All English 4U · CELPIP Writing · Set 13 · Practice Test 2
Making a Community Repair Café Easier to Use
Write a practical email about a first visit with a broken desk lamp, then recommend a way to welcome newcomers at an imagined community repair café. Develop your own responses in 150–200 words per task before comparing them with six learning models.
Write both responses, review each checklist, then check completion.
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This practice uses self-review. It does not automatically grade language or award an official score.
Task 1 · Writing an Email
27 minutes · 150–200 wordsYour situation
You recently brought a broken desk lamp to an imagined community repair café. Volunteers welcome feedback, and one step in arriving or discussing your item was unclear.
Write an email to the volunteer team in 150–200 words. In your email:
- Describe one arrival or assessment step that was unclear.
- Explain how the uncertainty affected your visit.
- Suggest a practical improvement and ask the team to reply.
The timer is a practice aid. At zero, your writing stays editable. Starting the other timer pauses this one.
Plan this response
- Choose a particular moment: finding the welcome table, describing the item, or knowing what happens next.
- Describe what information was missing; add plausible details about your imagined visit.
- Connect the uncertainty to an effect, such as waiting unnecessarily or leaving without an update.
- Suggest one manageable communication change and explicitly request a reply.
- Use a greeting, clear paragraphs and a polite sign-off; check the practice word range.
Models viewed. Compare the ideas, then write in your own words.
Original All English 4U learning examples. These labels describe writing features; they are not certified CELPIP scores. Several answers are possible.
Developing: explains an unclear next step · 173 words
Subject: A question about my visit
Dear Repair Café Team,
I brought a broken desk lamp to the community repair café last Saturday. The welcome table was easy to see, but I was unsure what to do after describing the lamp. One volunteer listened, then turned to greet another visitor. I could not tell whether I should waits there, move aside, or return later. The small notice did not explains this next step.
I did not want to interrupt, so I waited quietly. I became concerned that my question had been forgotten, and I left without knowing what I should expect. That uncertainty made it harder to enjoy a first visit that otherwise felt welcoming.
Could you add a simple card explaining how visitors can ask what happens after the first conversation? It might also show where to wait while a volunteer speaks with someone else. Please let me know whether the team would consider trying this suggestion at a future session.
Thank you for welcoming people to learn together.
Kind regards, Alex
What to notice: The writer describes the missing next step, explains the resulting wait and uncertainty, and proposes a card while requesting a reply. Two deliberate errors need correction: use "should wait" after the modal should, and "did not explain" after did not. The past-tense sequence otherwise stays consistent.
First draft: The small notice did not explains this next step.
Revision: The small notice did not explain this next step.
After did not, use the base verb explain. Also change should waits to should wait in the previous sentence.
Clear: proposes a welcome sign · 186 words
Subject: Clarifying the arrival process
Hello Repair Café Team,
I recently brought a broken desk lamp to your community repair café. I could find the entrance, but I was not sure whether visitors should first speak to a volunteer or write down information about an item. A sign mentioned the café without describing the order of these steps.
I paused near the table because I did not want to join the wrong line. While I was deciding what to do, another visitor began talking with a volunteer. I hesitated to ask for help because I thought I might have missed the instructions. The lack of a clear first step affected how confident I felt during the visit.
A brief welcome sign could explain who to approach and how to begin describing an item. It might also reassure visitors that they can ask where to wait if the volunteer is busy. This would give newcomers a clear starting point while allowing each conversation to happen naturally. Please reply and let me know whether this change might be useful.
Thank you for supporting the community.
Best wishes, Priya
What to notice: A specific uncertainty about speaking or writing first leads to hesitation. The proposed sign directly addresses that problem, and the writer requests a reply. Concrete details support a courteous request without blaming the volunteers.
First draft: The lack of a clear first step affected how confident I felt during the visit.
Revision: Without a clear first step, I felt less confident about asking for help.
The revision connects the missing information to a specific action and removes the abstract phrase affected how confident I felt.
Developed: suggests a next-step cue · 197 words
Subject: Helping visitors understand what happens next
Dear Community Repair Café Team,
I visited the café with a desk lamp that had stopped working. I appreciated the friendly greeting and the chance to describe the item. However, after I explained the problem, I was uncertain whether the initial assessment conversation was complete. I did not know if I should remain at the table, speak with another volunteer, or wait somewhere else.
I stayed close because I was afraid that leaving would look impolite. As other visitors arrived, the area became busy, and I found it difficult to tell when I could ask a follow-up question. I left unsure what the next step would be, making the visit feel incomplete.
Perhaps a small next-step card could invite visitors to check what happens after describing an item. It could explain that people may ask where to wait or how to get an update, while the volunteer finishes another conversation. A volunteer could also point to it when several people arrive together. Would the team consider trying this idea? I would appreciate a reply about whether it could make the process clearer.
Thank you for considering this suggestion.
Sincerely, Jamie
What to notice: The email distinguishes the welcoming greeting from uncertainty at the end of the first conversation. Waiting near a busy table explains the effect. A next-step card and a direct question form a practical request for the team to consider.
First draft: I stayed close because I was afraid that leaving would look impolite.
Revision: I remained beside the table because I did not know whether the volunteer expected me to wait.
This version ties the waiting more explicitly to the unclear process instead of relying on a guess about politeness.
Task 2 · Responding to Survey Questions
26 minutes · 150–200 wordsYour situation
The imagined repair café has limited volunteers and wants to trial one way to help newcomers. It is comparing a monthly group demonstration of its approach to common household items with short pre-booked assessment appointments. An assessment is a discussion about an item; it does not guarantee that a repair can be offered.
Choose A or B and write 150–200 words. Explain your reasons, develop an example and consider an advantage of the other option.
The timer is a practice aid. At zero, your writing stays editable. Starting the other timer pauses this one.
Plan this response
- State A or B clearly and keep your recommendation consistent.
- Choose two reasons connected to the format, such as shared learning or individual attention.
- Develop a plausible visitor example and explain how your preferred format could help.
- Acknowledge one useful feature of the alternative without abandoning your position.
- End with a practical reason for this first trial; distinguish possibilities from facts in the prompt.
Models viewed. Compare the ideas, then write in your own words.
Original All English 4U learning examples. These labels describe writing features; they are not certified CELPIP scores. Several answers are possible.
Developing: chooses Option A · Option A · 188 words
I would choose Option A, a monthly demonstration session about common household repairs, for the first trial. It could helps newcomers understand the general purpose of a repair café before they bring an item. The volunteer could demonstrate the café’s approach using an everyday object and explain how a conversation begins.
For example, a visitor could watch a demonstration with a desk lamp and hear which background details would help a volunteer understand the issue. A volunteer could presents general information and invite people to share what they find confusing. Listening to other visitors may help someone think of a question they had not considered.
Option B, short pre-booked assessment appointments with a volunteer, also has an advantage. Someone focused on one item may appreciate a brief conversation with time to describe it and ask what the assessment step means.
I would try A first because a shared introduction could help several curious visitors learn about the café at once. The team could ask participants what information they still need and use that feedback when considering a later appointment trial. That feedback could guide its next decision.
What to notice: The response chooses A, develops a shared-learning example and recognises the individual attention offered by B. Its predictions are conditional. Exactly two deliberate errors remain: could helps must be could help, and could presents must be could present; a modal takes the base verb.
First draft: A volunteer could presents general information and invite people to share what they find confusing.
Revision: A volunteer could present general information and invite people to share what they find confusing.
Use present after could. The earlier phrase could helps also needs the base form could help.
Clear: chooses Option B · Option B · 196 words
My preference is Option B, short pre-booked assessment appointments with a volunteer. A newcomer could arrange a brief conversation to describe an item and ask what the assessment process involves. Having a particular time to discuss one concern may make the first interaction easier to follow for someone who feels uncertain in a group.
Imagine a visitor who brings a desk lamp and is unsure what details to share. During an appointment, the person could describe when the problem appeared and ask what happens after that conversation. An appointment would let the visitor ask a follow-up question before leaving. The person would still need to understand that an assessment may not lead to a repair.
Option A, a monthly group demonstration, could introduce the café’s approach to several people and let them hear shared questions. Visitors who enjoy group learning may find that format welcoming.
I would trial B first because it centres on a newcomer's individual question. The café could ask visitors whether the appointment made the assessment step clearer, then use their comments to decide if the format is worth continuing. A group demonstration could remain a useful idea for a later trial.
What to notice: The writer prefers B because a visitor can focus on one item and clarify the assessment process. The desk-lamp example develops that reason. A recognisable benefit of A appears before the conclusion returns to B and suggests feedback for the trial.
First draft: A newcomer could arrange a brief conversation to describe an item and ask what the assessment process involves.
Revision: A newcomer could book a short conversation to describe an item and clarify the assessment process.
Book directly matches the appointment format, and clarify replaces the longer phrase ask what the process involves.
Developed: chooses Option A · Option A · 193 words
I recommend Option A, a monthly demonstration about common household repairs, as the first format to try. A general session could help people learn what a community repair café does and how visitors can begin a conversation about an item. The volunteer could use an everyday object to show what information helps the initial assessment.
For example, someone with a broken desk lamp might attend to learn what details are useful when explaining an item. During the demonstration, a volunteer could invite questions about what visitors should explain. This could make the person more prepared to decide what to ask at a later visit.
Option B, short pre-booked assessment appointments, may be helpful to a visitor who wants to focus on one item. A brief individual discussion could give that person space to explain the situation and ask about the assessment step.
I would start with A because a demonstration may introduce the café to several newcomers in a shared setting. The team could gather feedback about what remains unclear and consider whether appointments might address those needs in a future trial. The trial could reveal which questions newcomers most often need answered.
What to notice: A is supported through a concrete demonstration and the chance to learn from shared questions. The writer recognises that B gives space for an individual item, then relates the first trial to useful feedback. The response presents possible benefits without inventing costs or repair outcomes.
First draft: This could make the person more prepared to decide what to ask at a later visit.
Revision: This could help the person prepare clearer questions for a later visit.
The revision uses a direct action and removes the wordy phrase more prepared to decide what to ask.
Writing guide · plan, develop and revise
Turn a missing instruction into a clear email
Describe one moment in the visit, then show its effect. For example, uncertainty about whether to stay at the table could explain why the visitor waited. Keep the event sequence consistent and avoid listing several unrelated complaints.
Make a request the reader can answer
Link your suggestion to the problem you described. A welcome sign can clarify the first step; a next-step card can clarify what follows an assessment conversation. Finish with a question such as whether the team would consider a trial, and ask for a reply.
Develop a survey reason with an example
State your option, give a reason, then explain how it could help a particular visitor. Shared questions support a group format; time to discuss one item supports an appointment. Use could or may for possible benefits that the prompt does not establish as facts.
Compare fairly and keep your position clear
Recognise a useful feature of the alternative, then explain why your preference is the better first trial. You can favour group learning while accepting the value of individual attention, or favour appointments while recognising the reach of a demonstration.
Revise the sentence, then check the whole response
After can, could or should, use the base verb: could help, not could helps. After did not, also use a base verb. Check paragraph links, punctuation and the 150–200-word range. The Developing models contain two explained errors each; Clear and Developed models illustrate different ways to organise a correct response, without certified score claims.
Four lenses for self-review
Content and coherence — Explain one unclear email step and its effect, or present a connected survey recommendation with an example.
Vocabulary — Use precise language for arrival, assessment, demonstrations, appointments, and volunteers.
Readability — Use clear paragraphs and controlled grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Task fulfilment — Address each email requirement or choose and fairly support one survey option within range.
The practice counter includes greetings, subject lines and sign-offs typed in your response. Contractions and hyphenated words count as one; separate number groups count separately. Prompt text is excluded. The displayed counter is a practice convention, not an official score or a language assessment.