CELPIP Writing Task 1 · semi-formal email

Email to your landlord asking permission to keep a cat

You have rented your apartment for two years. Your lease says tenants need the landlord's permission to keep a pet. A friend who is moving overseas has asked you to adopt her cat. Write an email to your landlord.

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

Explain your situation and why you want to adopt the cat
Describe the cat and how you will protect the apartment
Ask for permission and offer something to reassure the landlord

Your response

27:00

0 words · target 150–200

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Write at least 50 words first.

Tips for this prompt

Remind the landlord that you have been a reliable tenant, with an example such as paying rent on time.
Give practical details: the cat's age, that it stays indoors, and what you will do to prevent damage.
Offer something concrete, such as a pet deposit or professional cleaning when you move out.

Sample responses

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

Sample at about CLB 7154 words

Dear Mr. Wilson,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing because I want to ask you a permission. My good friend is moving to Australia next month and she can't take her cat with her. She asked me to take the cat, and I want to help her because she is my close friend since many years.

The cat name is Mochi. He is four years old and he is very quiet. He always stay inside the home and he doesn't make noise, so the neighbours will not have problem. I will be careful with the apartment and I will clean every day.

I live in this apartment for two years and I always paid my rent on time. If you are worry about damage, I can pay a extra money.

Please let me know if it is okay for you. I will be very thankful for you.

Best regards, Sara Lindqvist

Why about CLB 7: Friendly and complete, but the cat and the plan to protect the apartment are described in simple, general terms. Errors such as "ask you a permission", "is my close friend since many years", "He always stay", "you are worry" and "a extra money" are noticeable.

Sample at about CLB 9159 words

Dear Mr. Wilson,

I hope you are well. I am writing to ask if I can keep a cat in my apartment. My close friend is moving to Australia next month, and unfortunately she cannot take her cat with her. She asked me to adopt him, and I would really like to help her.

The cat is four years old and he is very calm and quiet. He is an indoor cat, so he does not go outside.

I have been renting this apartment for two years, and I think I have been a good tenant. I will make sure that the cat does not cause any damage, and I will keep the apartment clean. If it is necessary, I can also pay a pet deposit.

Please let me know what you think. I would really appreciate if you could agree to this, because it would mean a lot to my friend and to me.

Best regards, Sara Lindqvist

Why about CLB 9: Polite and fluent, but the cat and the tenancy are described only in general terms, and the promise to prevent damage has no practical measures. "I would really appreciate if" needs "it" after "appreciate".

Sample at about CLB 11187 words

Dear Mr. Wilson,

I hope you and your family are keeping well. I am writing to ask whether you would allow me to keep a cat in unit 304, as our lease requires your written permission for pets.

My closest friend has accepted a nursing position in Melbourne and leaves at the end of next month. Her cat, Mochi, cannot travel with her because of Australia's lengthy quarantine rules, and rather than see him go to a shelter, I have offered to adopt him.

Mochi is a four-year-old, neutered, strictly indoor cat who spends most of his day asleep on a windowsill. He is fully vaccinated and has never been destructive. Even so, I would set up a sturdy scratching post and keep his litter box on a washable mat in the bathroom.

Over the past two years I have paid rent on time and kept the unit in good condition, and I hope that record reassures you. I would gladly pay a reasonable pet deposit and arrange a professional carpet cleaning when I eventually moved out.

Thank you for considering my request.

Warm regards, Sara Lindqvist

Why about CLB 11: The request is well reasoned, with specific precautions and a credible record as a tenant. "When I eventually moved out" should be "when I eventually move out".

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