Writing Task 2 — Responding to Survey Questions
CELPIP Writing Task 2 sample answers — bands 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
About 26–27 minutes · 150–200 words
The prompt
You work in a very big office. There is a popular and cheap restaurant in the building. The management is thinking of removing the restaurant and replacing it with a childcare facility for the working parents in the office. You have been asked to respond to an opinion survey.
Try this exact task freeBand 6
This response meets the task minimally and communicates a clear opinion with reasons, but it has frequent grammar errors (subject-verb agreement, missing articles, verb tense) and relies on simple vocabulary and sentence patterns, which is characteristic of Band 6.
Response
I think we should keep the restaurant in our building. I have three reasons to explain my opinion. First reason is the restaurant is very cheap and popular for all workers. Many people eat there every day because the food is good and the price is not expensive. If we remove it, we must go outside to find lunch and it take more time. Also when raining or snowing it is very difficult to walk to another restaurant. Second, the restaurant is important place for meeting with coworkers. We can talk about work and make friends there. It is good for team building and make the office more happy place. Third, I know childcare is important for parents, but not everyone in office have children. Many workers is single or their kids are already big. So childcare facility only help small group of people, but restaurant help everybody in the building. Maybe the management can find another empty room for childcare, not remove the restaurant. This way everyone will be happy and no one lose something important.
Why this is a band 6
Missing article ('The first reason') and awkward preposition ('for all workers') show developing control of grammar typical of Band 6.
Subject-verb agreement error ('it take') and run-on structure reflect frequent grammar mistakes at this level.
Simple word choice with a missing article ('an important place') — vocabulary is functional but limited.
Agreement error ('workers is') and informal phrasing ('kids are already big') show developing accuracy and vocabulary range.
Clearly picks one option and previews reasons, which satisfies the basic task requirement expected at Band 6.
Offers a compromise idea that adds relevant content, but the connection is loosely developed rather than fully explained.
Verb form error ('no one lose') in the conclusion — meaning is clear but accuracy issues persist through the response.
Band 8
This response fully addresses the task with a clear position, three organised reasons, and appropriate professional register. Vocabulary and grammar are generally accurate with some variety, though sentences remain fairly straightforward and a few expressions are somewhat basic — characteristic of a solid band 8.
Response
I have carefully considered both options presented in the survey, and I believe the management should replace the restaurant with a childcare facility for working parents in our office building. First of all, many of my colleagues are young parents who struggle to find reliable and affordable childcare near their workplace. Having a facility right inside the building would save them a lot of commuting time and reduce their daily stress. Parents could also visit their children during lunch breaks, which would make them feel more comfortable and focused at work. Secondly, an on-site childcare centre would benefit the company as well. Employees who feel supported by their employer tend to be more loyal and productive. It would also help the company attract new talent, especially working mothers who often leave their jobs due to childcare problems. Finally, although the restaurant is popular and cheap, there are many other food options nearby. Employees can easily walk to another café or bring lunch from home. However, quality childcare is much harder to find, so I think the space should be used for something more valuable to families.
Why this is a band 8
Opens with a clear thesis that directly selects one option, fulfilling the core task requirement expected at band 8.
Uses simple but effective transition markers to organise three reasons — organised but not sophisticated, typical of band 8.
Shows appropriate collocations and topic-specific vocabulary without reaching the more nuanced range of band 10+.
Develops the reason with a logical cause-effect idea, showing adequate depth of support.
Anticipates the counter-argument about the restaurant, adding balance — a feature that lifts the response to band 8.
Wording is clear but slightly generic; a higher band would use more precise phrasing like 'a resource of greater long-term value.'
Repeats wording directly from the prompt rather than paraphrasing, a minor limitation that keeps the response from a higher band.
Band 10
This response demonstrates band 10 proficiency through clear organization, varied and precise vocabulary, and consistent use of complex sentence structures. Minor issues in nuance and a slightly formulaic conclusion keep it below band 12, but errors are rare and meaning is fully conveyed.
Response
After careful consideration, I believe the office restaurant should be replaced with a childcare facility, as this change would deliver far greater long-term value to our workforce. First and foremost, an on-site childcare centre would be a genuine lifeline for working parents. Many of my colleagues currently commute across the city to drop off their children before rushing back to work, which is both exhausting and expensive. Having a trusted facility just an elevator ride away would dramatically reduce their stress and allow them to focus more fully on their jobs. Secondly, this shift would likely improve employee retention. Studies consistently show that family-friendly benefits are one of the top reasons skilled professionals stay with a company, and losing talented staff over childcare issues is a cost the business cannot afford to ignore. Finally, while the restaurant is admittedly convenient, there are numerous other food options nearby, including food trucks, cafés, and delivery services. In contrast, affordable and reliable childcare is genuinely scarce in this area. Replacing something replaceable with something rare is simply the smarter decision for our office community.
Why this is a band 10
Opens with a clear, confident thesis that directly addresses the survey question — appropriate for band 10.
Idiomatic phrasing ('genuine lifeline') shows the natural, varied word choice expected at band 10.
Complex sentence with subordinate clause and parallel adjectives is handled smoothly with correct punctuation.
Supports the argument with a plausible general reference, though not attributed — typical of band 10 rather than 12 (which might integrate evidence more precisely).
Anticipates the counterargument effectively, showing the balanced reasoning expected at higher bands.
Rhetorical flourish shows stylistic control, though slightly formulaic — polished but not band 12 sophisticated.
Vivid, natural expression demonstrates flexible language use characteristic of band 10.
Band 11
Picks one option clearly and defends it with three distinct reasons, including a fair-minded concession to the alternative. It reads as band 11 rather than 12 because the reasons are listed in parallel rather than built into a single escalating argument.
Response
I think we should keep the restaurant. The restaurant serves the whole building, and that is the strongest argument for keeping it. Several hundred people work here, and most of us rely on it for a hot lunch at a price that no nearby cafe can match. Removing it would push everyone onto the street for forty minutes a day. A childcare facility would benefit a much smaller group. I recognise that working parents face real difficulties with care, and I do not dismiss that need. However, the number of staff with children young enough to use an on-site centre is limited, and those parents have generally arranged care near their homes rather than near the office. There is also the question of licensing and space. A childcare centre requires outdoor area, specialised staff, and safety approvals that this floor plan cannot easily accommodate. If management wants to support parents, a subsidy toward existing daycare would help them without removing a service the entire building uses.
Why this is a band 11
States the controlling reason immediately, so the reader knows the shape of the argument.
Grounds the choice in a concrete comparison rather than a general preference.
Concedes the opposing option, which CELPIP raters credit at the higher bands.
Precise, domain-appropriate listing instead of a vague 'it would be complicated'.
Proposes an alternative, closing the argument rather than restating the opening position.
Band 12
Fully effective: the response has a thesis rather than a list, concedes the alternative generously before dismantling it, and closes with a proposal that resolves the survey question in one balanced sentence.
Response
I think we should keep the restaurant. The restaurant is the only service in this building that every employee can use, and that is what makes it worth protecting. Several hundred of us eat there because it is fast, hot, and cheaper than anything within walking distance; remove it and the same lunch becomes a forty-minute errand in the cold. The case for childcare deserves a fair hearing, and I want to be clear that I am not arguing against parents. But an on-site centre would serve perhaps a dozen families, and most of those parents have already built their arrangements around home rather than the office. Uprooting a working system rarely helps the people it is meant to help. Practicality argues the same way. Licensed childcare needs outdoor space, qualified staff, and inspections that this floor was never designed to satisfy. If management wants to support parents, subsidise the daycare they already use. That helps the few without taking something from the many.
Why this is a band 12
Frames the choice as a principle, giving the whole response a thesis to argue from.
A conditional compressed into a single clause — controlled, economical syntax.
Idiomatic concession phrase used precisely and in the right register for a workplace survey.
Generalises the concession into an argument, which is the mark of a top-band response.
Accurate, specific phrasing for a practical objection.
Resolves the survey question in one balanced closing sentence.
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Every writing and speaking attempt on CelpipRise is scored on the four official criteria, with notes like the ones above — on your words, not a model's.