, and development of ideas.
Bottom-up analysis: Examine vocabulary, sentence structures, grammar, and the language choices that make your writing effective.
The goal is not to memorize model answers. It is to understand the decisions behind them so that you can apply the same principles to unfamiliar questions.
Official CELPIP Level Descriptors
CELPIP Writing Task 1: Writing an Email
Time limit: 27 minutes
Target length: 150–200 words
Task 1: Writing an Email (27 minutes)
Read the following information.
You are planning a week-long trip to Halifax next month to visit your elderly parents. You have a friendly dog named Biscuit that you cannot bring with you on the trip. Your neighbour has met Biscuit several times and even looked after him for a weekend last summer.
Write an email to your neighbour in about 150-200 words. Your email should do the following things:
Explain why you are going away and the exact dates you will need help with your dog.
Describe your dog's daily routine and any special care instructions your neighbour should know about.
Offer to do something in return for your neighbour's help.
Step 1: Understand the task before you write
Top-down analysis
Before writing, identify the purpose of your email, the person receiving it, and the information you must communicate.
The situation
You are travelling to Halifax to visit your elderly parents and need your neighbour to look after your dog, Biscuit.
Your audience
Your neighbour is someone you know personally and who has cared for your dog before.
Your purpose
You need to make a polite request, explain the care arrangements, and offer something in return.
Identify the three task requirements
Requirement | What your response needs to include |
Explain your trip | Why you are travelling and the exact dates you need help |
Describe the dog's routine | Walking schedule, feeding times, food quantities, and other care instructions |
Offer something in return | A specific and appropriate gesture of appreciation |
Level 12 strategy: Do not simply mention each requirement. Develop it with relevant details. For example, instead of saying, "Please feed Biscuit twice a day," provide the feeding times and quantities.
Step 2: Build a logical structure
A strong email guides the reader naturally from the request to the practical arrangements and then to the closing.
Paragraph | Function | Language strategy |
1 | Establish the purpose | Make a direct but polite request and explain the reason |
2 | Explain the arrangements | Give specific instructions in a logical sequence |
3 | Maintain the relationship | Express appreciation and offer a reciprocal favour |
This structure ensures that your email is easy to follow without sounding mechanical.
Step 3: Study the Level 12 model answer
Sample response
Hi Andrea,
I’m writing to ask whether you could look after Biscuit for a week next month while I visit my elderly parents in Halifax. I’m planning to leave on November 14 and return on November 21, so I would need your help for seven nights. Since you’ve looked after Biscuit before, I thought you might be willing to do me this favour again.
Biscuit is fairly easy to care for and doesn’t make much of a fuss. I usually take him for a 30-minute walk each morning, followed by breakfast. Please give him one cup of kibble at 8 a.m. and another at 6 p.m., and make sure he has fresh water throughout the day. He also needs a short evening walk before bed. I’ll pack his food, leash, treats, and other essentials in one bag, along with a written care schedule. If you stick to his usual routine, everything should go smoothly.
I’d really appreciate your help, and I’d be happy to return the favour by watering your plants or looking after your pet whenever you need assistance. I’d also love to prepare some homemade meals for you as a thank-you!
Thanks so much for considering it.
Best,Alex
Step 4: Analyze the language from the top down
Content and coherence: How are the ideas developed?
Notice how the writer moves from the main request to increasingly specific information.
Main idea: The writer needs help with Biscuit.
Supporting detail: The writer provides departure and return dates.
Further development: The writer explains the feeding schedule, walks, and supplies.
Relationship management: The writer offers to return the favour.
This is effective because the reader receives the information needed to make a decision and understand the responsibilities involved.
Compare these two examples:
Basic: Can you look after my dog? I will be away for a week.
More developed: I’m writing to ask whether you could look after Biscuit for a week next month while I visit my elderly parents in Halifax.
The second version combines a polite request, the duration, and the reason for travelling in one sentence.
Task fulfillment: Does the email sound appropriate?
The writer uses a friendly, considerate tone suitable for a neighbour.
Examples include:
"I’m writing to ask whether you could..."
"I’d really appreciate your help."
"Thanks so much for considering it."
These expressions communicate the request without sounding demanding.
The writer also makes the favour manageable by providing a clear care schedule. This demonstrates that effective writing involves considering the reader's needs, not just communicating your own.
Step 5: Analyze the language from the bottom up
Vocabulary bank
Word or expression | Meaning and function | Example |
look after | Care for someone or something | Could you look after my dog while I’m away? |
do someone a favour | Help someone out | Would you mind doing me a favour? |
make much of a fuss | Complain or cause unnecessary difficulty | The dog doesn't make much of a fuss. |
kibble | Dry food for dogs | Give him one cup of kibble in the morning. |
stick to a routine | Follow an established schedule | Please stick to his usual routine. |
go smoothly | Happen without problems | Everything should go smoothly. |
return the favour | Repay someone's kindness with help | I’d be happy to return the favour. |
as a thank-you | To express appreciation | I can prepare a meal as a thank-you. |
Your turn to practice
Play this activity
Make sentence out of each collocation / word
Grammar bank
1. Polite requests with indirect question structures
I’m writing to ask whether you could look after Biscuit.
Pattern: I’m writing to ask whether + subject + could + base verb.
Why it works: It softens the request and sounds considerate.
Try it: I’m writing to ask whether you could __________.
2. Time clauses with "while"
...while I visit my elderly parents in Halifax.
Pattern: Main clause + while + subject + present simple.
Why it works: It explains what will happen at the same time as the main action. In this future-time context, the present simple is natural after "while."
Try it: Could you help me while I __________?
3. Relative clauses
...a written care schedule.
A related expansion would be: I’ll leave a written care schedule that explains his feeding and walking routine.
Pattern: Noun + that/which + clause.
Why it works: Relative clauses add useful information without requiring a separate sentence.
4. Conditional sentences
If you stick to his usual routine, everything should go smoothly.
Pattern: If + present simple, subject + should/will + base verb.
Why it works: It connects an action with its likely result.
Try it: If you follow the instructions, __________.
5. Parallel verb structures
...by watering your plants or looking after your pet...
Pattern: by + verb-ing + or + verb-ing.
Why it works: Parallel structures make lists of possible actions sound balanced and natural.
Try it: I could return the favour by __________ or __________.
Your practice challenge
Task 1: Writing an Email
Grammar accuracy and sentence development
GOAL- Transform basic sentences into clear, natural, and considerate email language. Practise indirect requests, time clauses, relative clauses, conditional sentences, and parallel verb structures.
Part 1. Rewrite the sentences
Your rewrite worksheet
Write one complete sentence for each item. Focus on both grammatical accuracy and appropriate tone.
1. Polite requests with indirect question structures
Rewrite the direct request as a polite email opening.
ORIGINAL
Can you look after my cat while I’m away?
Your turn:
2. Time clauses with while
Combine the ideas using while. Keep the future meaning.
ORIGINAL
I’ll be visiting my parents. Could you look after my cat during that time?
Your turn:
3. Relative clauses
Combine the two ideas using that or which to explain what the care schedule contains.
ORIGINAL
I’ll leave you a written care schedule. It explains my cat’s feeding times and daily routine.
Your turn:
4. Conditional sentences
Complete the sentence by explaining the likely result of following the care instructions.
ORIGINAL
If you follow the instructions, ...
Your turn:
5. Parallel verb structures
Rewrite the offer using two parallel verb-ing phrases after by.
ORIGINAL
I can water your plants. I can also feed your cat when you travel.
Your turn:
Part 2. Full email rewrite challenge
Rewrite the following basic message into a well-developed email to a neighbour. Use all five target grammar structures where appropriate.
ORIGINAL MESSAGE
Can you watch my cat? I will be away for five days. Feed her twice a day and give her fresh water. I will leave a schedule. It explains her routine. Follow the instructions. Everything will be fine. I can help you later.
(Your email should include a polite request, a reason for your absence, specific care arrangements, and an offer to return the favour.)
Your turn:
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CELPIP Writing Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions
Time limit: 26 minutes
Target length: 150–200 words
Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions (26 minutes)
Read the following information.
Food Delivery Access Survey
Your apartment building manager is surveying residents about the building's food delivery policy. Currently, food delivery drivers are allowed to enter the building and deliver orders directly to each apartment door. However, some residents have raised concerns about security and noise from frequent deliveries, especially in the evenings. They suggest that all food deliveries should be left at the front lobby desk instead. Other residents feel that door-to-door delivery is more convenient, especially for elderly tenants or those with young children. The building manager has asked all residents to complete a survey.
Choose the option that you prefer. Why do you prefer your choice? Explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words.
Option A: Food delivery drivers should leave all orders at the front lobby desk.
Option B: Food delivery drivers should continue to deliver orders directly to apartment doors.
Explain the reasons for your choice.
Write about 150-200 words.
Step 1: Understand the issue and choose a position
Top-down analysis
In the survey task, you must choose between two policies:
Option A: Food delivery drivers leave orders at the front lobby desk.
Option B: Food delivery drivers continue delivering orders to apartment doors.
The goal is not to discuss both options equally. You need to choose a position and justify it with relevant, well-developed reasons.
For this model answer, we will choose Option A.
Identify the central argument
Position: Food deliveries should be left at the lobby desk.
Primary reason: A centralized drop-off system can improve building security.
Supporting explanation: Fewer delivery drivers need to access residential floors.
Example: During busy delivery periods, an entrance door could be left open, allowing unauthorized individuals to enter.
Counterargument: Some residents may have difficulty collecting their orders.
Solution: Establish exceptions for residents who genuinely need door-to-door assistance.
Conclusion: A lobby-based policy with reasonable exceptions offers a practical balance between security and accessibility.
This planning process creates a clear line of reasoning before you begin writing.
Step 2: Build a persuasive structure
Paragraph | Function | Language strategy |
1 | State your position | Express a clear preference and frame the main argument |
2 | Develop the primary reason | Explain the risk and provide a realistic example |
3 | Address an opposing concern | Acknowledge the drawback and propose a solution |
4 | Reinforce your position | Summarize the benefit of your recommendation |
Level 12 strategy: A persuasive response does more than list reasons. It explains how and why those reasons support the writer's position.
A useful development pattern is:
Claim → Explanation → Example → Implication
For example:
Claim: Unauthorized access is a concern.
Explanation: Frequent deliveries increase the number of people entering the building.
Example: An entrance door could be left open during a busy period.
Implication: A lobby-based system could reduce exposure to this risk.
Step 3: Study the Level 12 model answer
Sample response
I strongly prefer food delivery drivers to leave all orders at the front lobby desk. Although door-to-door delivery is undoubtedly convenient, a centralized drop-off system would strike a better balance between residents’ convenience and the building’s overall security.
My primary concern is unauthorized access. Allowing couriers to enter the building throughout the day can increase foot traffic and make it more difficult to monitor who is coming and going. For instance, if the entrance door is accidentally propped open during a surge of deliveries, individuals who have no business being in the building could gain access to residential floors. Having orders left at a centrally located desk would reduce this risk and allow residents to collect their food without compromising everyone’s safety.
Admittedly, this arrangement could inconvenience elderly tenants, parents with young children, or residents who have difficulty carrying their orders. Rather than abandoning the policy, however, the building manager could establish reasonable exceptions for residents who genuinely need door-to-door assistance. This would address accessibility concerns without undermining the overall security benefits.
Ultimately, a lobby-based delivery policy, combined with practical exceptions, would improve security while accommodating residents’ diverse needs.
Step 4: Analyze the language from the top down
Content and coherence: How does the argument progress?
The response follows a clear progression:
1. Position: The writer supports lobby-based delivery.
2. Reason: Unauthorized access is the main concern.
3. Explanation and example: Increased foot traffic and a potentially open entrance illustrate the security risk.
4. Counterargument: The writer recognizes that some residents may need extra assistance.
5. Solution and conclusion: Reasonable exceptions address accessibility while preserving the proposed policy.
The strength of the response lies in its development. Each paragraph contributes to the argument instead of repeating the same point.
Why is the counterargument effective?
Consider this sentence:
Admittedly, this arrangement could inconvenience elderly tenants, parents with young children, or residents who have difficulty carrying their orders.
The writer acknowledges a legitimate drawback rather than dismissing the opposing perspective.
The next sentence proposes a solution:
Rather than abandoning the policy, however, the building manager could establish reasonable exceptions for residents who genuinely need door-to-door assistance.
The phrase "Rather than abandoning the policy" signals that the writer intends to preserve the main recommendation while addressing its weakness.
This approach demonstrates balanced reasoning and audience awareness.
Task fulfillment: How does the writer stay persuasive?
The response establishes a clear preference immediately and maintains it throughout. The writer does not become distracted by unrelated issues, such as delivery fees or restaurant operations.
The conclusion reinforces the central argument by bringing two priorities together: security and accessibility.
This is a useful principle for survey responses: acknowledge a competing concern when it strengthens your argument, but do not let it replace your own position.
Step 5: Analyze the language from the bottom up
Vocabulary bank
Word or expression | Meaning and function | Example |
strike a balance | Find a reasonable compromise between priorities | We need to strike a balance between cost and quality. |
centralized drop-off system | A system in which deliveries go to one designated location | A centralized drop-off system could simplify building access. |
unauthorized access | Entry without permission | The new policy aims to prevent unauthorized access. |
foot traffic | The movement or number of people passing through an area | The lobby experiences heavy foot traffic in the evening. |
coming and going | Entering and leaving a place | Security staff monitor people coming and going. |
prop the door open | Keep a door open using an object or support | Someone accidentally propped the entrance door open. |
a surge of deliveries | A sudden increase in delivery activity | The lobby becomes crowded during a surge of deliveries. |
compromise safety | Put safety at risk | Poor access controls could compromise safety. |
establish reasonable exceptions | Create fair situations in which a rule does not apply | The manager could establish reasonable exceptions for residents with mobility limitations. |
undermine the benefits | Weaken the positive effects of something | Poor implementation could undermine the benefits of the policy. |
accommodate diverse needs | Make arrangements for people with different requirements | The policy should accommodate residents’ diverse needs. |
Your turn to practice
Play this activity
Make sentence out of each collocation / word
Grammar bank
1. Concession clauses with "although"
Although door-to-door delivery is undoubtedly convenient, a centralized drop-off system would strike a better balance...
Pattern: Although + subject + verb, main clause.
Why it works: It recognizes an opposing point while maintaining a clear position.
Try it: Although __________, I believe __________.
2. Complex noun phrases
A centralized drop-off system.
The building’s overall security.
Reasonable exceptions for residents who genuinely need assistance.
Why they work: These phrases express detailed ideas efficiently and help maintain a formal, precise style.
Try it: Replace "a system that leaves deliveries in one place" with a concise noun phrase.
3. Conditional sentences
If the entrance door is accidentally propped open..., individuals ... could gain access to residential floors.
Pattern: If + present simple, subject + could/would + base verb.
Why it works: It describes a plausible situation and its potential consequence without claiming that the outcome is inevitable.
Try it: If access to the building is poorly controlled, __________.
4. Gerund phrases as subjects
Allowing couriers to enter the building throughout the day can increase foot traffic.
Pattern: Verb-ing phrase + singular verb.
Why it works: It allows an action or policy to become the subject of a sentence, making explanations more concise.
Try it: Allowing __________ can lead to __________.
5. Contrast with "rather than"
Rather than abandoning the policy, however, the building manager could establish reasonable exceptions.
Pattern: Rather than + verb-ing, subject + verb.
Why it works: It presents an alternative course of action and helps develop a practical solution.
Try it: Rather than __________, the organization should __________.
6. Relative clauses
Residents who genuinely need door-to-door assistance.
Pattern: Noun + who/that/which + clause.
Why it works: The clause identifies the particular people or things being discussed.
Try it: The building should accommodate residents who __________.
7. Participial phrases
A lobby-based delivery policy, combined with practical exceptions, would improve security...
Why it works: The phrase "combined with practical exceptions" adds information without requiring a separate sentence.
Try it: A revised policy, combined with __________, would __________.
8. Parallel structure
...would improve security while accommodating residents’ diverse needs.
The two actions are expressed in parallel: improve security / accommodate needs.
Why it works: Parallel structures make the conclusion concise and emphasize that the policy can achieve two objectives simultaneously.
Try it: The proposal would reduce costs while __________.
Your practice challenge
Task 2: Responding to Survey Questions
Grammar accuracy and sentence development
GOAL : Rewrite basic sentences into more precise, cohesive, and grammatically sophisticated sentences using the eight target structures. Maintain the original meaning while improving clarity, reasoning, and formal tone.
Part 1. Rewrite the sentences
Aim for one accurate, natural sentence per challenge.
1. Concession clauses with although
Combine the two ideas into one sentence using although.
ORIGINAL
Door-to-door delivery is convenient. A lobby-based system offers better security.
Your turn:
2. Complex noun phrases
Replace the underlined idea with a concise noun phrase. Rewrite the full sentence.
ORIGINAL
The building manager should introduce a system that leaves deliveries in one place to improve the security of the whole building.
Your turn:
3. Conditional sentences
Complete the sentence by explaining a possible consequence of poor access control.
ORIGINAL
If access to the building is poorly controlled, ...
Your turn:
4. Gerund phrases as subjects
Rewrite the idea so that an -ing phrase becomes the subject.
ORIGINAL
When couriers enter the building throughout the day, this can lead to more foot traffic and security concerns.
Your turn:
5. Contrast with rather than
Combine the ideas to show a practical alternative to removing the delivery policy.
ORIGINAL
The building manager should not abandon the policy. The building manager should introduce exceptions for residents who need assistance.
Your turn:
6. Relative clauses
Combine the sentences using who to identify the residents who need support.
ORIGINAL
The building should accommodate residents. These residents genuinely need door-to-door assistance.
Your turn:
7. Participial phrases
Combine the ideas into one sentence using a participial phrase.
ORIGINAL
A revised delivery policy would improve security. It would include practical exceptions for residents with accessibility needs.
Your turn:
8. Parallel structure
Complete the sentence using a second action that is grammatically parallel to reduce costs.
ORIGINAL
The proposal would reduce costs while ...
Your turn:
Part 2. Extension challenge: Integrate the grammar
Rewrite the short paragraph below into a more sophisticated policy argument. Use at least four of the eight target structures while preserving the original position.
ORIGINAL PARAGRAPH
The lobby desk is convenient for security. Door-to-door delivery helps some residents. Drivers enter the building often, and this creates risks. The manager should not cancel lobby delivery. The manager should help residents who cannot collect their orders. The policy should improve security and meet residents' needs.
Your turn:
Achieving Level 12 is not about making every sentence sound complicated. It is about making effective decisions at every level of writing.
Plan the message. Develop the reasoning. Refine the language. Check the accuracy.
Start with the reader's needs and the task's purpose, then work down to the vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures that communicate your ideas precisely.
Use the model answers as examples of effective choices, not scripts to memorize. Your goal is to reproduce the underlying skills across new topics and unfamiliar situations.
Language Flow Lab helps learners build the clarity, accuracy, and confidence to communicate effectively in examinations, the workplace, and everyday life.
These examples are instructional resources, not official CELPIP scoring materials. Follow the current test instructions and word limits. No sample or template can guarantee a Level 12 score.
Need personalized feedback but don't have time to join the class? Take our CELPIP Writing Feedback Set
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