On this page
The short version
A good Task 1 email and a weak one can start from the same facts. The difference is what each does with the three points: the strong email gives a reason, an offer and a next step in plain, accurate sentences; the weak one names the problem and stops. Below, both emails answer one invented prompt, and each gets notes under all four marking dimensions.
How the task works
Task 1 gives you an everyday situation and asks for an email of roughly 150 to 200 words. Usually there are three things to cover, and missing one costs you. Writing is one of the four parts of CELPIP-General, with two tasks, an email and a survey response, and the whole writing part takes 53 minutes. Our Task 1 planning guide covers the shape of the email and a suggested time split. This page does something different: it puts two finished emails next to each other so you can see exactly where marks are won or lost.
The four dimensions used on this page are Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Readability and Task Fulfillment. Any level we mention is a practice estimate from our own marking guide.
The invented prompt
Task: You sing in the fictional Maplehurst Community Choir, which rehearses on Thursday evenings. Your work schedule has changed and Thursdays no longer fit. Write an email to the choir director, Mr. Okafor. In your email:
- explain why Thursday evenings no longer work for you,
- suggest a different arrangement, and
- say how you will keep up with the group in the meantime.
Sample emails: stronger and weaker
Sample email A (stronger, practice estimate CLB 9 to 10)
Subject: Rehearsal night for the spring concert
Dear Mr. Okafor,
I have sung with the Maplehurst Community Choir for two years, and I am writing because I may not be able to keep attending on Thursday evenings. My employer has moved me to a later shift, which now ends at 7:30 p.m. Rehearsal starts at 7:00, so I would miss the warm-up and the first piece every week.
I would like to suggest two options. If the sopranos' sectional could move to Tuesday, I would be able to attend it without any trouble. Alternatively, I could arrive at 8:00 on Thursdays and stay until the end, as long as the most difficult pieces are rehearsed after the break. I understand that a schedule change affects many people, so I am happy to accept whichever arrangement works best for the group.
Until we decide, I will practise with the recordings you shared and send you a short audio clip of my part each Sunday. I will also ask Hana to pass on her notes from every rehearsal.
Thank you for considering this.
Kind regards,
Lena Fischer
Word count: about 185 words including the subject line, greeting and closing.
Sample email B (weaker, practice estimate CLB 5 to 6)
Subject: Thursday
Hi Mr. Okafor
I am writing about the choir. I can't come on Thursday anymore because of my work. It is very bad for me because my boss change the shift and I am finish late. I like the choir very much and I don't want to leave it.
Maybe we can change the day? Other day is better for me. I think many peoples also have problem with Thursday, so please change it for everybody.
I will try to learn the songs. Thanks.
Lena
Word count: about 87 words. That is well under the roughly 150 to 200 words the task asks for.
Why each email lands where it does
Email A
- The reason is specific. "My employer has moved me to a later shift, which now ends at 7:30 p.m." gives a time, and "I would miss the warm-up and the first piece" shows the consequence for the choir.
- Two real options. "Move the sopranos' sectional to Tuesday" or "arrive at 8:00 and stay until the end" are things the director can accept or refuse today.
- Tone fits the relationship. "Dear Mr. Okafor" and "Kind regards" suit a director. "I am happy to accept whichever arrangement works best for the group" is polite without being vague.
- Point three is answered concretely. A weekly audio clip each Sunday and notes from Hana are actions, not promises.
- Language is accurate and varied. Notice "as long as the most difficult pieces are rehearsed after the break" and "Until we decide", which link ideas instead of listing them.
Email B
- Point one is only half answered. "Because of my work" and "my boss change the shift" tell the reader there is a problem, but not when, how late or what it means for rehearsal.
- Point two is missing in practice. "Maybe we can change the day? Other day is better for me" suggests nothing the director can act on. Which day? Which part of the schedule?
- Tone slips. "Please change it for everybody" asks the whole choir to move for one person, and the greeting has no comma after the name.
- Point three is one line. "I will try to learn the songs" does not say how.
- Errors get in the way. "My boss change", "I am finish late", "Other day is better" and "many peoples" are repeated slips, and "Thursday" as a subject line tells the reader nothing about the purpose.
Marking table: both emails, four dimensions
| Dimension | Email A: what it does | Email B: what it does | What would lift it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | Each paragraph has one job: reason, options, plan. Ideas follow in order and every point has a detail. | Ideas are present but thin, and the second paragraph jumps between a request and an opinion about other singers. | A: name the next rehearsal date so the options feel urgent. B: give each required point a full paragraph with one concrete detail. |
| Vocabulary | Natural, specific words: "sectional", "warm-up", "arrangement", "pass on her notes". | Basic and repeated words such as "bad", "problem" and "change", with one wrong form ("peoples"). | A: one or two less common but exact phrases would show more range. B: replace "very bad" and "problem" with the actual issue. |
| Readability | Sentences vary in length and are controlled, with correct tenses and punctuation. | Frequent verb and article errors, no comma after the greeting, and short choppy sentences. | A: little to fix, just check commas. B: proofread verbs first ("changed", "finish late") and add linking words. |
| Task Fulfillment | All three points covered, within the word range, respectful tone for a director. | Point one partly done, point two vague, point three one sentence, under the word range, and a demand in the tone. | A: already complete. B: write to the range and cover every point with something the reader can act on. |
Common mistakes this pair shows
- Stating a problem without the details that make it real: a time, a date, a consequence.
- Suggesting "another day" or "something else" instead of one specific alternative.
- Asking the reader to change something for everyone when the task is about your situation.
- Giving the third point a single sentence because time ran short. Plan all three before you write.
- Writing far below the range. A short email usually leaves one point thin.
- Fixing nothing at the end. Verb forms and articles are the quickest errors to catch on a read-through.
Try it yourself
Write your own answer to the choir prompt, then read it as Mr. Okafor would. Can he say yes or no after one reading? Compare it with email A paragraph by paragraph, then with email B for the habits to avoid. For ten more prompts with model emails, use the Task 1 examples set.
Questions
Is email B really a CLB 5 to 6?
It is a practice estimate from our marking guide, based on the number of errors, the missing detail and the short length.
Should my email look like email A?
Copy the habits, not the sentences: a specific reason, a concrete offer and a clear next step. Use your own words for the situation you are given.
Does the subject line count in the word count?
The task asks for roughly 150 to 200 words. Treat the subject, greeting and closing as part of the email and aim for the middle of the range.
Sources (checked 26 October 2026)
Last reviewed 26 October 2026
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