CELPIP Writing Task 1 · formal email

Email to a dental clinic about being billed twice

Last month you had a dental check-up and cleaning. Your insurance paid part of the bill, and you paid the rest at the clinic. This week you received a second bill for the same visit, with a warning that a late fee will be added if you do not pay. Write an email to the clinic's office manager.

Write an email of about 150–200 words in which you do the following:

Explain when you visited the clinic and how you paid
Describe the problem with the new bill
Say what you would like the clinic to do

Your response

27:00

0 words · target 150–200

Spell check is off so you practise without it. Your draft is saved in this browser only.

Instant feedback

An AI rater scores your response against the four CELPIP writing categories, using this prompt’s sample answers as reference points. Free, a few times a day.

Your text is sent to Google’s Gemini API for rating. On our paid plan Google does not use it to improve its models, and we do not store it. Privacy policy

Write at least 50 words first.

Tips for this prompt

Mention the date of the visit, the amount you paid and how you paid it, and say that you have a receipt.
Assume it is an honest mistake; a calm, factual tone usually gets a billing error fixed faster.
Ask for two things: cancelling the duplicate charge and written confirmation that no late fee will be added.

Sample responses

Try the task first, then compare. Levels are our estimates, not official CELPIP scores.

Sample at about CLB 7170 words

Dear Office Manager,

My name is Priya Shah. I am a patient at your clinic for three years. On September 12 I came to the clinic for check-up and cleaning. My insurance company paid most of the bill and I paid the rest, $65, with my credit card in the same day. I still have the receipt.

Yesterday I got a new bill from your clinic by mail. It is for the same visit and it asks me to pay $65 again. Also the letter say if I don't pay before October 30, you will add late fee. I was very surprise and a little worry, because I always pay my bills on time and I don't want problem with my credit.

I think it is a mistake in your computer system. Please can you check your records and cancel this bill? Also please don't add any late fee. If you need, I can send you the copy of my receipt.

Thank you for your help.

Best regards, Priya Shah

Why about CLB 7: The situation and the request are easy to follow, but the explanation stays simple. Errors such as "I am a patient ... for three years", "for check-up", "in the same day", "very surprise" and "don't want problem" appear throughout.

Sample at about CLB 9162 words

Dear Office Manager,

My name is Priya Shah and I have been a patient at your clinic for a few years. Last month I came in for my regular check-up and cleaning. My dental insurance paid most of the bill, and I paid the rest at the front desk by my credit card on the same day.

This week I received another bill in the mail for the same visit. It asks me to pay the rest of the bill again, and it says that a late fee will be added if I do not pay soon. I think there must be a mistake, because I already paid and I still have my receipt.

Could you please check this for me? I do not want to pay a late fee for a bill that I have already paid.

I have always been happy with the service at your clinic, and I hope this problem can be fixed soon.

Kind regards, Priya Shah

Why about CLB 9: Fluent and polite, but the details are general, with no date or amount, and the request only asks the clinic to check. "By my credit card" should be "with my credit card".

Sample at about CLB 11183 words

Dear Ms. Alvarez,

I am writing about a billing error on my account. On September 12, I attended a routine check-up and cleaning with Dr. Morales. My insurer covered 80 percent of the $325 fee, and I paid the remaining $65 at reception by Visa that afternoon; I have the stamped receipt and a card statement showing the charge.

On Tuesday however I received a statement requesting another $65 for the same appointment, along with a notice that a $15 late fee will apply after October 30. I suspect my payment was recorded against the insurance claim rather than my personal balance, but whatever the cause, the amount has clearly been billed twice.

I would be grateful if you could review my file, cancel the duplicate charge, and confirm in writing that no late fee or collection notice will follow. I have attached scans of both documents to make the review easier.

I have been a patient at your clinic for three years and have always appreciated your team's care, so I am confident this can be resolved quickly.

Kind regards, Priya Shah

Why about CLB 11: Exact amounts, a likely cause and a three-part request make this response precise and persuasive while staying courteous. "However" needs commas around it.

More Task 1 prompts

All Task 1 prompts · See what your CLB level is worth in CRS points