CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: Different Paces in One Group
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 Rosa started a Saturday walking group in Stratford to help everyone become more active. The group now covers 8 km at a fast pace, and you and two other beginners have stopped attending because you cannot keep up. Several regular walkers enjoy the challenge and want to keep the current route. Rosa has asked why you are missing the walks, and you want to suggest a change without taking away the activity others enjoy.
Write an email to your friend Rosa.
- Explain why you and other beginners have missed the walks.
- Acknowledge what the faster walkers enjoy about the group.
- Suggest a practical way for both groups to participate.
Model answers
Level 7 sample answer
173 words
Hi Rosa,
Thanks for asking why I have missed the Saturday walks in Stratford. I like the idea of being more active with friends, but the group now walks 8 km very quickly. I cannot keep up, and two other beginners have stopped coming for the same reason. This is why I have not joined recently.
I know several people enjoy the longer route and the fast pace. They want to get a good workout, so it would not be fair to make everyone slow down for us. I also understand that you started the group to help people become more active.
Could we try having two walking groups? We could all meet at the same place, and then the beginners could take a shorter walk. The faster group could continue on the usual route. Maybe you could ask someone to lead the shorter walk so you do not have to manage both.
Thanks for listen to my suggestion. I would like to discuss about it before the next walk.
Take care,
Felipe
Why this answer is at level 7
This answer fits level 7 because it clearly explains the beginners' absence, respects the faster walkers, and proposes a workable alternative. Repetition, basic vocabulary, and noticeable grammar errors hold it below the more fluent and developed level 9 answer.
This is why I have not joined recently.
— Content/Coherence: This repeats the explanation already given about missing walks and being unable to keep up. A higher-level answer would use this space to develop why the difficulty matters for beginners or connect it to the group's purpose.I know several people enjoy the longer route and the fast pace.
— Vocabulary: The language clearly identifies what regular walkers enjoy, but stays fairly basic and repeats wording from the problem. Higher-level answers express the same consideration more precisely through ideas such as preserving the challenge and protecting their workout.Thanks for listen to my suggestion.
— Readability: The meaning is clear, but 'for listen' should be 'for listening.' This noticeable error weakens an otherwise friendly closing. The higher-level answers maintain grammatical control throughout their requests and closing remarks.Maybe you could ask someone to lead the shorter walk so you do not have to manage both.
— Task Fulfillment: Suggesting a leader makes the shorter walk practical and considers Rosa's workload. The level 9 answer develops this further by suggesting volunteer leaders for both groups and a trial before making an ongoing change.
Level 9 sample answer
179 words
Hi Rosa,
You asked why I've been missing the Saturday walks, and I wanted to explain properly. The 8 km route and quick pace have become too demanding for me. Two other beginners have also stopped attending because they can't keep up, so I think there's a gap between the group's original aim and what beginners can manage.
I can see why the regular walkers enjoy the challenge, though. They've found a pace that works for them, and asking everyone to shorten the route would take away something they value. I'd love to return without making their walks less enjoyable.
Could we meet everyone halfway by offering two options from the same starting point? Beginners could follow a shorter route while the faster walkers continue with the full 8 km. We could ask for a volunteer to lead each group, so the organizing doesn't all fall on you. If people are interested, we could try it once and see how it goes.
Thanks for checking in. Let me know what you think before the next walk.
Take care,
Felipe
Why this answer is at level 9
This answer fits level 9 through fluent language, tactful acknowledgment of competing preferences, and a practical proposal with volunteer support and a trial. Compared with level 11, it develops the importance of beginner encouragement and the group's shared social experience less fully.
so I think there's a gap between the group's original aim and what beginners can manage.
— Content/Coherence: This connects the beginners' absence to the group's purpose, moving beyond a simple complaint about distance. The level 11 answer develops the implication further by explaining why encouragement particularly matters when people are starting.Could we meet everyone halfway by offering two options from the same starting point?
— Vocabulary: The idiom 'meet everyone halfway' presents the proposal as a compromise, while the rest of the question makes it concrete. The level 11 answer adds more precise language about accommodating different starting points and preserving the group's shared purpose.They've found a pace that works for them, and asking everyone to shorten the route would take away something they value.
— Readability: The coordinated clauses clearly connect the regular walkers' preferences with the consequence of changing their route. Contractions suit a message to Rosa. The level 11 answer adds greater sentence variety while keeping these relationships easy to follow.If people are interested, we could try it once and see how it goes.
— Task Fulfillment: A trial makes the proposed change easier for Rosa and the walkers to consider. The level 11 answer makes the trial conditional on volunteer availability and adds a coordinated finish to preserve time together.
Level 11 sample answer
190 words
Hi Rosa,
Thanks for checking on my absence from the Saturday walks. The current combination of 8 km and a brisk pace is more than I can comfortably manage. With two other beginners also staying away because they can't keep up, I suspect the group has become difficult to join at the very stage when encouragement matters most.
That said, the regular walkers clearly enjoy pushing themselves, and I wouldn't want our return to depend on diluting their workout. You've brought people together around a healthy habit; ideally, that shared purpose could accommodate different starting points.
Could we keep the social side together while offering two walking options? Everyone could meet together, then choose either the existing route or a shorter, gentler loop. If a volunteer could lead each option, you wouldn't be expected to supervise both. We could also arrange to finish at the starting point together, preserving the chance to catch up afterwards.
Would you be open to testing this at the next walk, provided enough volunteers are interested? It might give beginners a way back in while allowing experienced walkers to keep their stride.
Take care,
Felipe
Why this answer is at level 11
This answer is strong at level 11 because it combines a thoughtful explanation of beginner exclusion with respect for the regular walkers' challenge. Precise vocabulary, varied sentences, and practical arrangements preserve both accessible exercise and the group's social purpose.
I suspect the group has become difficult to join at the very stage when encouragement matters most.
— Content/Coherence: This explains the wider significance of the beginners' absence: the group is becoming inaccessible when support would be especially useful. 'I suspect' keeps the observation tentative and considerate toward Rosa.I wouldn't want our return to depend on diluting their workout.
— Vocabulary: The precise phrase 'diluting their workout' captures what faster walkers could lose if everyone slowed down. It expresses a competing interest concisely while showing that the writer takes their enjoyment seriously.Everyone could meet together, then choose either the existing route or a shorter, gentler loop.
— Readability: The sequence is immediately clear, and the parallel alternatives make the arrangement easy to picture. The sentence turns the broader idea of accommodating different abilities into a straightforward plan.Would you be open to testing this at the next walk, provided enough volunteers are interested?
— Task Fulfillment: The friendly question proposes a specific opportunity to try the change while recognizing that volunteer support is necessary. Alongside separate routes and a shared finishing point, it gives Rosa a considerate, actionable proposal.
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.
Answer this question and get your level