CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: A Gift Beyond Your Budget
Writing an Email · 27 minutes · 150–200 words · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
You and your friend Garrett agreed to spend up to $80 each on a birthday gift for your mutual friend Colette in London, Ontario. Garrett has now reserved a $240 coffee machine and paid a $40 deposit without checking with you. The deposit is non-refundable, and the sale price ends tomorrow. Garrett wants you to contribute $120, but your limit remains $80 and you want to preserve the friendship.
Write an email to your friend Garrett.
- Acknowledge Garrett's choice and explain your concern about the changed plan.
- Clarify your spending limit and how the extra contribution would affect you.
- Suggest a fair alternative that addresses the deposit and tomorrow's deadline.
Model answers
Level 7 sample answer
163 words
Hi Garrett,
Thanks for finding a gift for Colette. The coffee machine sounds nice. I know you want to get her something good. But we agreed on $80 each. The machine costs $240, so I was surprised by your choice. We did not talk before you paid the $40 deposit.
I can still pay $80. I cannot pay $120. That extra $40 has to come from the rest of my budget. I would have less for other things I need. Also, I do not want us to feel bad about the gift.
Could you ask the store today if the deposit can go towards a cheaper gift? We could choose one that costs $160 or less. That way, we both stays within our limit. If the store says no, let's discuss about what to do with the lost deposit. I know it cannot be refunded. Please call me today because the sale ends tomorrow.
I want us to choose together.
Take care,
Bridget
Why this answer is at level 7
This level 7 teaching example clearly states the budget problem and offers a practical first step. Compared with the higher-level answers, its explanations are simpler, its wording is less precise, and grammatical errors and an unfinished fallback weaken the response.
The machine costs $240, so I was surprised by your choice.
— Content/Coherence: This directly connects the machine's price to Bridget's surprise. The higher-level answers explain the concern more fully by linking the changed agreement, the deposit paid without consultation, and the pressure to contribute more.I would have less for other things I need.
— Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but “other things” is vague. The higher-level answers describe the budget pressure more precisely and use more nuanced language to explain why increasing the contribution is uncomfortable.That way, we both stays within our limit.
— Readability: The sentence is easy to understand, but “we both stays” contains a subject–verb agreement error. The higher-level answers maintain grammatical control while explaining more complicated financial arrangements.If the store says no, let's discuss about what to do with the lost deposit.
— Task Fulfillment: This acknowledges that transferring the deposit may fail, but leaves the financial solution unresolved. The higher-level answers give more usable alternatives, such as counting the lost deposit within the original budget or explaining who would pay for the machine.
Level 9 sample answer
179 words
Hi Garrett,
Thanks for reserving a birthday gift for Colette. The coffee machine sounds thoughtful, but its $240 price is well above the $160 total we agreed on. Finding out after you paid the deposit makes this awkward, especially with the sale ending tomorrow.
I need to stick to my $80 contribution. Paying $120 would leave $40 less for everything else in my budget, and I can't comfortably make that change. I also want us to be on the same page about shared purchases, so neither of us feels pushed into spending more than planned.
Could you ask the store today whether your $40 deposit could be transferred to a gift within our original budget? That would save the deposit without increasing either person's contribution. If the store says no, let's work out how much we could spend on a different gift while including the lost deposit in our $160 limit. I'd like us to settle that together before the sale ends.
Let's talk today; I don't want this gift to become a problem between us.
Take care,
Bridget
Why this answer is at level 9
This level 9 teaching example combines clear organization, controlled language, and a practical alternative that includes the lost deposit within the original budget. Compared with level 11, it gives less explicit treatment of financial responsibility and the conditions under which buying the machine could still be acceptable.
Finding out after you paid the deposit makes this awkward, especially with the sale ending tomorrow.
— Content/Coherence: This connects the lack of consultation with the approaching deadline, making the concern more developed than in level 7. The level 11 answer extends that reasoning to explain how the deposit can create pressure to increase an agreed contribution.I also want us to be on the same page about shared purchases,
— Vocabulary: The conversational expression suits a message to Garrett and frames the disagreement as a shared communication issue. Level 11 uses more precise language about feeling cornered and freely choosing extra expense to express the relationship concerns.Paying $120 would leave $40 less for everything else in my budget, and I can't comfortably make that change.
— Readability: The sentence clearly links the requested increase to its financial effect, with accurate grammar and an easy-to-follow structure. Level 11 sustains that control while handling more complex conditions around Garrett's possible decision to buy the machine.let's work out how much we could spend on a different gift while including the lost deposit in our $160 limit.
— Task Fulfillment: This makes the fallback more practical than level 7 by keeping the lost deposit inside the original spending limit. It leaves the division of that loss open; level 11 adds an explicit calculation of Garrett's responsibility if he chooses the machine.
Level 11 sample answer
192 words
Hey Garrett,
Thanks for tracking down Colette's birthday gift; I can see why the coffee machine appealed to you, although discovering that our $160 plan had become a $240 reservation caught me off guard.
I'm happy to contribute the $80 we agreed on, but stretching that to $120 would mean squeezing other purchases into a budget that's already spoken for. I don't want either of us feeling cornered: you shouldn't have to guess what I'll contribute, and I shouldn't feel obliged to increase it because a deposit has already been paid.
Could you ask today whether the store would transfer your $40 deposit to something within our original budget, so we can choose together without losing that money? If your heart's set on the machine, my $80 would leave you covering $160 altogether, including the deposit, with another $120 still to pay. I'd only be comfortable with that if you freely chose the extra expense; otherwise, let's agree how to handle the lost deposit and pick something cheaper before tomorrow's sale deadline pushes us into rushing.
Let's talk today and keep Colette's gift something we both feel good about.
Take care,
Bridget
Why this answer is at level 11
This level 11 teaching example combines a firm spending boundary with thoughtful attention to both friends' freedom to choose. Its precise financial explanation, varied sentence structures, and tactful alternatives address the deposit and deadline while preserving a warm, informal relationship.
although discovering that our $160 plan had become a $240 reservation caught me off guard.
— Content/Coherence: This compactly contrasts the agreed total with the reservation and explains Bridget's reaction. Following the acknowledgment of Garrett's effort, it introduces the disagreement without losing the friendly tone.squeezing other purchases into a budget that's already spoken for.
— Vocabulary: The phrasing makes the financial constraint vivid and specific: the money already has a purpose. It explains why the additional contribution matters without inventing personal expenses or sounding accusatory.you shouldn't have to guess what I'll contribute, and I shouldn't feel obliged to increase it
— Readability: The parallel structure makes both friends' positions easy to follow. It gives a potentially sensitive boundary a balanced, conversational rhythm while clearly explaining why paying a deposit should not determine Bridget's contribution.my $80 would leave you covering $160 altogether, including the deposit, with another $120 still to pay.
— Task Fulfillment: This accurately distinguishes Garrett's total contribution from the amount still outstanding. Together with the condition that Garrett freely chooses the extra expense, it makes keeping the machine a concrete alternative while protecting Bridget's limit.
What moves an answer from 7 to 9 to 11
These are model answers written to show each level. The labels are practice estimates, not examiner scores.
Cover each email bullet with relevant detail, explain its effect on the reader and make a workable request. Keep a consistent register, with an opening, connected paragraphs and an appropriate closing.
- Content/Coherence: Level 7 models communicate the main ideas; level 9 models develop relevant details with clear connections; level 11 models sustain precise, well-integrated development.
- Vocabulary: Compare adequate everyday wording with more varied, accurate choices at level 9 and flexible, precise expression at level 11.
- Readability: Look for increasingly controlled grammar, sentence variety, punctuation and paragraphing. Complexity helps when it keeps the message easy to read.
- Task Fulfillment: Compare how fully the response addresses the request, develops enough relevant detail and maintains an appropriate tone for the audience within the task limits.
Assess the criteria together. A longer answer or rarer words alone do not establish a higher level.
Answer this question and get your level