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Writing · W1

CELPIP Writing Task 1: thanking a volunteer organiser

Write a specific thank-you email that describes an experience and offers a useful suggestion.

By MockMaple · Updated

Try the prompt

You attended a community clothing exchange. Email the organiser to thank them, describe something that worked well and suggest one improvement for next time. Aim for 150–200 words.

  • Volunteers sorted clothes by size.
  • The entrance became crowded.
  • You can volunteer for one hour at the next event.

Plan your approach

  1. Thank the organiser and identify the event.
  2. Describe a specific benefit.
  3. Make a tactful suggestion and offer bounded help.

Complete sample response

Dear Morgan, Thank you for organising Saturday’s clothing exchange at the community hall. It was my first time attending, and the volunteers made me feel welcome as soon as I arrived. I especially appreciated the way the clothes were arranged by size. I was looking for a winter coat for my younger brother, and the clear signs helped me find the right section without repeatedly asking for directions. The volunteers also explained the exchange process patiently, which made the event easy to use for newcomers. One small improvement might be to place the information desk farther inside the hall. Several people stopped to ask questions at the entrance, and the doorway became quite crowded. Moving the desk could leave more space for people arriving with bags. I would be happy to volunteer for an hour at the next exchange, perhaps by welcoming visitors or directing them to the appropriate tables. Please let me know when you begin planning it. Thank you again for creating such a useful event for the neighbourhood. Best wishes, Lee

174 words, counting space-separated words including the greeting and sign-off.

Why these choices work

A response or interpretation to improve

Thanks. Everything was perfect, except the entrance was terrible. You should organise it better.

Make appreciation specific

The size labels and the search for a coat show exactly what helped. This carries more information than “everything was great”.

Link the suggestion to the problem

Moving the desk responds to crowding at the entrance. The offer is limited to an hour, so it does not promise unlimited availability.

Vocabulary in context

make someone feel welcome

Help someone feel accepted and comfortable.

The volunteers made newcomers feel welcome.

Choose the right alternative: Greet describes the initial greeting; make someone feel welcome describes the broader effect.

Usage note: Use welcome as an adjective here: feel welcome, not feel welcomedness.

Explore vocabulary, synonyms and idioms

Check your understanding

Choose an answer to see the evidence and an explanation for every option. These checks are not a proficiency score.

1. What improvement does the writer propose?
All answers and explanations

What improvement does the writer propose?

Answer: Moving the information desk

Evidence: place the information desk farther inside the hall.

  • Moving the information desk: This directly addresses entrance crowding.
  • Removing the size labels: The labels are praised as useful.
  • Cancelling the exchange: The writer wants to help at the next event.

Try a new situation

Thank the organiser of a neighbourhood workshop. Explain one helpful detail and suggest a small change that would improve access or organisation.

Use your own notes or voice recorder, then check your work:

  • Is the praise supported by an example?
  • Does the suggestion address a stated issue?
  • Is the offer of help realistic and specific?
Apply this in free practice

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