Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP Qe nasicamiceTest Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP’ Christien LeeTABLE OF CONTENTS * How to Use This Book. page 4 a * Introduction to CELPIP + Study Tips for CELPIP 10 Writing Task 1 * Introduction pig * Analysis of a Response 13, * Step-by-Step Guide 15 Topic 1.1 (Noise Disturbance) 18 * Topic 1.2 (A Student Dropping Out) 22 * Topic 1.3 (A Family Event) 26 + Topic 1.4 (A Rescued Dog 30 * Topic 1.5 (Great Hotel Service) 34 * Additional Topics 38 Writing Task 2 * Introduction a1 * Analysis of a Response 43 '* Step-by-Step Guide 45 Topic 2.1 (Office Party Transportation) 48 Topic 2.2 (Reward for Employees) 52 Topic 2.3 (Apartment Building Improvements) 55 Topic 2.4 (Online or Classroom Teaching) 60 Topic 2.5 (Employee Health Plan) 64 68 Additional Topics Suggested Responses and Useful Language * Suggested Responses n + Index of Useful Language 102HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book is designed to help you improve your ability to write effective, high-scoring responses to Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 in the CELPIP Test. It is not designed to be a complete guide to ‘writing in English. Instead, it offers advice that is ‘specific to the tasks you will see in the writing section of the CELPIP-G test. If you study this guide carefully and practice writing responses based on the expert responses in this guide, you will become a more effective writer. Key Features This book has numerous features designed to help you write more effective responses to the questions you will see in the CELPIP Test: Detailed introductions to the CELPIP Test as well as Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2. ‘* Step-by-step guides for how to write effective responses to Task 1 and Task 2. + Forty-two writing topics; 21 for Writing Task 1 and an additional 21 for Writing Task 2. ‘+ Forty-two model responses written by a test ‘expert, many with detailed analysis and advice. * Ten writing practice exercises to help you avoid common mistakes and write natural sentences. ‘* Ten writing challenges to give you practice responding to typical writing topics in CELPIP.. + Lists of over 120 useful words and phrases that you can copy and use in your own responses. + Several valuable tips to help you study in the most effective way to improve your score. ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Suggested Approach You can use this book in any way that will benefit you, but following these ten steps is recommended: STEP STEP2 STEP 3 STEP 4 steps STEP sTeP7 STEPS STEPS STEP 10 Read the introduction to CELPIP that starts on page 7. Then read the introduction to Writing Task 1 that starts on page 11. Study the analysis of a response to writing task that starts on page 13. Read the step-by-step guide to Writing Task 1 that starts on page 15. Look at Topic 1 for Writing Task 1 on page 18. Read the analysis of the topic and the expert’s response. Type out the Expert’s Response to Topic 1. This step is optional, but it will help you learn and Use the expert’s perfect vocabulary, grammar, and organization. You will probably get even more benefit if you type out the response several times. ‘Complete the Writing Practice on page 20. Then turn to page 21 and study the list of useful phrases before completing the Writing Challenge under test conditions. Repeat steps 4 to 6 for Writing Topics 2, 3, 4, and 5. Repeat steps 2 to 7 for Writing Task 2. Look at the additional writing topics starting on page 38 for Task 1 and on page 68 for Task 2. Write a response to at least one of these topics under test conditions every day. Then compare your response with the sample response at the back of this book. After you have finished all of the writing challenges and practice tasks in this book, find other writing topics and continue practicing every day until the day of your CELPIP Test. (You will find suggestions for finding additional topics or coming up with your own topics on pages 40 and 71,) Note that when you complete a Writing Challenge in Step 6 or write a response to an additional topic in Step 9, you may find it helpful to follow this procedure: * While writing, work under test conditions. This means finishing your response in 27 minutes (for Task 1) oF 26 minutes (for Task 2), typing your response rather than writing it by hand, and not using a dictionary or other reference book. * After writing, ask a teacher (or somebody else whose judgement you trust) to review your response and provide some feedback. Then review your response yourself and find at least five things to improve. © Christien Lee, 2016About the Author ‘The author, Christien Lee, was born in the UK, but has lived in Canada since 2002. He started teaching in 1992, and has specialized in helping people pass English language tests since 1997. These tests include CELPIP, IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, MELAB, PTE Academic, and Cambridge tests like FCE and CAE. In addition to his work as a language teacher, he has been a teacher-trainer, a curriculum developer, a materials writer, a language training consultant, an e-learning developer, a programmer, and an author. He has written the following books: * ATOEFL textbook published by Oxford University Press * AMELAB study guide published by Cambridge Michigan Language Assessments + An LPI Writing guide published by Paragon Testing Enterprises {this is the organization that develops and administers the CELPIP Test) * An academic skills book based on TED Talks published by Cengage / National Geographic Learning Speaking Guide The author of this writing guide is currently working on a similar book that provides practice for the speaking section of the CELPIP Test. This book, which will be available soon, will include a detailed introduction to each speaking task, model responses for each task, practice and challenge activities, and a list of useful words and phrases. (Note that the image shown is not the final design.) 6 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP’INTRODUCTION To CELPIP® CELPIP is a computer-based English language proficiency test. The name stands for Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program. There are three versions of the test: CELPIP-General (or CELPIP-G), which tests reading, listening, speaking, and writing; CELPIP-LS, which tests listening and speaking only; and CELPIP- Academic. This book is designed to help people taking CELPIP-G only. If you are taking CELPIP-LS, this book will not benefit you. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) Canada has designated CELPIP-G as an accredited test to demonstrate proficiency in English. It is typically taken by people in order to become a permanent resident of Canada or in order to prove their skills for immigration to Canada under a program such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Federal Skilled Trades Program. In total, CELPIP-G takes around three hours to complete. There are four sections in CELPIP-G: Section _Description Time The listening section has six scored parts and one unscored part. You will isten to two conversations between two people, listen to one 1 Listening aie poe ~40 minutes person interviewing another person, watch a video that shows two or three people talking, and listen to two talks or reports. ‘The reading section has four scored parts and one unscored part. 2 Reading —_Youwill read several letters, emails, and short texts, You will also 60 minutes have to read information about diagrams or photographs. ‘The writing section has two scored tasks. It does not have any 3 Writing —_unscored tasks. You will write one email based on information that given to you. You will also write a response to a survey question. 53 minutes ‘The speaking section has eight scored tasks and one unscored ractice task. The tasks include expressing your opinion about a 4 Speaking Proce ee ee ve “20 minutes topic, giving advice to somebody, describing a personal experience, and describing what you can see in a picture. CELPIP-G is a computerized test. Every part of the test will take place on a computer, including speaking and writing. If you are not comfortable using a computer, practice as much as possible before your test. stien Lee, 2016 7Introduction to the Writing Test Writing is the third part of CELPIP-G. At the start of the writing test, you will see specific instructions about how to answer the writing test. The instructions will look similar to this: CELPIP-General - Writing Test © wii © There are 2 tasks in this test. ig Test Instructions © Use the computer keyboard to write your response. * You can see how many words you have written by looking at the bottom of the writing area to see the word count. © You have 27 minutes to complete Task 1 and 26 minutes to complete Task 2. Watch the timer in the top right comer to make sure that you complete each task before the time is up. * If you do not finish Task 1 in 27 minutes, the screen will move to Task 2. You cannot go back. * You have 53 minutes to complete the Writing Test. ‘When you take the writing test, you must type your answers. You cannot write your answers by hand. As you are typing, you will have access to features such as word count, spell check, and basic editing functions like cut, copy, paste, delete, undo, and redo. The writing section lasts approximately 53 minutes and has two scored tasks. These tasks are intended to be similar to the kinds of writing in English you might have to do in everyday life: Task Question Type Required Words Time 1 Writing an email 150-200 27 minutes 2 Responding to survey questions 150-200 26 minutes 8 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP°How the Writing Test is Scored In total, four different specially-trained raters will assess your responses: two raters will assess your Task 2. response to Writing Task 1, and two different raters will assess your response to Writ Each rater will assess your response according to four criteria: Explanation of Scoring Criteria 1 Coherence / Meaning How clear your ideas are and how well your ideas work together * Have you explained your ideas clearly? * Have you organized your response in a way that makes it easy for the rater to follow your ideas? ‘+ Have you shown the ability to express information precisely and with deep meaning? 2 Lexical Range How accurately and naturally you use vocabulary * Does your response have a sufficient range of vocabulary to complete the task well? * Have you shown the ability to use natural words and phrases to express ideas accurately? 3. Readability / Comprehensibility How fluent your writing is and how easy it is to understand ‘* Are grammar, spelling, punctuation, or word errors likely to confuse the reader? ‘+ Have you used a variety of different sentence types, including simple, compound, and complex? ‘* Does your response have clear, well-organized, logical paragraphs and appropriate formatting? ‘* Have you used connectors and transition words and phrases clearly and effectively? 4 Task Fulfillment How well your response addresses the task + Does your response answer every part of the task effectively? * Is your response long enough? * Is the tone of your response appropriate, or is it too formal or informal? ‘The rater will assign you a score out of 12 for each criterion. Your final mark from each rater will be the ‘erage of the scores for each criterion. Your final score for the writing test will be the average of the four res you received from the raters. fen Lee, 2016STUDY TIPS FOR CELPIP® ‘These study tips will help you achieve a good score in the writing section of CELPIP. Study Tip 1 - Get Authentic Practice When you type your own responses to CELPIP topics, you can get authentic practice by using the free CELPIP sample test available from Paragon Testing Enterprises. Follow these steps: © Visit https: //secure. paragontesting. ca/InstructionalProducts/ and click on the orange button marked “Start Sample Test.” * Choose “Free Online Sample Test - G” from the drop-down menu and then click “OK.” © Click the orange button marked “Start” and then choose “Writing” from the drop-down menu. * Click “Next” when the writing directions appear. You will see the screen for Writing Task 1 and the timer will start counting down. To practice Writing Task 2, click “Next” again, * Inthe space, type your response to a topic from this book rather than the official topic on the screen. (Note that when you use this free sample test, your response will not be saved. To save it, copy and paste your finished response into a document on your computer and click save.) Study Tip 2 - Be Accurate and Natural Rather Than Advanced The scoring criteria for CELPIP do NOT say your writing must be advanced. To score well, tis often better to use a variety of relatively simple English that is accurate and natural rather than trying to use advanced language, but using it in incorrect or unnatural ways. This is especially true because advanced language that hhas mistakes is more likely to confuse the rater, and this can have a significant effect on your overall score. Study Tip 3 - Write about Fami ir Topics When deciding which ideas to write about, always try to write about something familiar that you have previously written (or spoken) about in English. Writing about an unfamiliar topic will probably cause you to take more time writing your response, so you may not finish. You will also probably make more mistakes. Study Tip 4 - Read Like a Writer When you read something in English, think like a writer. Notice how the writer uses words and phrases to express his or her meaning. Also notice how the writer uses grammar and punctuation. Then memorize some of the best words, phrases, and grammar structures and use them in your own writing. 10 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®TASK 1: INTRODUCTION ‘When you begin the writing test, you will see Task 1. The computer screen will look something like this: Writing Task 4: Writing an Email @ Read the following information. ‘You went out for dinner ata restaurant with your family yesterday last month. When you checked your credit card statement today, you saw that you had been charged twice for the meal Time remaining: 26 minutes 43 seconds @ I about 150-200 words, write an email to the restaurant manager. Your email should do the following things: © Say when and why you went to the restaurant. ‘© Describe the problem in detail © Explain how the manager should fix the issue. At the top of the screen, you will see the title bar, which explains which writing task you are currently responding to, and how much time you have left. For Task 1, you have 27 minutes in total. When the time is. up, the computer will automatically proceed to Writing Task 2. ‘Writing Task 1: Writing an Email © ead the following information. You went out for dinner ata restaurant with your Samy yesterday last month. When you checked your crecit card statement today, you saw that you had been charged twice for the meal. Lee, 2016 Time remaining: 26 minutes 43 seconds On the left side of the screen, you will see some background information that describes a situation. You will need to read this information in order to understand the task. "On the right of the screen, you will see the prompt. In about 150-200 words, write an email to the This explains who you should write to. This e restaurant manager. Your email should do the information will help you decide how to begin your following things: email. For example, if the prompt tells you to write to the manager of a restaurant, you might begin * Say when and why you went to the restaurant. “Dear Sir or Madam” or perhaps “Dear Manager.” Describe the problem in detail. In contrast, if the prompt tells you to write toa ‘© Explain how the manager should fix the issue. sister or another family member, you might begin “ti,” “Hi Mary,” or “Dear Sis.’ ‘The prompt also mentions what information your email should include. Typically, the prompt includes three things that your email should do. These are in the form of bullet points, and usually begin with imperative verbs like “say,” “describe,” or “explain.” In order to get a good score, your response must include sentences that cover all this information. As a result, itis very important that you read the information carefully and understand it fully. The white box below the prompt is where you should type your response. As you type, a scroll bar will appear so that you can see your whole response. You will see the word count below the white box. ‘As a general rule, a good response to Writing Task 1 will include five elements: © Agreeting, such as “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “Hi Mary.” The greeting should be short. ‘© A first body paragraph. This paragraph will often explain why you are writing. In general, the paragraph should also cover the information in the first bullet point in the prompt. * Asecond body paragraph. Generally, speaking, this paragraph should cover the information in the second bullet point in the prompt. * A third body paragraph. Generally, speaking, this paragraph should cover the information in the third bullet point in the prompt. ‘© Aclosing, such as “I look forward to hearing from you,” “Please contact me if you need more information,” or simply “Thanks.” You may also wish to add a name below the closing. This does not have to be your real name. Because Task 1 questions follow a standard pattern, itis likely that you can use these elements in every response. 2TASK 1: ANALYSIS oF A RESPONSE Read the prompt and response by a test expert on this page. Then read the analysis of the response on the next page. This will help you understand how to write effective, high-scoring responses to Task 1 prompts. Writing Task: Writing an Email @ Read the following information. You went out for dinner at a restaurant with your ‘family yesterday last month. When you checked your credit card statement today, you saw that you had been charged twice for the meal. stien Lee, 2016 Time remaining: 00 minutes 43 seconds @ tnabout 150-200 words, write an email tothe restaurant manager. Your email should do the following things: + Saywhen and why you went to the restaurant. + Describe the problem in detail ‘+ Explain how the manager should fix the issue. ‘To Whom It May Concern My family and | visited your restaurant last month. It was my wife's birthday, and we wanted to have a delicious family meal as a celebration. The food and service were both 00d, but unfortunately you charged too | much, This is why | am writing to you. | lordered the salmon salad, my wife had pasta with chicken, and our children both had pizza and salad. We only ordered water. According to your website, the total cost of this meal should have been $72. Unfortunately, when | checked my credit card statement today, | saw that we were charged for this meal twice. Please could you email me today to let me know when you can refund this second charge to my credit card? If you prefer, you can telephone me at my office on 123 456 7890 (extension 321). ook forward to hearing from you soon. Mr R Smith, BTo Whom It May Concern <———————— My family and | visited your restaurant last month. It was my wife's birthday, and we wanted to have a | delicious family meal as a celebration. The food and service were both good, but unfortunately you} charged too much. This is why | am writing to you. ordered the salmon salad, my wife had pasta with chicken, and our children both had pizza and salad. We only ordered water. According to your website, the total cost of this meal should have been $72. Unfortunately, when | checked my credit card statement today, | saw that we were charged for this meal twice. Please could you email me today to let me know “| when you can refund this second charge to my credit card? If you prefer, you can telephone me at my office on 123 456 7890 (extension 321). {ibsk forward to esting Rom youstion = | See! Every email should begin with a greeting. “To Whom It May Concern” is a good greeting for formal emails when you do not know the name of the other person. The opening paragraph should explain why you ‘re writing the email It should also address the task given in the first bullet in the prompt. The writer does both of these things well. The second paragraph should address the task in the second bullet in the prompt. The writer does this very well, with plenty of specific, believable details. The third paragraph should address the task in the third bullet in the prompt. Again, the writer does this effectively and includes specific, believable details. Itis often a good idea to add a closing line to ‘each email. Because the writer wants the manager to contact him, “I look forward to hearing from you soon” sounds very natural. Finish your email with a name. As a general rule, itis better not to use your own name. If you use an imaginary name, choose one that is easy to spell. This email, which has 156 words, is clearly organized, well written, and addresses the task fully. Its only weakness is that the language is deliberately somewhat simple in places. It would probably score 11 - 12. 4 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPITASK 1: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE Writing Task 1 questions follow a standard pattern. As a result, you can follow the same steps each time you write a Task 1 response either for practice or during the official CELPIP test. Step 1 Read the background information carefully. Look for useful information that will help you understand your task. For example, does the background information mention a negative experience that you will need to complain about, or doe you will need to ask somebody for help? describe a situation in which Also make a note of any information that will help you respond to the prompt. For instance, if the situation asks you to complain, look for specific details that explain why you are complaining, Next read the prompt carefully. Notice who you should write to and what information your message should include. This information will be explained in the three bullet points. Decide how best to organize your response. In most cases, the best organi: tion will be the five-element organization explained on page 12: + Agreeting = Aparagraph that says why you are writing and addresses the first bullet point of the prompt + Aparagraph that addresses the second bullet point of the prompt = Aparagraph that addresses the third bullet point of the prompt = A closing sentence or phrase, and then a name j= some cases, however, you may think that two of the paragraphs should be combined. For instance, you =right feel it would be more natural if you write one paragraph that addresses both the first and second Sullet points, or one that addresses the second and third bullets. (Note that unless you are completely confident that doing this stick with the five-element organization.) ll make your response easier for the rater to understand, you should probably ian to spend up to two minutes on Step 1, but doing it in less time is better, if possible. © Cwstien Lee, 2016Step2 After reading the background information and prompt carefully, and after deciding how to organize your response, you should brainstorm ideas. This means to think of ideas that match the task, and to decide hich of those ideas you will include in your response. When you brainstorm, you should: ‘© Think of ideas, details, and examples that match either the background information or the things mentioned in the prompt that you need to address {You can also brainstorm words, phrases, and grammar structures that would be natural to use when you type your response to the prompt.) Ifyou wish, you can make a note of your ideas on a piece of paper. This is not necessary, but it will help you remember your ideas when you are typing your response, so itis usually a good idea to do this. For example, for the Task 1 topic shown on page 18, you might brainstorm and note down ideas like these: loud noise From equipm & shouting where live = across street from site affects life = cannot sleep well = work at home so cannot concentrate want = workers should work usual hours (4 to 5) ‘After you have brainstormed your ideas, decide which of them you will include in your response. If you came up with many ideas, you will probably not have enough time to include all of them, so just include the ‘ones that are most familiar to you. These will be easier for you to write about than less familiar ideas, so you will probably be able to write about them more quickly and with fewer mistakes. Plan to spend up to five minutes on Step 2. This may seem like a long time, but responses that are written without any brainstorming or plan are often more disorganized and have more mistakes. 16 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Step 3 ‘After brainstorming your ideas, you need to type your response. Remember: you will not be able to write your response by hand. ‘When you type, you should follow the organization you decided on in Step 1 and write about the ideas you chose in Step 2. This is where having notes can be very helpful. ‘As you type each sentence, focus on the following things: * Be careful about mistakes, especially basic mistakes like forgetting to put -s or -ed on the ends of words, or using the wrong tense. Mistakes like these are likely to reduce your score. * Avoid writing sentences that are too long because these are likely to confuse the rater, which may affect your score. As a rule, sentences up to 20 words long are generally OK. * Make sure each sentence directly addresses one of the points from the prompt (or adds a relevant detail or example). If your sentences are off-topic, your score might be affected. * Do not use too many simple sentences - good responses usually have a balance of simple, compound, and complex sentences. (If you are not sure what these terms mean, check a grammar book or look up the information online.) Spend as much time as you need on Step 3. Do NOT try to save time at the end; itis better to write a full response than to write a shorter one just so you have a few minutes left at the end, Step4 Even if you finish Task 1 early, you cannot add any remaining minutes or seconds to the time you have for J=se2. As a result, if you have any time left at the end, try to improve your response: "= Check you have used clear connectors (e.g., As a result) and sequence words (e.g, Firstly). = 100k for opportunities to add details or examples to make your ideas and points clearer. ‘= Fax any mistakes that you notice. (But keep in mind that you will probably not be able to fix all of your mistakes; as a result, fixing mistakes is unlikely to affect your overall score.) Boesen Lee, 2016 7TASK 1: TOPIC 1.1 Topic Read this Writing Task 1 topic. What information in the topic is important? How could this information help you to write an effective response to the topic? ‘Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the foll @ in about 150-200 words, write an email to the ‘owner of the building company. Your email You live in an apartment near a building site should do the following things: | Recently, the construction workers have begun ‘working on the site from early every morning and | Give information about where you live. continuing until late in the evening. Their work ‘* Describe the problem and how it affects you. disturbs you because it makes a lot of noise, © Say how you think the owner could resolve the issue. Analysis | Read this analysis of the topic by a test expert. Do the expert's ideas about the topic match your ideas? The background information describes a negative situation. Specifically, it explains that you are being. disturbed by noise from a construction site. From this, you can understand that you will need to write a ‘complaint email. This is a common type of email writing task in CELPIP. The prompt tells you to write to a company owner, which means your email should be relatively formal. It also tells you to do three things. First, you have to give information about where you live. A good response will make it clear that your home is close to the building site. Second, you have to describe the problem and say how it affects you. A good response will paraphrase the background information from the topic. Copying too many words and phrases may have an effect on your score. In addition, a good response will give specific details or examples about how the noise affects you. Just saying “The noise disturbs me” or “There is too much noise” is not specific or detailed enough Finally, you have to say how you think the owner could resolve the issue. A good response will include one or more specific and detailed suggestions to improve the situation, 18 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Expert's Response I Read this response by a test expert and the detaile Dear Company Owner <—___________| live at 123 New Street in Newtown, Manitoba. My J home is just across the street from the construction site operated by your company at 128 New Street. |'am writing to complain about noise from the —_| construction site. Since last month, people have been working on the site from approximately 6AM to 10PM each day. The workers often shout and use noisy equipment. This has a big impact on my life. For one thing, the noise disturbs my sleep. For another thing, | work from home, but the noise makes it difficult for me to concentrate. I would like you to instruct your workers to keep regular business hours. This means that they ~~ | should start work no earlier than 9AM each day, and finish no later than 5PM each day. This would not be perfect for me, as | would still find it hard to focus when working at home, but it would certainly improve the situation. | am sure that other people living on my street would feel happier if your workers adopted this schedule. Thank you ——— | MeRsmih<——— = is response has excellent coherence and meaning, gi ed analysis that explains why it is a good response. 1 The greeting is relatively formal. An alternative would be “Dear Sir or Madam”. In the first paragraph, the writer clearly covers the first bullet point in the prompt. The address that the writer uses is obviously fake. In general, itis better not to use your real name or address. In the second paragraph, the writer clearly covers the second bullet point in the prompt. Notice how the writer adds specific, believable details such as the time when the work begins and ends, and the causes of the noise. The writer also gives two examples of how the problem affects him, which is good. In the third paragraph, the writer clearly covers the third bullet point in the prompt. Again, the writer adds specific details about times. In the final sentence, the writer explains how other people would also benefit from his suggestion, which is a natural, believable thing to say. The writer closes the email by saying “thank you.” Because the writer has asked the other person to do something, this is a natural way to end. The writer uses a fake name to end the email Because he does not know the name of the person he is writing to, he uses only his initial “R” rather than his first name. 100d lexical range, very good readability and comprehensibility, and great task fulfillment. Like all responses in this book, it would likely score 11 ~ 12. Christion Lee, 2016 19Practice Topic 1. Many test-takers make mistakes with prepositions (words like in, on, or with). Such errors may reduce a response’s overalll score. Type out this response to a practice topic. As you type, add in the correct reposition at each of the ten blanks. When you have finished, check your answers on page 72. ‘Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. You live near a park, Recently, some students from a local college have been spending time in the park in the evenings and at night. They talk loudly, play noisy games, and listen to loud music. @ in about 150-200 words, write an email to the city council. Your email should do the following things: * Give information about where you live. + Describe the problem and how it affects you. + Say what you would like the city council to do about the problem, Dear Sir or Madam Hive [2 North Lake Park. entrance [2 123 New Street in Newtown, Manitoba My home is just across the street from the | am writing to complain about noise |3___] the park. Since last month, some students from Newtown. College have been hanging out in the park from approximately 8PM [4 most days, but especially [5 late at night. They do this weekends. The students talk and play music loudly, and sometimes, they even play soccer or other sports and games. This has a big impact on my life because the noise makes it hard [6 me and my family to sleep. | would like you to put up signs in North Lake Park asking people to be quiet if they use the park in the evening or [7 night. Alternatively, ! would like you to lock the park [8 8PM so that nobody can hang out there after dark and disturb others| being noisy. | am sure that other people li ‘on my street would feel happier if you adopted one| Thank you Mr R Smith 0 these suggestions. 20 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP® fUseful Language These words and phrases may help you write an effective response to a Task 1 writing topic, especially cone similar to the topics on this page and pages 18 and 20, There are more useful phrases on page 102. For one thing, Use this phrase to introduce one point or reason for your opinion For another thing, Use this phrase to introduce a second point or reason for your opinion Jam sure that other people ... Use this phrase when you want to introduce an opinion that other people are likely to share Jam writing to complain about... Use this phrase to introduce something you wish to complain about would like you to ... Use this phrase when you want another person to perform a particular task or take a specific action ‘This means that ... Use these words either to clarify the meaning of an idea you have Just mentioned, or to talk about the result of something Challenge To, Type a response to this Writing Task 1 challenge topic in 27 minutes. Use the expert's response on page 19.8 a guide. (See page 10 for a suggestion about how to get authentic practice when you type your response.) When you have finished, compare your response to the suggested response on page 72. ting Ta 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes Read the following information. @ inabout 150-200 words, write an email to the ‘owner of the nightclub. Your email should do A popular new nightclub has opened near where the following things: you live, The noise from the nightclub is very loud, 2nd many people who visit the club are also noisy '* Give information about where you live. when they arrive and leave. '* Describe the problem and say how it affects you. '* Say how you think the owner could resolve the issue. ©Cristien Lee, 2016 2TASK 1: TOPIC 1.2 Topic Read this Writing Task 1 topic. What information in the topic is important? How could this information help you to write an effective response to the topic? Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ in about 150-200 words, write an email to your student. Your email should do the You are a professor at a university. One of your following things: students has excellent ideas and studies hard. However, this person is thinking about dropping _| + Explain why you think this person is a good ‘out of university and finding a job. student. * Describe some of the disadvantages of dropping out. + Mention some benefits of graduating from university. Analysis | Read this analysis of the topic by a test expert. Do the expert's ideas about the topic match your ideas? The background information says that you are a university professor. From this, you can imagine that your ‘email should be relatively formal. Specifically, the background information describes a situation that requires you to give advice to someone. This is a common type of email writing task in CELPIP. ‘The prompt tells you to write to your student. This tells you that it would be natural to use the student’s. first name (e.g., “Mary’) rather than his or her family name (e.g., “Ms Jones”). The prompt also tells you to do three things. First, you have to give information about why you think this person is a good student. A g00d response will give one or more details or examples that explain this clearly. Second, you have to discuss some disadvantages of dropping out of university. Because the prompt says “some of the disadvantages,” a good response must mention at least two disadvantages. Finally, you have to mention some benefits of graduating from university. Again, the prompt says “some benefits,” so a good response will need to discuss at least two specific (not general) benefits. 2 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Mary <—<£@——_—_——___ heard that you are considering dropping out “=eiversity. Ihave been impressed with your ® | and with how hard you study. In my view you 200d student, and it is my hope that you will ‘der your plan. ‘wo problems with dropping out. First, <——- + will see from your resume that you quit ity. This might make them feel you are ty who quits easily, which could make Gecide not to hire you. And second, the xy is not doing well at the moment and few snies are hiring workers. In my opinion, now '=2t 2 good time to look for work. days, most employers want to hire ve | have a university education, so graduating will “make it easier for you to find employment. In n, in a few years, the economy might be better, and more companies may be willing “= bre people. For these two reasons, | strongly _sSese you to continue your studies. ‘Pese come to my office anytime if you wish to — | ‘Sscuss this further. Psiessor Smith wien Lee, 2016 ‘od this response by a test expert and the detailed analysis that explains why it is a good response. The prompt says the professor is writing to a student he or she knows. For this reason, it is natural to use the student's first name here. In the first paragraph, the writer explains why he or she thinks the student is a good student. This clearly addresses the first bullet in the prompt. In the second paragraph, the writer covers the second bullet in the prompt. The first sentence of the paragraph states that the writer will mention two disadvantages. Then the writer introduces each disadvantage with a clear signpost expression: “First, ..” and “And secon In the third paragraph, the writer clearly covers the third bullet in the prompt by discussing two benefits of graduating from university. n this case, the writer does not use a signpost expression before the first benefit, but does before the second benefit (“in addition, ..”). In the final sentence, the writer explicitly advises the student to continue studying. The prompt does not say that the writer needs to do this, but itis a natural thing to include in an email lke this. ‘The writer closes the email by offering to give further support if needed. This is a natural way to close an email like this one. As usual, the writer uses a common, easy-to-spell fake name. “s response has 185 words, excellent coherence and meaning, good lexical range, high readability and Smerchensibility, and great task fulfillment. Like all responses in book, it would likely score 11-12.Many test-takers make mistakes with tenses, such as using present tense, not past tense. Such errors may reduce a response’s overall score. Type out this response to a practice topic. As you type, choose the correct tense at each of the blanks. When you have finished, check your answers on page 73. Writing Task 1: Writing an Email a utes @ Read the following information. You are a manager at a company. One of your ‘employees has excellent ideas and works hard. However, this person is thinking about quitting workin order to go back to university. @ inabout 150-200 words, write an email to your employee. Your email should do the following things: + Say why you think this person is a good worker. * Describe some of the disadvantages of quitting work to attend university. * Mention some benefits of continuing to work at the company. Dear Mary an excellent employee, and it [2 well at the moment and few companies [# reports that [5 (ad said / say) this, | strongly advise you to continue working. have heard that you are considering quitting your job at this company in order to attend university. ir {have been / willbe) impressed with your ideas and with how hard you work. In my view you are s/w be) my hope that you will reconsider your plan. | see several issues with quitting your job. As you [3 (rad known know), the economy is not doing (are / were) hiring new workers. | have read many ation will probably continue for a number of years. When you look for work again after going back to university, | am worried that you may find it hard to get a job. Although many employers want to hire those who have a university education, they[6___ (are / were) often more interested in employing people with relevant work experience. As a result, continuing to work in this job|7 (has given / will give) you valuable work skills. With improved skills you may get a promotion at this company, or you may find a great position at another company. For these two reasons, Please come to my office anytime if you [8 (wit wish / wish) to discuss this further. Robert Smith 24 ‘Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIIUseful Language These words and phrases may help you write an effective response to a Task 1 writing topic, especially ‘one similar to the topics on this page and pages 22 and 24. There are more useful phrases on page 102. And second, ... Use this phrase to introduce a second point, opinion, problem, and $0 on; note that including “And” suggests that this is your final point First, ... Use this word to introduce a first point, opinion, problem, and so on For these two reasons, ... Use this phrase before you summarize your opinion about a topic or the option you chose Thave heard that ... Use this phrase to introduce some information that you heard from somebody else, read in a newspaper, and so on I see two problems with .. Use these words to introduce problems or issues with something, such as somebody's plan itis my hope that Use these words as a somewhat formal alternative to "I hope that" These days, .. Use this phrase to introduce a situation that is currently true Challenge Topic 1.2 ‘Type a response to this Writing Task 1 challenge topic in 27 minutes. Use the expert’s response on page 23.as.a guide. (See page 10 for a suggestion about how to get authentic practice when you type your “=sponse.) When you have finished, compare your response to the suggested response on page 75. ‘Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes Read the following information. @ inabout 150-200 words, write an email to your friend. Your email should do the ‘iend is an excellent cook. For many years, following things: fiend has wanted to become a chef. ;, however, your friend is thinking of giving | * Say why you think your friend is good at cooking. “Ss cream and getting a job working ina store. | * Describe some of the benefits to your friend of trying to achieve his or her dream. * Mention some disadvantages of finding a job working in a store. 2016 25TASK 1: TOPIC 1.3 Topic Read this Writing Task 1 topic. What information in the topic is important? How could this information help you to write an effective response to the topic? | Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ inabout 150-200 words, write an email to your sister. Your email should do the Every year your whole family spends one day following things: together in the summer. This year, your sister is organizing the day. You want to suggest an activity | Describe the activity you think the family should that you think your family would enjoy. do this year. * Give details about where the activity is and how much it costs. + Explain why this activity is good for everybody in your family Analysis | Read this analysis of the topic by a test expert. Do the expert's ideas about the topic match your ideas? ‘The background information describes a situation with your family. From this, you can expect that your ‘email should be informal. Specifically, the background information mentions a regular family event and says that you want to make a suggestion, so you can understand that your email should focus on the benefits of something. This is a common type of email writing task in CELPIP. The prompt tells you to write to your sister. This tells you that it would be natural to use your sister’s name (e.g,, “Sue”). Writing to “Dear Sister” or “Dear Sis” might also be possible, or just beginning “Hi.” ‘The prompt also tells you to do three things. First, you have to describe an activity you think your family should do. A good response will include specific details about the activity. To avoid errors, make sure you write about a familiar activity. Second, you have to give details about where this activity is and how much it costs. A good response will be specific (e.g, “It is one hour north of the city by car’) rather than general (e.g, “tis outside the city’). Finally, you have to explain why the activity is good for everyone in the family A good response will mention family members by name and give specific reasons why they would enjoy it. 26 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIExpert’s Response hope you and your family are well. Things here w | are fine. ‘As you know, our family day is coming soon. | have an idea for something we could do that | think we'd all enjoy. Why don’t we spend the day picking apples? There is an apple farm north of Toronto that lets people pick their own apples on weekends. It's easy to get to the farm by car or by subway and ‘shen bus. | went there last year with some friends, 2d it took only 40 minutes or so. There is no cost ‘Senter, and the apples are just $3 per kilogram, ‘which is much cheaper than most supermarkets. ‘There are several reasons why | think this would be ‘==cecially when Mom makes them into an apple pe! And the farm has plenty of fun things for -Shilcren to do, such as a play area, so all of the kids would have fun, too. ‘See me a call so we can discuss further. iia, 2016 I Read this response by a test expert and the detailed analysis that expl 15 why it is @ good response. Hi Mary <1 The prompt says to write to your sister, so itis natural to use “Hi" and your sister’s first name. This paragraph does not address any of the bullet points. However, its natural to include sentences like these in an email to a family member. In the second paragraph, the writer covers the first bullet in the prompt. Notice how the writer makes the suggestion about what to do in the form of a question. This is very natural, In the third paragraph, the writer clearly covers the second bullet in the prompt. Notice how the writer gives specific details about the distance to the farm and the cost of the apples. Details like these make the response seem both natural and believable. eat. First, everyone in the family loves apples, <—— in the fourth paragraph, the writer explains why his proposal would be good for the whole family. This final sentence is a natural way to end an ‘email like this, especially one to a family member. /— Using “Love” is a natural way to close an email to @ family member. It would probably not be an appropriate way to close an email to a friend, and would definitely not be suitable for an email to anybody else. Notice how the writer uses only his first name here, which mirrors the greeting. ==sponse has 179 words, excellent coherence and meaning, good lexical range, high readability and sibility, and great task fulfillment. Like all responses in this book, it would likely score 11-12.Practice Topic 1.3 ‘Many test-takers make mistakes with articles (a, an, and the). Such errors may reduce a response’s ‘overall score. Type out this response to a practice topic. As you type, add the correct article at each blank. In some cases, no article is needed. When you have finished, check your answers on page 76. Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ in about 150-200 words, write an email to your friend. Your email should do the Every year you and several old friends spend a few following things: days together in the winter. This year, your friend Sam is organizing things. You want to suggest an. activity that you think everyone would enjoy. * Describe the activity you think you and your friends should do this year. + Give details about where the activity is and how much it costs. ‘+ Explain why this activity is good for everyone. Hi Mary hope you and your family are well. Things here are fine. ‘As you know, our old friends’ day is coming soon. | have think we'd all enjoy. How about going skiing for| idea for something we could do that | day? Blue Mountair 3 resort north of Toronto that has some good places to ski. It’s easy to get there by car or bus. | went there last year with my family, and it took only two hours or so. There are o lot of hotels around there that are relatively inexpensive, and [5 |ski tickets are pretty cheap, too. ‘There are several reasons why | think t especially when Bob falls over! And would be great. First, everyone in our group loves skiing, Blue Mountain has some great shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, too, so we can also enjoy ~ Jevenings and other times when we're not skiing. call so we can discuss further. 28 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Useful Language These words and phrases may help you write an effective response to a Task 1 writing topic, especially ‘one similar to the topics on this page and pages 26 and 28. There are more useful phrases on page 102. As you know, .. Give mea call so... How about Thope you Inexpensive There are several reasons why ... Why don’t we... ? Challenge Topic 1.3 Type a response to this Writ Use this phrase to introduce some information that the person reading your email already knows Use these words to ask the other person to get in touch with you for 9 particular reason Use this phrase to suggest something that you and other people could do; note that the word after “about” should be an —ing word like “going” or “doing”; also note that the sentence should end with a question mark Use this phrase to express a thing you hope about somebody else Use this word as a relatively format alternative to “cheap” Use this phrase to introduce several reasons for something Use this phrase to suggest something that you and other people could do; note that the sentence should end with a question mark 1g Task 1 challenge topic in 27 minutes. Use the expert’s response on page 27 as a guide. (See page 10 for a suggestion about how to get authentic practice when you type your response.) When you have finished, Writing Task 1: Writing an Email compare your response to the suggested response on page 77. 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ inabout 150-200 words, write an email to your colleague. Your email should do the Every year your company arranges a fun event or trip for all employees. This year, one of your colleagues is in charge of organizing the event. You want to suggest an activity that you think everyone in the company would enjoy. following things: * Describe the activity you recommend. © Give details about what the activity is. * Explain why this activity is good for everyone in the company. © Christien Lee, 2016TASK 1: TOPIC 1.4 Topic Read this Writing Task 1 topic. What information in the topic is important? How could this information help you to write an effective response to the topic? ‘Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ inabout 150-200 words, write an email to a reporter at the newspaper. Your email should You recently saw a boy rescue a dog from a river. do the following things: Now you have been asked to describe what happened so the story can appear in a local + Explain where you saw the rescue. newspaper. ‘+ Give details about how and why the dog got into trouble in the river. ‘+ Describe how the boy saved the dog and what happened afterwards. Analysis | Read this analysis of the topic by a test expert. Do the expert’s ideas about the topic match your ideas? ‘The background information describes an event you saw that might be part of the news, From this, you can imagine that your email should be pretty formal. Specifically, the background information tells you that you have to describe a situation you saw in which a boy rescued an animal. Describing events that occurred is a 1g task in CELPIP. relatively common email wri The prompt tells you to write to a newspaper reporter. It would be most natural to write to "Dear Sir or Madam” or to make up a name for the reporter. ‘The prompt also tells you to do three things. First, you have to explain where you saw the boy rescue the dog. A good response will include specific details about the location, but you may decide to address this part of the prompt in just one or two sentences. Second, you have to say how and why the dog almost drowned in the river. A good response will give specific details connected sequence words like “First,” “then,” and “after that.” Finally, you have to describe how the boy saved the dog and what happened afterwards. Again, a good response will include specific details and information. 30 Test Expert Writing Pra Jor cELPIP®Expert's Response | Read this response by a test expert and the detaile Dear Sir or Madam <———_____________} | am writing to tell you about a recent event that |saw when a boy saved a dog froma river. | | was walking home two days ago along the North River near Newtown. | had just passed the Old Bridge when | saw a dog jump into the water. | think the dog was chasing a stick or ball or something like that. At first it was having fun, but soon the dog seemed to be in trouble. It was trying to swim to the bank © of the river but the river was moving very fast, so it could not reach land. Suddenly, | saw a boy jump into the river. He was a ¥ good swimmer, and he quickly reached the dog. He put one arm around the dog and began swimming. to the land. He moved slowly, because the dog was heavy, but after a few minutes, he reached the age of the river. The dog licked the boy's face, and ‘many people clapped their hands and said positive ‘hings to the boy. Picose contact me at this email address ityou have4 =ny questions about what | saw. Me R Smith ed analysis that explains wh) is a good response. +— The writer must write to a newspaper reporter; it is likely the writer does not know the reporter's name, so “Dear Sir or Madam” is a good greeting. |~ This paragraph does not address any of the bullet points. However, itis often natural to include a sentence that explains your reason for writing. In the second paragraph, the writer covers the first bullet in the prompt. Notice how the writer gives specific details about where he was and what he saw. This makes the email seem natural. In the third paragraph, the writer clearly covers the second bullet in the prompt. Again, the writer includes some natural, believable details. In the fourth paragraph, the writer addresses the last bullet in the prompt. This paragraph is longer than the second and third paragraphs. In general, each paragraph should be about equal in length, but for this topic, the last paragraph is longer as the final bullet requires more information. This final sentence is a natural way to end an ‘email like this. Notice how the writer says “at this email address.” Because all emails automatically include the sender's email address, there is no need for the writer to include his email address in “es response has 199 words, excellent coherence and the body of the message. If you start an email with “Dear Sir or Madam,” it is natural to close with just your family name or your initial and then your family name, as here. meaning, good lexical range, high readability and Smorehensibility, and great task fulfillment. Like all responses in this book, it would likely score 11-12. en Lee, 2016 3Practice Topic 1. ‘Many test-takers make small grammar, vocabulary, or punctuation mistakes. Such errors may reduce a response’s overall score. Type out this response to a practice topic. As you type, correct each of the underlined mistakes. When you have finished, check your answers on page 78. ‘Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ in about 150-200 words, write an email to your friend, Your email should do the You recently saw a police officer prevent a woman following things: from being hit by a car. Your friend has asked you Explain where you saw the police officer hel to describe what you saw. ‘pl jere you saw the police officer help the woman. * Give details about how and why the woman almost got hit by a car. * Describe how the police officer helped the woman and what happened afterwards. Hi Mary hope you and your family are well. Things here are fine. As you requested, | write to tell you about a situation | saw the another day. Iwas walking home two days before along the North River near Newtown. | had just passed the Old Bridge when | see a woman jogging. She was listening loud music and wearing the dark sunglasses, As | watched her, she suddenly turned and started to run across the road. A truck was driving towards her very quick, and the driver used his horn to warn her. However, because of she was wearing sunglasses and headphones, | think the woman did not see or hear him. Suddenly, | saw a police officer run towards the woman. She pushed the woman out of the way of the truck and then jumped out of the way herself. The jogging woman fell over, but she was not hurt by the fall or by a truck. She thanked the police officer many of times for saving her life. Give me a call if you any questions about what | saw. Robert 32 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP°Useful Language These words and phrases may help you write an effective response to a Task 1 writing topic, especially one similar to the topics on this page and pages 30 and 32. There are more useful phrases on page 102. As you requested, Use this phrase to introduce some information that somebody has asked you to give At first, .. Use these words to say what happened or how something was at the beginning; contrast these words with a phrase like “but soon or “after a while...” However, .. Use this word to introduce some contrasting information lam writing totell you about... _ Use this phrase to explain your reason for writing to somebody or something like that Use these words to make it clear that you cannot remember something exactly, or did not see something clearly; for example, you might say the cost was “$50 or something like that.” Please contact me / Give meaccall Use either of these phrases to let the person reading your email you have any questions ... know that he or she can get in touch with you for more details. Challenge To ‘Type a response to this Writing Task 1 challenge topic in 27 minutes. Use the expert’s response on page 21.05 a guide. (See page 10 for a suggestion about how to get authentic practice when you type your sesponse.) When you have finished, compare your response to the suggested response on page 79. atest 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes ‘8 Read the following information. @ In about 150-200 words, write an email to | your boss. Your email should do the " *2e recently went on a business trip. During your following things: _ 2. you saw a demonstration of a new computer. “feer boss thinks the computer might be useful for s2= company. Your boss wants you to desc whet you saw. + Explain where you saw the demonstration. * Give details about what the computer is like and what it can do. Say whether you think the computer would be useful for your company, and why. Been Lee, 2016 33TASK 1: TOPIC 1.5 Topic Read this Writing Task 1 topic. What information in the topic is important? How could this information help you to write an effective response to the topic? Writing Task 1: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ In about 150-200 words, write an email to the hotel manager. Your email should do the You recently stayed at a hotel for a few nights. The following thin staff at the hotel were excellent and took very ‘good care of you. It was the best service you have_| * Explain when you stayed at the hotel, for how ever received ata hotel. Jong, and why. * Give examples of the service you received. ‘+ State how you feel about the hotel and its staff. Analysis | Read this analysis of the topic by a test expert. Do the expert’s ideas about the topic match your ideas? ‘The background information describes a positive situation. Specifically, it describes a great experience you had at a hotel. From this, you can understand that you will need to give positive examples. Writing an email to say thank you for a positive experience is a relatively common type of email writing task in CELPIP. ‘The prompt tells you to write to a hotel manager. From this you can understand that you should write a relatively formal email that is addressed to “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Dear Hotel Manager” because most people would not know or find out the manager's actual name. The prompt also tells you to do three things. First, you have to explain when, why, and for how long you stayed at the hotel. A good response will mention all three pieces of information clearly and give supporting details as necessary. You do not have to describe a real hotel, but it may help you think of supporting details if you write about an actual hotel you have stayed at. Second, you have to give examples of the service you received. Notice that the prompt asks you for “some examples.” A good response will include at least two examples with details. Finally, you have to express how you feel about the hotel and its staff. A good response will make it clear that the writer is very thankful and satisfied. Be careful to avoid repetition: one or two sentences may be enough to cover this part of the prompt. 34 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Expert's Response |] ead this response by a test expert and the detailed analysis that explains why it isa good response. ee | Dear Sir or Madam << "_L2st week | had to go to Boston on business. After -cading some reviews online, | decided to stay at — | your hotel from Monday to Wednesday night. ! am so happy about my decision because | received such great service. when | arrived on Monday evening, | was late and bungry because of a delayed flight. The young <— ‘woman working at the front desk arranged for inner to be sent to my room despite the kitchen being closed. In addition, when | left the hotel on Thursday morning, | forgot several items. One of your friendly maids followed me out of the hotel ond gave them to me just before | got into a taxi to go to the airport. When | tried to give her a tip, she refused and said she was just happy to help. {can honestly say that your staff provided wonderful service, and | would like to thank you and everyone who works at the hotel. ! will definitely stay at your hotel again the next time | visit Boston, and | will recommend your hotel to all of my friends and colleagues, too. Yours —The writer must write to a hotel manager. It is likely the writer does not know the manager's name, so “Dear Sir or Madam” is a good greeting. This paragraph clearly addresses the first bullet in the prompt with specific details. The last sentence in the paragraph summarizes the writer’s overall opinion and indirectly explains why he is writing. {~The second paragraph covers the second bullet in the prompt. The details that the writer gives are clear and believable. The writer’s use of language is clear and simple, too. This means that his response will be easy for the rater to follow. (It also means the response is an excellent model for people who are not native speakers to copy.) In the third paragraph, the writer clearly covers the third bullet in the prompt. Again, the writer includes some natural, believable details. The final sentence is not mentioned in the prompt, but it is @ natural thing to say in an email thanking somebody for excellent service. | The closing phrase is simple but natural. It would also be possible to say something like “Yours sincerely,” “Yours faithfully,” or “Vours truly.” ‘Mr Robert Smith <—_________- Because the writer has stayed at the hotel before, This response has 199 words, excellent coherence and it is natural for him to include his first name as well as his family name. However, giving only his {family name would also be OK. meaning, good lexical range, high readability and comprehensibility, and great task fulfillment. Like all responses in this book, it would likely score 11 - 12. © Christien Lee, 2016 35Practice Topic 1.5 Using adverbs to modify verbs and adjectives is an effective and easy way to make your response Jonger and more natural. Type out this response to a practice topic. As you type, choose the adverb (or adverbs) that could complete each blank. When you have finished, check your answers on page 79. ‘Writing Task 4: Writing an Email 27 minutes @ Read the following information. @ In about 150-200 words, write an email to the cruise ship company. Your email should do You recently took a short cruise vacation with your the following things: family. The staff on the ship were excellent and took very good care of you. It was the best vacation ‘you have ever taken, © Explain when you went on the cruise, for how long, and where. Give some examples of the service you received. © State how you feel about the ship and its staff. Dear Sir or Madam Last month my family and | took a five-night cruise vacation with your company. We travelled in Europe from Norway south to the United Kingdom. We are [i (+0 /sually/ ver happy about our decision to take a vacation with your company because we received great service and had a wonderful time. ‘When we arrived in Norway, a young woman from your staff was at the airport to greet us. Our hotel lost our reservation, but she helped us sort the problem out [2 ltfectvety / uicty / realy) and easily. Next day she drove us and several other families to the cruise ship. While we were enjoying the cruise, the great service continued from [3____] {almost / neatly / total) every member of staff. In addition, we were[#__ tnereaity mosty/ realty) happy with the wonderful food and the excellent activities and entertainment. Allin all, twas (closely /wuly/ very. fantastic trip. Lean [é _] honesty / neatly / totaly) say that your staff provided wonderful service, and | would like to thank you and everybody who works on your cruise ship. Everyone in my family wants to take another ‘cruise with your company next year, and | will definitely recommend you to my friends and colleagues, too. Yours Mr Robert Smith 36 Test Expert Writing Practice for CELPIP®Useful Language These words and phrases may help you write an effective response to a Task 1 writing topic, especially ‘one similar to the topics on this page and pages 34 and 36. There are more useful phrases on page 102. I can honestly say that ... Iwill definitely .. Iwill recommend ... I would like to thank you ... In addition, ... sort (the problem) out Challenge Topic 1.5 Use these words when you wish to express a strong, honest opinion about something Use these wards to introduce something that you are certain you will do in the future Use these words to introduce something that you will suggest to other people Use these words to introduce something that you would like to say thank you to other people for Use this phrase to introduce a second or third point Use this phrasal verb to describe solving or fixing a problem; note that both “sort a problem out” and “sort out a problem” are both correct English; also note that you can “sort out a problem” or “an issue” or “a situation” and so on, Type a response to this Writing Task 1 challenge topic in 27 minutes. Use the expert’s response on page 35 as a guide. (See page 10 for a suggestion about how to get authentic practice when you type your response.) When you have finished, Writing Task 1: Writing an Email @ Read the following information. You recently stayed at a hotel for a few nights. The following things: staff at the hotel were unprofessional provide you with good care. It was the worst service you have ever received at a hotel. compare your response to the suggested response on page 81. 27 minutes @ in about 150-200 words, write an email to the hotel manager. Your email should do the and did not ‘Explain when you stayed at the hotel, for how long, and why. © Give some examples of the service you received. '* State how you feel about the hotel and its staff. Christien Lee, 2016 37