CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: Choosing Between Two Campsites

Level 7 sample answer

163 words

Hi Ikaika,

I checked the details for our two-night camping trip near Kingston and found a problem. Our campsite is 1.5 km from the parking lot, so we would have to carry all the heavy equipment we borrowed. That sounds like a lot of work before we even start camping.

Keeping this site might give us the quiet weekend you wanted. However, carrying everything that distance could take a long time, especially if we need more than one trip. The other campsite is beside the parking lot, which is easier, but it costs $60 more and is next to a playground. I know the noise might bother to you.

I think we should change sites and split the extra cost, which would be $30 each. We could spend time away from the playground during the day. Can you let me know by Tuesday? We needs to decide before Wednesday to avoid the cancellation fee.

Let me know what you think.

Take care,

Lucía

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer explains the problem clearly, compares both sites, and makes a friendly suggestion. Basic vocabulary, noticeable grammar errors, and a limited solution to the playground noise hold it below the more developed answers.

• We could spend time away from the playground during the day. — Content/Coherence: This suggestion follows logically from choosing the playground site, but it only addresses daytime noise. A higher-level answer would acknowledge that evenings could still be noisy or make switching depend on your friend's priorities.
• That sounds like a lot of work before we even start camping. — Vocabulary: The language sounds friendly and communicates the inconvenience, but 'a lot of work' is broad. Higher-level wording would describe the burden more precisely, such as repeated trips with heavy gear.
• I know the noise might bother to you. — Readability: The meaning is clear, but the unnecessary 'to' interrupts an otherwise straightforward sentence. Higher-level writing would use the verb accurately and maintain that grammatical control throughout the email.
• Can you let me know by Tuesday? — Task Fulfillment: This gives Ikaika a clear response deadline with time before Wednesday. The answer also proposes splitting the cost, but a higher-level response would offer a clearer fallback if Ikaika rejects the playground location.

Level 9 sample answer

179 words

Hi Ikaika,

There's a catch with our Kingston camping reservation: the site is 1.5 km from the parking lot. Since the equipment we borrowed is heavy, getting it all there could mean several trips before we can settle in.

Keeping the reservation would avoid extra spending and may give us the quieter setting you wanted. On the other hand, we'd have the same long walk with our gear when we leave after two nights. The available site beside the parking lot would make unloading much easier, but it costs another $60 and borders a playground. I wouldn't want to trade all that carrying for a weekend of noise.

My preference is to switch and split the additional charge, at $30 each, provided you're comfortable with the location. We could plan daytime walks away from the playground, although that wouldn't guarantee quiet evenings. If peace and quiet matter more to you, I'm open to keeping our current site and packing as lightly as possible.

Could you reply by Tuesday so we can decide before Wednesday's cancellation deadline?

Take care,

Lucía

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer develops the comparison with the return journey, uncertain evening quiet, and a fallback that respects Ikaika's preference. Its reasoning is clear and flexible, although the equipment plan is less concrete than the feasibility check in the strongest answer.

• although that wouldn't guarantee quiet evenings. — Content/Coherence: This qualification recognizes the limit of taking daytime walks and makes the recommendation more realistic than the simpler answer's suggestion. The strongest answer develops this uncertainty into a decision process based on whether the equipment is manageable.
• There's a catch with our Kingston camping reservation: — Vocabulary: The expression introduces an unexpected problem naturally in an email to a friend. It is more idiomatic than the simpler answer's wording; the strongest answer sustains similarly natural language while expressing more nuanced judgments.
• On the other hand, we'd have the same long walk with our gear when we leave after two nights. — Readability: The contrast marker and clear sentence structure make the extra drawback easy to follow. The strongest answer connects effort, cost, and possible regret more tightly, making the comparison feel less like a sequence of separate advantages and disadvantages.
• If peace and quiet matter more to you, I'm open to keeping our current site and packing as lightly as possible. — Task Fulfillment: This offers a genuine alternative and respects the friend's stated preference. However, packing lightly leaves the practical problem somewhat unresolved. The strongest answer proposes reviewing the equipment before deciding whether keeping the reservation is workable.

Level 11 sample answer

181 words

Hi Ikaika,

Before we commit to our Kingston camping plans, there's a practical snag: our reserved site is 1.5 km from the parking lot. Given how heavy the borrowed equipment is, a second load would mean walking that route three times just to get everything in.

The alternative beside the parking lot would spare us that effort, although we'd pay another $60 for the convenience. What gives me pause is the playground next door: having paid more, we could still find ourselves wishing we'd kept the original booking. Since you wanted a quiet weekend, easier unloading may be a poor trade, especially for only two nights. Our current site isn't guaranteed to be peaceful either, but we haven't identified the same drawback there.

I'd keep our reservation, provided we can manage the load together. Let's review the equipment before deciding: if we can't carry what we need comfortably, I'd reconsider switching and splitting the extra charge at $30 each. Would you reply by Tuesday so we have time to agree and make any changes before Wednesday's cancellation deadline?

Talk soon,

Lucía

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer connects the carrying difficulty, extra cost, and uncertain quiet into a carefully reasoned recommendation. Natural vocabulary and controlled sentences support a practical plan that tests the equipment load before committing, while giving Ikaika time to respond.

• having paid more, we could still find ourselves wishing we'd kept the original booking. — Content/Coherence: This connects the extra cost directly to the risk of disappointment. Instead of simply listing convenience and noise, the answer explains why paying more might still produce a weekend that fails to meet Ikaika's main preference.
• What gives me pause is the playground next door: — Vocabulary: The idiom expresses hesitation precisely while keeping the tone conversational. It introduces a thoughtful reservation about switching without sounding formal or overstating how noisy the playground will be.
• I'd keep our reservation, provided we can manage the load together. — Readability: This compact sentence states both the recommendation and its condition clearly. The conditional structure makes the writer's position easy to understand and leads naturally into the proposed equipment review.
• Let's review the equipment before deciding: — Task Fulfillment: This turns the recommendation into a concrete next step tailored to the borrowed equipment. The surrounding plan explains when switching would become preferable, shares the extra cost, and requests a reply before the cancellation deadline.