CELPIP Writing Task 1 Template — Recommendation / Suggestion Email

CELPIP Writing Task 1 sometimes asks you to recommend or suggest something — propose an improvement to your manager, recommend a venue or product to a friend, or suggest a change to a service. You write an email of 150–200 words in about 27 minutes, addressing three bullet points. This guide gives you a suggestion-specific structure, a fill-in template, tone-by-tone phrase banks, a scored model answer, and a clear picture of what CLB 7, 9 and 11 look like.

The difference between a low and a high score on this prompt is rarely grammar — it is persuasion. A weak answer states a suggestion; a strong answer makes a clear recommendation, backs it with concrete benefits, gently handles the obvious objection, and ends with a polite call to action. Everything below is built around that arc.

What the examiner is looking for

CELPIP Writing is scored on four criteria, each from 3 to 12 (the number is your CLB level — CELPIP 9 = CLB 9). Here is what each one means for a recommendation email and how to hit it.

• Content & Coherence — Did you fully develop a clear suggestion and connect your ideas logically? How to hit it: make one main recommendation, give two or three real benefits, and order them so each sentence follows the last. Address all three bullets.
• Vocabulary — Is your word choice precise, varied and right for the reader? How to hit it: use suggestion-specific verbs (recommend, propose, suggest) and benefit nouns (efficiency, convenience, savings) instead of repeating "good" and "nice".
• Readability — Is it easy to read, with correct grammar, spelling and a logical layout? How to hit it: use short paragraphs, a greeting and sign-off, and vary your sentence length. Leave two minutes to proofread.
• Task Fulfilment — Did you do exactly what was asked, in the right tone and length? How to hit it: recommend (not just describe), match the formality to the reader, and land between 150 and 200 words.

Plan with the "Rule of 3" before you type

Spend the first three to four minutes planning. A recommendation email has a natural three-part spine — suggest, justify, call to action — and your three bullet points usually map straight onto it. Jot a quick plan: what you recommend, two benefits, and one objection you can pre-empt. Then write to the plan. Below is the structure paragraph by paragraph.

Step 1 — Greeting and a one-line purpose

Open with a greeting that matches the reader (Dear Mr. Lee for a manager, Hi Sarah for a friend) and state your purpose in a single sentence. Naming the suggestion immediately signals confidence and scores on coherence. Example: I am writing to suggest that we introduce a flexible-hours policy for the support team. Do not bury the recommendation in paragraph three — lead with it.

Step 2 — Make the recommendation clear and specific

State exactly what you are proposing and, if helpful, what it would replace. Specificity is persuasive: I would recommend switching from the current paper timesheets to the online system Clockwise is far stronger than maybe we could try something new. Match your confidence to your relationship with the reader — confident with a friend, slightly more tentative with a senior manager (see the tentative-vs-confident table below).

Step 3 — Give two or three concrete benefits

This is the heart of the email and where most marks are won. For each benefit, name it and explain the payoff: This would save roughly two hours of admin a week, which the team could spend on customers. Use linking words (Firstly, In addition, On top of that) so the benefits read as a build, not a list. Two well-developed benefits beat four thin ones.

Step 4 — Anticipate one objection (optional but high-scoring)

Strong writers show they have thought it through. Name the likely worry and disarm it in one sentence: I understand the upfront cost is a concern, but the monthly fee is offset within two months by the time saved. This single move lifts Content & Coherence because it shows balanced reasoning — a hallmark of CLB 9 and above.

Step 5 — Polite call to action and sign-off

Close by inviting a specific next step, not just a vague "let me know". Ask for a meeting, a trial, or a reply: Could we discuss this at next week's team meeting? Then sign off in a register that matches the greeting (Kind regards, Thanks again, See you soon). A clear call to action is what separates a recommendation from a complaint.

The fill-in template

Copy this skeleton, swap in the brackets, and you have a complete, balanced recommendation email. Delete the objection line if you are short on words.

[Greeting — Dear [Name], / Hi [Name],]

I am writing to [suggest / recommend / propose] [your main recommendation in one line].

Specifically, I would recommend [the precise change], rather than [the current situation].

There are a couple of clear benefits. Firstly, [benefit 1 + the concrete payoff].
In addition, [benefit 2 + the concrete payoff].

I understand [the likely objection], but [your reassurance].

[Call to action — Could we [discuss this / arrange a trial / meet] [when]?] I would be happy to [help / share more details].

[Sign-off — Kind regards / Thanks / See you soon],
[Your name]

Phrase bank by tone

The reader sets the register. Use this table to pick wording that matches a manager (formal), a colleague or service provider (semi-formal), or a friend (friendly). Mixing registers — Dear Sir, that place is awesome — costs you on Vocabulary and Task Fulfilment.

Tentative vs. confident suggestions

How forcefully you suggest something depends on your authority and the reader. To a senior manager, hedge a little so you sound respectful; to a friend, be direct and enthusiastic. Pair the right column from the table below with the right reader, and vary your phrasing so you are not repeating one structure.

Model answer

This answer responds to a prompt asking you to email your manager suggesting a way to improve the team's morale. It is roughly 180 words, formal but warm, and follows the suggest–justify–call-to-action arc.

Why this answer scores high

• Opening (lines 1–3): The greeting is correctly formal, and the purpose plus the exact recommendation arrive in the first sentence. The reader knows immediately what is being proposed — strong Content & Coherence.
• Body, benefit 1: "Help the team recharge… reduce the burnout" names a benefit and its payoff, then links it to a real problem. This is developed reasoning, not a bare claim.
• Body, benefit 2: "More attractive to new hires" widens the appeal from staff to the company, showing the writer is thinking about the manager's priorities — a CLB 9+ move.
• Objection handling: "I appreciate that coverage is a concern, but…" pre-empts the obvious worry and solves it in one sentence, signalling balanced judgement.
• Call to action: "Would it be possible to discuss this at our next team meeting?" is a specific, polite next step, and the offer to draft a trial plan shows initiative.
• Vocabulary & readability: Verbs like suggest, introduce, rotate and nouns like morale, flexibility, coverage are precise and varied. Paragraphs are short, sentence length varies, and the register stays consistently formal throughout.

What CLB 7, 9 and 11 look like

• CLB 7: The suggestion is clear and all three bullets are addressed, but benefits are stated rather than developed (it would be good for the team). Vocabulary is correct but plain, with some repetition; minor grammar slips do not block meaning. The call to action may be generic (let me know).
• CLB 9: The recommendation is specific and each benefit is explained with a payoff. The writer uses varied linking words, controls a mostly formal register, and may anticipate an objection. Errors are rare and minor; the call to action is concrete.
• CLB 11: Persuasion feels effortless and tailored to the reader's priorities. Vocabulary is precise and natural (offset, recharge, retention), sentence structures are varied and well-controlled, the objection is handled gracefully, and the whole email reads like genuine workplace correspondence with almost no errors.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Describing instead of recommending. The task says suggest or recommend — if you only explain a situation without proposing a clear action, you miss Task Fulfilment. Always include a sentence that begins I would recommend / suggest…
• Listing benefits without payoffs. "It is faster, cheaper and easier" is weak. Spell out why each one matters to this reader.
• Register clash. Starting Dear Mr. Lee then writing this idea is super cool mixes tones. Pick one column from the phrase bank and stay in it.
• No call to action. Ending on a benefit leaves the email hanging. Always invite a specific next step — a meeting, a trial, a reply.
• Over-hedging to a friend (or being blunt with a boss). Match confidence to the reader: be direct and warm with friends, respectfully tentative with senior managers.
• Ignoring the word count. Under 150 words usually means undeveloped benefits; over 200 risks rambling and errors. Aim for 170–190 and leave two minutes to proofread.