Can I use a template on the CELPIP Writing test?

Yes, as a structure. Planning the same shape every time saves time and stops you forgetting a part. What doesn't work is memorizing whole paragraphs that don't fit the task.

Do raters notice memorized sentences?

Raters look at whether the content is relevant and developed and whether vocabulary is used naturally. General sentences that could fit any task add nothing to either, and wording copied from the task doesn't count as your vocabulary. The safe assumption is that only task-specific writing earns credit.

How many paragraphs should a CELPIP email have?

Usually three body paragraphs, one for each bullet, plus a short opening with your purpose and a short closing. The greeting and the sign-off go on their own lines.

Do I need a subject line in Task 1?

No. The task doesn't ask for a subject line, To and From lines or addresses. Start with the greeting.

Should the survey answer use the email template?

No. The survey doesn't need a greeting or sign-off. Start with your choice and go straight to your reasons.

CELPIP Writing Templates for the Email and Survey Tasks

CELPIP writing templates give you a reliable structure, so you can spend your planning time on ideas instead of layout. Below are skeletons for the email and the survey, phrases sorted by register, and an honest note on where templates stop helping.

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What CELPIP writing templates can and can't do

A good template is a plan for the shape of your response: what goes first, how many paragraphs, how it ends. It saves time and makes sure you don't forget a part, such as the purpose statement in an email or the comparison in a survey answer.

A template can't supply the content. Raters judge how well your ideas fit the task, how specific your details are and whether the words are your own. The skeleton stays the same; everything inside it should be written for the task in front of you.

Task 1 email template

Use one paragraph for each bullet point in the task, in the same order. With a short opening and closing, most emails end up as five short blocks between the greeting and the sign-off.

Greeting: "Dear Mr. Fraser," (formal), "Hello," or "Dear Ms. Arsenault," (semi-formal), "Hi Karim," (friendly).
Purpose statement: name the reason in the first sentence. "I am writing about the heating in my apartment" is clearer than an opening about the weather.
Body: if a bullet asks for two things, such as days and hours, answer both.
Sign-off and name: any realistic name works. Leave out street addresses and subject lines; they aren't needed.

Email skeleton

[Greeting that fits the reader], [Purpose statement: one sentence saying why you are writing.] [One sentence of background, if needed.] [Bullet 1: a topic sentence that answers it, then one or two sentences with a specific detail: a date, number, name or place.] [Bullet 2: a topic sentence, then a concrete example or consequence.] [Bullet 3: a topic sentence, then the specific request, proposal or plan, with days, times or amounts.] [Closing statement: what you want to happen next, or a short thank-you.] [Sign-off], [Name]

Task 2 survey template

A survey response is an opinion with reasons. It is not an essay and not an email. Four or five short paragraphs work well.

Put the choice first. The reader should know your position after one sentence.
Make each reason a reason, not a suggestion: say why your option is better, not what else the organization should do.
The comparison can be its own paragraph or the end of a reason paragraph.
Two strong reasons are enough. Add a third only if you have time to support it.

Survey skeleton

[Your choice in one sentence, in your own words.] [Reason 1: a topic sentence that names the reason, then a specific detail or example from your life or your community, then what it leads to.] [Reason 2: the same pattern, with a different kind of support: a number, a place, a person.] [Comparison: one or two sentences that admit what the other option offers and explain why your choice is still better.] [Closing: one sentence that brings the answer to an end.]

Email phrases by register

These phrases are starting points. Change them to fit the situation, and don't stack more than one or two in a paragraph.

Purpose	Formal (landlord, manager, company)	Semi-formal (neighbour, coworker, coordinator)	Friendly (friend, relative)
Greeting	Dear Mr. Fraser, / Dear Customer Service Team,	Hello Ms. Arsenault, / Hello,	Hi Karim, / Dear Rosa,
Stating the purpose	I am writing to request... / I am writing regarding...	I'm writing to ask whether... / I wanted to let you know...	You asked me about..., so... / Guess what?
Asking for something	I would appreciate it if... / Could you please arrange...	Would you mind...? / Would you consider...?	Could you...? / Any chance you could...?
Apologizing	Please accept my apologies for... / I apologize for...	I'm sorry about... / I should have...	I'm so sorry I...
Suggesting	One option would be to... / I would suggest that...	Maybe we could... / How about...?	Why don't we...? / Let's...
Closing statement	Thank you for your attention to this matter. / I look forward to your reply.	Thanks for understanding. / I'd be glad to talk it over.	Can't wait to see you! / Let me know what you think.
Sign-off	Sincerely, / Yours truly,	Best regards, / Kind regards,	Talk soon, / Hugs, / Love,

Survey phrases

Survey answers need fewer set phrases than emails. These cover the moves you make in every answer:

Stating the choice: "I would prefer...", "I strongly support...", "In my view, the better choice is..."
Introducing a reason: "My main reason is...", "Another reason is...", "More importantly,..."
Adding a detail: "For example,...", "Last winter,...", "In my building alone,..."
Comparing: "While I understand why some people prefer..., ...", "... would certainly help, but...", "By contrast,..."
Closing: "For these reasons, I believe...", "Overall,..."

A warning about memorized filler

Some templates come with ready-made sentences that fit any task, such as "In today's fast-paced world, technology plays an important role in our lives." Sentences like this take words and time without answering anything. Raters judge the relevance and quality of your ideas, so a sentence that could appear in any response adds little.

Memorized sentences also tend to clash with the rest of the response. A polished opening followed by paragraphs with frequent errors makes the difference obvious, and a phrase meant for a formal letter sounds odd in an email to a friend.

Wording copied from the task has the same problem. Phrases taken from the question or the options don't count as your vocabulary, so paraphrase them.

Filler versus a task-specific opening (task email-housing-01)

Filler: I am writing this email to bring to your kind attention a matter of great importance that needs your urgent consideration. Specific: I am writing about the heating in my apartment, unit 204, which has not been working properly for the past ten days.

How to adapt a template in the first five minutes

Use your planning time to fill the skeleton with this task's content:

Read the task and note who you are writing to and what each bullet asks for (for a survey, what the two options really mean).
Choose the register: formal, semi-formal or friendly. This decides your greeting, sign-off and phrases.
Write one specific detail next to each paragraph slot in your plan: a date, a place, a number, a name.
Write your purpose statement or your choice sentence first, in your own words.
Then write the body, checking that each paragraph does what its slot says.