CELPIP Writing Task 1 Template — Invitation Email

An invitation email is one of the most common shapes Writing Task 1 takes on test day. You are given a situation, asked to invite a friend, colleague, or community member to an event, and told to cover three bullet points in roughly 27 minutes. The official limit is 150–200 words, and the trick is to sound genuinely warm while still delivering hard logistics — what the event is, when and where it happens, and how to RSVP. This guide gives you a reusable structure, two phrase banks you can adapt to any tone, a details checklist so you never forget a logistic, a CLB 11 model answer, and a line-by-line breakdown of why it scores.

What the examiner is looking for

Writing Task 1 is scored on four criteria. An invitation email rewards you for hitting all four at once, so know what each means.

• Content & Coherence — Did you address all three bullets, and does the email flow logically from greeting to RSVP? How to hit it: devote a short paragraph to each bullet and link them with connectors like also, as well, and that said. A reader should never feel a detail is missing or out of place.
• Vocabulary — Is your word choice precise, varied, and right for the relationship? How to hit it: match register to recipient (a manager gets I would be delighted; a friend gets I'd love it if you came) and avoid repeating "come" or "event" five times.
• Readability — Are sentences clear, correctly punctuated, and grouped into tidy paragraphs? How to hit it: use 4–5 short paragraphs, vary sentence length, and proofread the last two minutes for comma splices and verb tense.
• Task Fulfilment — Did you write an appropriate email for the stated purpose and audience, in the right tone, within the word count? How to hit it: open and close like a real email, keep the tone consistent, and land between 165 and 195 words — comfortably inside the range.

Plan with the "invitation 5"

Spend the first three minutes planning. Before you write a word, lock down five things — the invitation 5. Jotting them on the scratch screen means you never stall mid-sentence hunting for a date or a dress code.

Step 1 — Identify the recipient and tone

Read the prompt and decide who you are writing to and how close you are. A team lead at work is semi-formal; your cousin is friendly; a city councillor or a venue manager is formal. This single decision drives every phrase you choose. For example, if the task says "invite your new neighbour to a housewarming," that is friendly-leaning semi-formal — warm but not slangy: I wanted to invite you over to celebrate our move.

Step 2 — Open warmly and state the purpose

Greet by name, add one sentence of human warmth, then say plainly that you are inviting them. Burying the invitation in paragraph three confuses the reader. A clean opener: Hi Daniel, I hope your week is going well. I'm writing to invite you to my graduation party next month. The reader now knows exactly why the email exists within two lines.

Step 3 — Give the key details (what / when / where)

This paragraph carries the first bullet point and the logistical heart of the email. Name the event, the date and start time, the location with enough specificity to be useful, and any dress code. Group these so they read smoothly rather than as a bullet list: The party is on Saturday, 12 July, starting at 6 p.m. at The Maple Hall on King Street — it's smart-casual, so no need to dress up.

Step 4 — Explain why they should come

This covers the persuasion bullet. Give one or two genuine reasons — you'll see old friends, there will be live music, it wouldn't feel right without them. Personalising the reason is what lifts an email from generic to warm: It's been ages since the whole group was together, and I know everyone would love to see you. This is where Vocabulary and Content both earn marks.

Step 5 — Request an RSVP and close

End with a clear, dated call to action so the reader knows precisely what to do: Could you let me know by 5 July whether you can make it? Then sign off in the matching tone. A vague "hope to see you" is a missed bullet — the RSVP must be explicit.

The fill-in template

Memorise this skeleton and adapt the bracketed parts to any invitation prompt. It already separates the three bullets into clean paragraphs.

Dear/Hi [Name],

[One warm opening line.] I'm writing to invite you to [event] that [I'm hosting / we're holding] on [date].

The [event] will take place on [day, date] at [time], at [venue/address]. [Dress code or what to bring, if any.] [One extra logistical detail.]

I'd really love for you to come because [reason 1], and [reason 2]. [Personal touch — why this person specifically.]

Please let me know by [RSVP date] whether you can join us — you can [reply to this email / text me / call me]. [Optional: I'd be happy to help with [lift / directions].]

Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Closing], 
[Your name]

Phrase bank by tone

The same job — inviting, giving details, encouraging, requesting an RSVP, closing — needs different words depending on who reads it. Pick one phrase per row to match your chosen tone, and keep the tone consistent across the whole email.

Key details checklist

Before you submit, run your email against this checklist. A missing logistic is the single most common reason an otherwise lovely invitation loses Content & Coherence marks. Aim to cover every applicable row — "dress code" can be skipped only if the event clearly has none.

Model answer

The prompt: Your company is hosting a retirement celebration for a long-serving colleague. Write an email to a former coworker inviting them. Tell them about the event, explain why their presence matters, and ask them to confirm whether they can attend. This sample is 184 words and sits at a CLB 11 level.

Why this answer scores high

• The greeting and opener establish a semi-formal tone and state the purpose in the first two lines — the reader instantly knows what the email is for, which protects Task Fulfilment.
• The details paragraph packs date, time, venue, dress code, and a programme highlight into two fluid sentences without sounding like a list. This single paragraph clears the entire "key details checklist," earning strong Content marks.
• The persuasion paragraph gives a specific, personal reason ("You worked alongside Susan for many years") rather than a generic "it'll be fun." The phrase wouldn't feel complete without you shows idiomatic range, lifting Vocabulary.
• The RSVP paragraph gives a dated, concrete request and two reply options, so the call to action is unmistakable. Nothing is left for the reader to guess.
• Readability is supported by five tidy paragraphs, varied sentence length, and clean punctuation; register stays consistent from "I hope this message finds you well" to "Warm regards."

What CLB 7, 9 and 11 look like

• CLB 7: All three bullets are addressed and the message is clear, but the language is plainer ("The party is on Saturday. It is at my house. Please come."), with some repetition and a few minor errors that don't block meaning. Tone may wobble between formal and casual.
• CLB 9: The email flows well with good connectors, varied vocabulary, and a consistent tone. Details are complete and the RSVP is clear; occasional small slips appear but the writing feels controlled and natural.
• CLB 11: Effortless, precise, and idiomatic. Word choice is exact and register is perfectly judged; persuasion feels sincere and personalised; sentence structures vary confidently and errors are rare to none. The email reads like something a fluent professional would actually send.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting a logistic. Leaving out the time, the address, or the RSVP date is the fastest way to lose Content marks. Run the details checklist every single time.
• Tone whiplash. Opening with "Dear Sir" and closing with "Cheers, see ya!" signals you can't control register. Pick one tone in Step 1 and hold it.
• A vague RSVP. "Hope you can come" is not a request. Always ask them to confirm by a specific date and say how to reply.
• No real reason to attend. Skipping the persuasion bullet, or replacing it with "it'll be fun," leaves the email flat. Give one genuine, personal reason.
• Drifting over 200 words. Long, over-explained invitations cost you on Readability and risk running past the limit. Stay between 165 and 195 words.
• A bare greeting. Jumping straight into details with no warm opening line feels abrupt. One human sentence before the invitation does a lot of work.