CELPIP Writing Task 1 · informal email

Email to a friend who is planning a winter visit

A close friend who lives in another country has just told you that they are coming to stay with you in your Canadian city for a week in January. It will be their first time experiencing a Canadian winter. Write an email to your friend.

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

Tell your friend how you feel about the visit
Give advice about what to pack and how to prepare
Suggest some activities you can do together

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

Use a warm, relaxed tone with contractions and natural expressions, since you are writing to a close friend.
Make your packing advice specific to winter, such as boots with grip and warm layers, and briefly explain why each item matters.
Describe two or three activities with enough detail, such as the place and what you will do there, to make them sound real and exciting.

Sample responses

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

Sample at about CLB 7177 words

Hi Maria,

I am so happy to hear that you are coming to visit me in January! I can't wait to see you. It is your first time in Canada so I want to make everything perfect for you.

But I need to tell you that January in here is very very cold. Sometimes the temperature is minus 20 or more cold. You must bring a winter jacket, it must be very warm and long. Also bring gloves, a hat and scarf. The most important thing is boots, because there is a lot of snow and ice on the street. If you don't have, we can go to shopping together when you arrive. I can borrow you some clothes also.

We can do many fun things together. We can go skating outside and drink hot chocolate after. Also we can visit some museum and go to the restaurant. If there is enough snow we can try snowshoe in the park.

Tell me your flight time, I will pick up you from the airport.

See you soon! Alex

Why about CLB 7: Warm and complete, but the activities are listed without much detail. Errors such as "in here", "more cold", "go to shopping", "borrow you some clothes" and "pick up you" are noticeable, though the meaning stays clear.

Sample at about CLB 9183 words

Hi Maria,

I was so happy to get your message! I can't believe you are finally coming to visit me in Ottawa, and for a whole week too. It has been such a long time since we last saw each other and I am really looking forward to it.

Since this will be your first time experiencing a Canadian winter, I want to give you some advice. January is usually the coldest month here, and it can go down to minus 25 with the wind. You will need a warm winter jacket, a hat, gloves and a scarf. The most important thing is good winter boots, because the sidewalks are often icy and slippery. If you don't have any, we can go shopping for them when you arrive. Also, it is a good idea to wear layers, so you can take some clothes off when you are inside.

There are a lot of fun things we can do together, like skating and going to museums.

Let me know when your flight arrives and I will pick you up from the airport!

Love, Alex

Why about CLB 9: Warm and fluent, with useful packing advice. The activities are given in a single general sentence rather than developed; a comma is missing before "and I am really looking forward to it".

Sample at about CLB 11183 words

Hi Maria,

A whole week together in Ottawa this January sounds wonderful! After almost three years apart, we have plenty of catching up to do. Your spare room is ready, and I've already stocked up on your favourite snacks for our evening chats.

Since this will be your first Canadian winter, packing carefully will make the visit much more comfortable. Bring a warm coat, sweaters, a hat that covers your ears and insulated gloves. Several layers will let you adjust easily between heated buildings and temperatures that can feel like minus 25 with the wind. Boots with a reliable grip matters most on icy pavements; if you cannot find suitable ones at home, we can shop on your first day.

Weather permitting, let's skate on the Rideau Canal and reward ourselves with a warm BeaverTail pastry afterwards. The National Gallery will be our indoor escape on bitterly cold days. For a little adventure, we could rent snowshoes and explore Gatineau Park at a leisurely pace.

Send me your arrival time, and I'll meet you. I can hardly wait to see you!

Love, Alex

Why about CLB 11: The advice explains layers and grip, and the activities adapt sensibly to the weather while keeping a personal tone. "Boots ... matter" needs a plural verb.

More Task 1 prompts

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