Writing Task 1: Writing an Email

A paper showing what you paid.

“Keep your receipt in case of a return.”

Often used: keep the receipt · ask for a receipt

CELPIP tip: Use in complaint or return emails; pair with 'keep your receipt' or 'attach the receipt.'

An arranged meeting at a set time.

“I made an appointment with my dentist.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral; collocate with 'book/reschedule an appointment.' Essential phrasing for health-related email tasks.

A situation in which something is late.

“The flight delay lasted over two hours.”

Often used: flight delay · long delay · cause a delay

CELPIP tip: Use 'unexpected delay' for emphasis; in difficult-situation tasks, 'caused a significant delay' sounds stronger.

A piece of electronic equipment.

“Most people own several smart devices.”

Often used: mobile device · smart device

CELPIP tip: Neutral; use 'electronic device' or 'the device is malfunctioning' to sound specific and professional.

To give money or goods to help others.

“Many people donate blood every year.”

Often used: donate money · donate to charity

CELPIP tip: Neutral register; use 'donate to a local charity' in emails or personal stories to show community engagement naturally.

Money paid for a service.

“There is a small fee to renew your card.”

Often used: application fee · waive a fee

CELPIP tip: Collocate precisely: 'application fee' or 'waive the fee' to sound natural in formal emails.

A formal talk given to teach students.

“The professor gave a fascinating lecture.”

Often used: attend a lecture · give a lecture

CELPIP tip: Neutral; collocate with 'attend/deliver a lecture.' More precise than 'class' in academic storytelling.

The bags and cases you take when travelling.

“Please keep your luggage with you at all times.”

Often used: carry-on luggage · lost luggage

CELPIP tip: Neutral everyday word; collocate with 'carry-on luggage' or 'check luggage' for travel contexts.

Money returned for a faulty or returned item.

“I requested a full refund for the damaged item.”

Often used: full refund · request a refund

CELPIP tip: Essential for complaint emails; use 'request a full refund' to sound assertive and natural in Writing Task 1.

A formal request, often written.

“She submitted her visa application online.”

Often used: submit an application · application form

CELPIP tip: Collocates: 'submit/complete/process an application.' Essential for immigration-themed email tasks.

The act of leaving, especially on a trip.

“Our departure is scheduled for 8 a.m.”

Often used: departure time · departure gate

CELPIP tip: Use 'departure time/gate' for travel contexts; more formal than 'leaving'—ideal for emails and news items.

To officially join a course or school.

“She decided to enrol in an evening class.”

Often used: enrol in a course · enrol students

CELPIP tip: Formal register; use 'enrol in a program' (not 'join') when advising someone or writing institutional emails.

Comments about how well something is done.

“My manager gave me helpful feedback.”

Often used: give feedback · positive feedback

CELPIP tip: Collocate strongly: 'constructive feedback' or 'provide feedback on' to sound professional in emails.

Extra hours worked beyond normal working hours.

“She earned more by working overtime last month.”

Often used: work overtime · paid overtime · unpaid overtime

CELPIP tip: Use 'work overtime' as a verb phrase; in emails, prefer 'required to work overtime' for formality.

A series of steps to do something.

“The application process takes six weeks.”

Often used: lengthy process · speed up the process

CELPIP tip: Strong collocation: 'streamline the process.' As a verb, sounds more sophisticated than 'do the steps.'

To reply or react.

“Please respond by Friday.”

Often used: respond quickly · respond to

CELPIP tip: Neutral; upgrade to 'address' or 'reply promptly' in formal emails for a stronger professional tone.

A person who manages and watches over workers.

“Please report the issue to your supervisor.”

Often used: direct supervisor · immediate supervisor

CELPIP tip: Preferred over 'boss' in formal emails and workplace scenarios; use 'direct supervisor' for precision.

Treatment to help a physical or mental problem.

“Physical therapy restored her mobility.”

Often used: undergo therapy · physical therapy

CELPIP tip: Neutral; specify type for precision: 'physical therapy' or 'cognitive behavioural therapy' when giving health advice.

To make something clearer or easier to understand.

“Could you clarify what you mean?”

Often used: clarify a point · clarify the situation

CELPIP tip: Use 'I would like to clarify' in formal emails or difficult situations; more sophisticated than 'explain.'

An official document allowing something.

“You need a permit to build a fence.”

Often used: work permit · apply for a permit

CELPIP tip: As a noun: 'work permit,' 'building permit'; common in problem-solving emails—more specific than 'permission.'

A return to health after illness.

“Rest is important for a full recovery.”

Often used: full recovery · speedy recovery

CELPIP tip: Neutral; collocate: 'full recovery' or 'recovery process'; natural in personal experience and advice tasks.

To find and fix problems in a system.

“The technician helped me troubleshoot the issue.”

CELPIP tip: Formal-neutral; use when giving tech advice — 'troubleshoot the issue' scores higher than 'fix the problem.'

A basic home service like water or power.

“Rent includes all utilities.”

Often used: utility bill · pay utilities

CELPIP tip: Formal; use 'utility bills' or 'utility services' in housing/complaint emails to sound precise and professional.

Allowed or qualified for something.

“You are eligible for the grant after one year.”

Often used: eligible for · eligible to apply

CELPIP tip: Use 'eligible for' (not 'eligible to receive') in emails; signals formal awareness of rules and qualifications.

Highly skilled and competent at something.

“She is proficient in three programming languages.”

Often used: proficient in · highly proficient · become proficient

CELPIP tip: Formal upgrade for 'good at'; use 'proficient in' (e.g., proficient in software) in workplace emails.

To repair and improve a building.

“They renovated the old kitchen.”

Often used: renovate a house · fully renovate

CELPIP tip: Formal upgrade from 'fix up'; pair with 'extensively renovate' to signal higher vocabulary range.

The state of meeting the requirements.

“Check your eligibility before applying.”

Often used: eligibility criteria · confirm eligibility

CELPIP tip: Formal and precise; use 'confirm eligibility' or 'meet eligibility requirements' in immigration emails.

To cancel.

“They called off the meeting.”

Often used: call off an event

CELPIP tip: Neutral and natural for cancellation situations; swap with 'cancel' to avoid repetition in emails.

To continue.

“Please carry on with your work.”

Often used: carry on working

CELPIP tip: Neutral; useful in advice/difficult-situation tasks. Formal synonym: 'continue' or 'proceed' for emails.

To have a friendly relationship with.

“He gets along well with his coworkers.”

Often used: get along with people

CELPIP tip: Informal; ideal for personal experience stories about colleagues or neighbours—sounds natural, not scripted.

To resolve or organize a problem.

“We need to sort out the schedule.”

Often used: sort out a problem · sort it out

CELPIP tip: Informal but effective in complaint emails; swap for 'resolve' in formal writing tasks.

To find by chance; to seem.

“I came across an old photo.”

Often used: come across as · come across something

CELPIP tip: Neutral dual meaning: 'come across information' (find) or 'come across as confident' (seem)—use both senses.

To think of an idea or plan.

“She came up with a clever solution.”

Often used: come up with an idea · come up with a plan

CELPIP tip: Neutral; versatile for advice and problem-solving tasks. 'Come up with a solution' sounds natural and fluent.

go to a formal presentation or class at a college or university

“He made a point of attending every lecture to keep up with the course material.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral and common; useful in personal narratives — add detail like 'a thought-provoking lecture' for higher scores.

deal with and respond to customer or staff dissatisfaction

“The manager was trained to handle complaints professionally and efficiently.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral and practical; use in advice or difficult-situation tasks — collocates well with 'effectively.'

finish something by the required time

“The entire team worked overtime to meet the deadline for the product launch.”

CELPIP tip: Use when advising on time management; pair with 'consistently' to sound more professional.

deal with or respond to a problem directly

“The HR department acted quickly to address the issue of workplace harassment.”

CELPIP tip: Essential in formal emails and difficult-situation tasks; always more professional than 'fix a problem.'

perform required tasks or responsibilities

“All employees are expected to carry out their duties with professionalism.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral and versatile; use to describe job roles clearly — more precise than 'do my work.'

prepare and write a formal document

“The finance team was asked to draw up a report on quarterly expenditures.”

CELPIP tip: Formal phrasing for workplace writing tasks; more precise than 'write a report' — use confidently.

mention worries or problems formally

“Several employees raised concerns about the new scheduling policy at the staff meeting.”

CELPIP tip: Ideal in formal complaint emails; stronger than 'say problems' — shows professional register instantly.

formally present a plan for consideration

“Our department submitted a proposal for expanding the customer service team.”

CELPIP tip: Use in formal emails suggesting a plan; signals professional tone better than 'send an idea.'

As well as; besides.

“In addition to English, she speaks French.”

Often used: addition

CELPIP tip: Stronger than 'also'; always followed by a noun/gerund: 'In addition to saving money, it…'

To watch carefully.

“Could you keep an eye on my bag?”

CELPIP tip: Neutral-informal; perfect for advice tasks—'keep an eye on your budget/deadline' sounds practical and fluent.