CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: A Friend Wants a Job Reference
Writing an Email · 27 minutes · 150–200 words · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
Your friend Jamal has applied for a warehouse coordinator position at Northgate Supply in Prince George, where you have worked for three years. He has asked you to recommend him to your manager, Amélie Roy, who will interview candidates next Wednesday. You worked with Jamal at a previous job and liked him, but he was often late, and she places great importance on punctuality.
Write an email to your friend Jamal.
- Tell Jamal what you are willing to do to support his application
- Raise your concern about his punctuality in a tactful way
- Give him advice on preparing for the interview
Model answers
Level 7 sample answer
175 words
Hi Jamal,
Thanks for telling me about your application to Northgate Supply. I think you can be a good coordinator, and it will be fun to work in same place again.
I am happy to help you. I will tell my manager that I know you and that you are friendly and work hard. I can also tell her you are good with people, because I saw that at our old job.
But I want to be honest with you about one thing. At our old job you were late quite often, and my manager here is very strict about time. If you get the job and come late, it can be a problem for you and also for me, because I recommended you.
For the interview, try to arrive at least 15 minutes early. Also, learn what Northgate sells and who their big customers are, and prepare some examples about your experience with inventory. She likes when people give real example.
Good luck on Wednesday! Call me if you want to practise.
Cheers,
Garrett
Why this answer is at level 7
This level 7 example covers the requested points and is easy to follow, but its support is fairly general, its punctuality warning is blunt, and some grammar is awkward. The higher-level examples give stronger evidence of Jamal's abilities and handle the sensitive concern more smoothly.
I will tell my manager that I know you and that you are friendly and work hard.
— Content/Coherence: This clearly explains the promised support, but friendliness and hard work give the manager limited evidence of suitability for warehouse coordination. The higher-level answers connect the recommendation to inventory experience and a specific stockroom achievement.my manager here is very strict about time.
— Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but the wording is broad and basic. The higher-level answers use the more precise word 'punctuality' and more varied language to explain why Jamal's lateness matters.She likes when people give real example.
— Readability: The advice is understandable, but 'real example' needs an article or a plural ending, and 'likes when' sounds awkward here. The higher-level answers express similar advice through smoother, more controlled sentences.learn what Northgate sells and who their big customers are
— Task Fulfillment: This gives useful preparation advice tailored to Northgate, alongside the instruction to arrive early. A higher-level response would develop the advice further by showing Jamal which measurable achievements or problem-solving examples to prepare for the coordinator interview.
Level 9 sample answer
185 words
Hey Jamal,
Great to hear you've applied for the coordinator job! It would be really nice to have a familiar face around the warehouse again, so count me in as a supporter.
Here's what I can do. Before Wednesday, I'll have a quick word with my manager and tell her how well you handled the inventory system at our old job and how customers always asked for you by name. I can also pass along your résumé directly so it doesn't get lost in the pile.
There's one thing I'd feel bad not mentioning, though. You probably remember that you were running late a fair bit at Hollis Hardware. My manager is a real stickler for punctuality, so if you get the job, being on time every single day would matter a lot, for both of us.
As for the interview, I'd bring specific numbers, like how many orders you handled daily, and be ready to explain how you stay organized. Also, aim to show up a little early so you make a strong first impression.
Let me know how it goes!
Talk soon,
Garrett
Why this answer is at level 9
This level 9 example combines a natural friendly voice with relevant work experience, tactful phrasing, and practical interview advice. Compared with the level 11 example, the recommendation offers less concrete evidence of impact, and the punctuality discussion stops short of asking Jamal for a clear commitment.
how well you handled the inventory system at our old job
— Content/Coherence: This makes the recommendation relevant to warehouse coordination and gives it more substance than general praise. The level 11 answer strengthens the same approach by naming an improvement Jamal made and describing its measurable effect.My manager is a real stickler for punctuality
— Vocabulary: The idiom sounds natural between friends, while 'punctuality' identifies the concern precisely. The level 11 example shows a wider expressive range across the email; this phrase already works well and needs no more elaborate replacement.There's one thing I'd feel bad not mentioning, though.
— Readability: This conversational transition moves smoothly from encouragement to a sensitive concern. It prepares Jamal for criticism without an abrupt change of tone. The level 11 answer develops that transition into a more explicit explanation of the writer's personal stake.I'd bring specific numbers, like how many orders you handled daily
— Task Fulfillment: This turns general interview preparation into practical advice relevant to warehouse work. The level 11 answer broadens the preparation by suggesting different performance measures and a story about handling pressure, giving Jamal more ways to demonstrate suitability.
Level 11 sample answer
195 words
Hi Jamal,
I was thrilled to hear you'd thrown your hat in the ring for the coordinator role. Working alongside you again would be a real treat, and I'm more than willing to put in a good word.
Concretely, I'll catch my manager before Wednesday and tell her about the way you overhauled the stockroom at Hollis Hardware, cutting our counting time almost in half. If it helps, I'll also hand your résumé to her personally rather than leaving it to the online portal.
Since you're a friend, I'd rather be upfront than let you get blindsided, though. Back at Hollis, mornings weren't exactly your strong suit, and the manager here is unusually strict about punctuality; people who arrive late more than a couple of times during probation tend to be shown the door. Because my name will be attached to the recommendation, I'd love to know you're ready to make early starts a priority.
For the interview itself, come armed with figures — order volumes, error rates, anything measurable — and have a story ready about solving a problem under pressure. Arriving fifteen minutes early wouldn't hurt either.
Fingers crossed for you!
All the best,
Garrett
Why this answer is at level 11
This level 11 example stands out through concrete evidence, varied vocabulary, controlled sentences, and detailed interview advice. It balances friendship with the writer's responsibility for the recommendation, although the added probation policy makes part of the punctuality warning sound harsher than necessary.
you overhauled the stockroom at Hollis Hardware, cutting our counting time almost in half.
— Content/Coherence: This connects a specific action to a measurable result, giving the manager a persuasive reason to consider Jamal. It develops the inventory experience mentioned in the level 9 answer into evidence of initiative and operational improvement.I'd rather be upfront than let you get blindsided
— Vocabulary: The natural expressions frame honesty as an act of friendship. They let the writer raise a difficult issue warmly and directly, showing greater expressive flexibility than the simpler warning in the level 7 answer.Because my name will be attached to the recommendation, I'd love to know you're ready to make early starts a priority.
— Readability: This controlled sentence links the writer's concern to a clear request for commitment. The opening clause explains the reason, while the main clause softens the request without obscuring what Jamal needs to change.have a story ready about solving a problem under pressure.
— Task Fulfillment: Alongside the suggested performance figures and early arrival, this gives Jamal a practical way to prepare for the coordinator interview. It encourages him to demonstrate judgment through an example, extending the preparation beyond describing routine duties.
What moves an answer from 7 to 9 to 11
These are model answers written to show each level. The labels are practice estimates, not examiner scores.
Cover each email bullet with relevant detail, explain its effect on the reader and make a workable request. Keep a consistent register, with an opening, connected paragraphs and an appropriate closing.
- Content/Coherence: Level 7 models communicate the main ideas; level 9 models develop relevant details with clear connections; level 11 models sustain precise, well-integrated development.
- Vocabulary: Compare adequate everyday wording with more varied, accurate choices at level 9 and flexible, precise expression at level 11.
- Readability: Look for increasingly controlled grammar, sentence variety, punctuation and paragraphing. Complexity helps when it keeps the message easy to read.
- Task Fulfillment: Compare how fully the response addresses the request, develops enough relevant detail and maintains an appropriate tone for the audience within the task limits.
Assess the criteria together. A longer answer or rarer words alone do not establish a higher level.
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