CELPIP Writing Task 1 Template — Thank-You / Appreciation Email

A thank-you or appreciation email is one of the friendliest prompts you can get on CELPIP Writing Task 1 — but "friendly" is exactly where test-takers lose points. You have 27 minutes to write 150–200 words that respond to three bullet points, and the difference between a CLB 7 and a CLB 11 is almost never the gratitude itself. It is whether your thanks are specific, whether you explain the impact of what the person did, and whether you close in a way that feels warm and forward-looking rather than abrupt. This guide gives you a tone-by-tone phrase bank, a copy-ready template, a model answer, and a line-by-line breakdown so you know precisely why it scores.

What the examiner is looking for

Writing is rated on four equally weighted criteria. Here is what each one means for a thank-you email and how to hit it.

• Content & Coherence — Did you fully develop all three bullets and connect your ideas logically? How to hit it: devote one short paragraph to each bullet, and use linking words (because, as a result, which meant that) so the reader feels the cause-and-effect of the help you received.
• Vocabulary — Is your word choice precise, varied, and appropriate to the relationship? How to hit it: move beyond "thank you so much" — use words like grateful, appreciate, invaluable, generosity, and name the exact thing the person did.
• Readability — Are your sentences correct, well-punctuated, and easy to follow, with a clear opening and closing? How to hit it: vary sentence length, use paragraphs and a greeting/sign-off, and proofread for the small errors (articles, verb tense) that quietly cap your score.
• Task Fulfilment — Did you match the purpose, tone, and audience, and stay inside 150–200 words? How to hit it: decide the relationship first (boss, colleague, teacher, company) and let that set your tone; a thank-you to a CEO should not read like a text to a friend.

Plan with the "thanks → impact → forward" rule

Spend your first 3–4 minutes planning so the remaining time is pure writing. Almost every appreciation prompt — and almost every set of three bullets — maps onto the same three moves: say thanks (specifically), explain the impact, and look forward. Lock that shape in before you write a word and you will never run out of things to say. Below is the structure expanded into the paragraphs you will actually write.

Step 1 — Open with specific, immediate thanks

State your purpose in the first sentence so the reader knows instantly why you are writing, then anchor it to the exact thing. Do not write "Thank you for everything." Write "Thank you for staying back on Friday evening to help me rebuild the client deck." Specificity is the single fastest way to lift this email out of the CLB 6 zone, because it proves you are writing a real message and not a generic formula. Mini-example: "I am writing to thank you sincerely for covering my shifts while I was away caring for my father."

Step 2 — Explain the impact in concrete terms

This is the paragraph most test-takers skip, and it is where high scores live. Tell the reader what their action made possible or prevented. Did it save you time, rescue a deadline, reduce your stress, teach you a skill, or make a guest feel at home? Quantify or visualise it where you can. Mini-example: "Because of your notes, I walked into the exam feeling calm and prepared, and I passed with a mark I never expected." The reader now feels the value, not just the politeness.

Step 3 — Offer to reciprocate or stay connected

A warm close looks forward rather than simply stopping. Depending on the relationship, offer to return the favour, suggest meeting again, or express hope for continued contact. This signals genuine relationship rather than transactional courtesy. Mini-example: "Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do in return — I would be more than happy to help."

Step 4 — Sign off in the right register

Match the greeting and sign-off to the relationship. "Dear Ms. Carter / Sincerely" for formal; "Hi Daniel / Best" for semi-formal; "Hi Sam / Warmly" or "Talk soon" for friendly. A mismatched sign-off ("Cheers, mate" to a CEO) is a Task Fulfilment error even when the English is otherwise correct.

The fill-in template

Copy this skeleton, swap the placeholders, and you have a balanced 150–200-word email. Delete any line that does not fit your prompt.

Dear [Name / Mr./Ms. Surname],

I am writing to thank you [sincerely / so much] for [the exact thing they did — be specific]. [One sentence saying how much it meant to you.]

[Impact paragraph:] [What their help made possible or prevented.] Because of [your help / your advice / your generosity], [concrete result — what changed, what you avoided, how you felt]. I genuinely could not have [outcome] without you.

[Forward-looking paragraph:] [Offer to reciprocate OR a hope to stay in touch.] Please [don't hesitate to let me know if I can ever return the favour / let me know when you are free so I can treat you]. [Optional warm line about the future.]

Thank you again for [short restatement of the kindness].

[Sign-off — Sincerely / Best regards / Warmly],
[Your name]

Phrase bank by tone

Match the column to your reader. Mixing columns is what makes an email feel "off" — pick a register and stay in it.

Generic vs. specific thanks

Raters reward gratitude that could only have been written by you, to this person, about this event. The table below shows why specific lines score higher on Content and Vocabulary — and gives you a fix for each.

Model answer

Prompt: A colleague helped you prepare for an important presentation. Write an email thanking them. Tell them what they did, explain how it helped, and offer to return the favour. (≈ 180 words)

Why this answer scores high

Reading it move by move shows you exactly where the marks come from.

• Opening (specific thanks): "staying late last Thursday to help me rehearse… for the regional managers" names the day, the action, and the stakes. This is the opposite of "thanks for your help" and immediately satisfies the first bullet with real content.
• Acknowledging cost: "I know you had your own deadlines" shows emotional intelligence and lifts the tone — it proves genuine appreciation, not a formula.
• Impact paragraph: "Because you pushed me to cut the opening… the talk finally fit the time slot" gives clear cause-and-effect, and "the directors actually praised the structure" supplies a concrete, believable result. This is the Content & Coherence high point.
• Reciprocity with detail: the offer is not vague — it references "your client review… next month" and names two specific things (look over slides, sit in on a run). Specificity again does the heavy lifting.
• Vocabulary range: sincerely, enormous difference, sharp eye, generosity and support show controlled, varied word choice without sounding forced.
• Readability: four tidy paragraphs, a greeting and sign-off, and sentences of varied length. At ~180 words it sits comfortably in range, and the register stays consistently semi-formal throughout — strong Task Fulfilment.

What CLB 7, 9 and 11 look like

• CLB 7: All three bullets are addressed and the email is understandable, but the thanks stay general ("thanks for your help"), the impact is thin, and there are noticeable errors in articles, prepositions, or verb tense. Vocabulary repeats ("help… help… helped").
• CLB 9: Thanks are specific, the impact is explained with a concrete result, and the tone is consistent. Sentences are varied and mostly accurate; vocabulary is precise ("invaluable", "made all the difference"). The occasional minor slip does not interfere with the message.
• CLB 11: Effortless, natural register with idiomatic but accurate phrasing, smooth cause-and-effect linking, and a forward-looking close that feels genuinely personal. Errors are rare and minor; the email reads like something a confident native professional would actually send.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Staying generic. "Thank you for everything" wastes your strongest scoring opportunity. Name the exact action every time.
• Skipping the impact. Saying thanks without explaining what the help achieved leaves the middle bullet underdeveloped and flattens your Content score.
• Mismatched tone. Writing "Hey, you're a lifesaver!" to a company's customer-service team, or a stiff "To whom it may concern" to a close friend, is a Task Fulfilment error.
• Going under or over the word count. Below 150 words you cannot develop three bullets; above 200 you risk rambling and running out of time to proofread.
• Forgetting the third bullet. Many writers nail thanks and impact but forget to offer reciprocity or a warm forward-looking close, losing easy Content marks.
• No proofreading. With 27 minutes, save the last two for errors in articles, plurals, and tense — these small slips are what hold otherwise good emails at CLB 7.