CELPIP Writing Task 1 · semi-formal email

Email to a neighbour about overhanging tree branches

A large tree in your neighbour's backyard has long branches that hang over the fence into your yard. Its leaves block your gutters, and a branch recently fell and damaged your garden shed. You do not know this neighbour well. Write an email to your neighbour.

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

Introduce yourself and describe the problem with the tree
Explain what happened recently
Suggest how you could solve the problem 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

Since you hardly know the neighbour, start in a friendly way and remind them who you are.
Describe the facts without blaming anyone; storms and old trees are nobody's fault.
Offer a fair solution, such as sharing the cost of a professional to trim the branches.

Sample responses

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

Sample at about CLB 7178 words

Hello Mr. Brown,

My name is Linh Tran and I live next to you, in the blue house with white fence. We met one time at the street party last summer. I hope you are fine.

I want to talk with you about the big maple tree in your backyard. Some branches is very long and they go over the fence to my yard. In the fall a lot of leaves fall in my gutters and I must to clean them many times.

Last week we had strong wind and one big branch broke and fell on my garden shed. The roof of the shed has a hole now and when it rains the water comes inside. I keep my tools there so I am worry they will get rusty.

I am not angry, I just want to find a good solution. Maybe we can call a tree company together to cut the long branches. We can share the cost, what do you think?

Please call me or come to my house when you have time.

Thanks, Linh

Why about CLB 7: Friendly and complete, with a fair suggestion, but the ideas are simple and listed one after another. Errors such as "with white fence", "met one time", "Some branches is", "must to clean" and "I am worry" are noticeable.

Sample at about CLB 9181 words

Dear Mr. Brown,

My name is Linh Tran, and I live next door to you in the blue house. We briefly met in the street party last summer. I hope you and your family are doing well.

I am writing about the large maple tree in your backyard. Over the last few years, some of its branches have grown quite long, and now they hang over the fence into my yard. Every fall, a lot of leaves fall into my gutters, and I have to clean them several times.

Last Tuesday, during the windstorm, one of the bigger branches broke off and landed on my garden shed. It made a hole in the roof, and now rain gets inside where I keep my tools.

I am sure this was not anyone's fault, but I would like to find a solution before something like this happens again. Would you be open to having the overhanging branches trimmed? I am happy to talk about how we can arrange it.

Please feel free to knock on my door any evening.

Best regards, Linh Tran

Why about CLB 9: Polite and fluent, with a tactful tone. The solution is vague and says nothing about who would do the work or pay for it; "in the street party" should be "at the street party".

Sample at about CLB 11181 words

Dear Mr. Brown,

We haven't properly met since chatting at last summer's street party, so let me reintroduce myself: I'm Linh Tran, in the blue house just east of yours. I'm writing about your beautiful old maple, which I've admired from my kitchen window for years.

Several of its lower limbs now extend three or four metres over our shared fence. Each autumn the leaves clog my gutters so thoroughly that I'm up a ladder clearing them almost weekly.

More seriously, during Tuesday's windstorm a large branch snapped and crashed onto my garden shed, punching a hole through the roof. My tools are now under a tarp until I can get it repaired.

I'd hate to lose the shade the tree provides, so rather than heavy cutting, I'd suggest asking a certified arborist to prune just the overhanging limbs and check the tree's overall health. I'd be glad to split the cost and to get a couple of quotes first, so you could compare them.

Would you have a few minutes this weekend to look at it together?

Warm regards, Linh

Why about CLB 11: Diplomatic and specific, with a balanced proposal that respects the neighbour's tree. "Get it repaired" is unclear, since "it" could refer to the tarp rather than the roof.

More Task 1 prompts

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