CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: Correcting a Matching Donation

Level 7 sample answer

165 words

Hi Anjali,

I saw the online announcement for next Saturday's plant sale and need to clear up my donation offer before you order the posters tomorrow.

I offered to match donations up to $100 in total. The announcement says I'll match every dollar raised, which sounds like there's no limit. I think this was just a misunderstanding, but the amount needs to be clear.

I can only afford the $100 that I promised. If people give money expecting a larger match, they might feel disappointed when they hear about the limit. Also, I'd feel bad if this problem make them less interested in supporting the sale.

Could you change the online announcement today and put the same correction on the printed posters? It could say that the first $100 in donations will be matched. This still gives people a good reason to donate. Please let me know when you've made change. I'm still happy to help support the sale.

Thanks for sorting this out.

Jonah

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 teaching example clearly explains the donation limit, the mistake, and a practical correction. Compared with the stronger answers, its explanations are more basic, its wording is less precise, and some grammar errors interrupt otherwise clear reading.

• The announcement says I'll match every dollar raised, which sounds like there's no limit. — Content/Coherence: This clearly connects the announcement's wording to the misunderstanding about the pledge. The stronger answers develop the consequences more fully by explaining how an apparently unlimited match could influence donations and damage trust.
• This still gives people a good reason to donate. — Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but “a good reason” is general. The stronger answers describe the benefit more precisely through wording about doubling contributions or unlocking the matching donation.
• Also, I'd feel bad if this problem make them less interested in supporting the sale. — Readability: The concern is understandable, but “problem make” should be “problem makes.” Along with the later missing article in “made change,” this makes the writing less controlled than the stronger answers.
• Could you change the online announcement today and put the same correction on the printed posters? — Task Fulfillment: This directly requests consistent corrections online and in print before the deadline. The stronger answers also address people who have already seen the original announcement, making the proposed solution more complete.

Level 9 sample answer

173 words

Hi Anjali,

The plant sale announcement makes the event sound inviting, but I noticed a problem with the wording of my donation pledge.

My offer was to match donations up to a total of $100. The current announcement says I will match every dollar raised, which could easily be understood as an unlimited commitment.

Unfortunately, I cannot go beyond the amount I offered. More importantly, donors deserve to know exactly how their contributions will be matched. If we leave the wording unchanged, a correction after the sale could damage their trust, even though this started as a simple mix-up.

Could you update the online announcement today, before tomorrow's poster order? Something like “The first $100 donated will be matched, doubling those contributions” would keep the message positive while making the limit clear. We could also add a short clarification wherever the original announcement has been shared.

I appreciate how much work you are putting into Saturday's sale. Let me know if you would like me to help check the revised wording.

Thanks,

Jonah

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 teaching example combines clear organization, precise wording, and a tactful explanation of donor trust. Compared with the level 11 example, it takes longer to reach the requested action and leaves the instruction to use corrected wording for printing less explicit.

• If we leave the wording unchanged, a correction after the sale could damage their trust, — Content/Coherence: This develops a clear consequence of delaying the correction, going beyond disappointment to donor trust. The top example sharpens the explanation further by showing that donors might contribute because of a promise that cannot be fulfilled.
• which could easily be understood as an unlimited commitment. — Vocabulary: “Unlimited commitment” precisely describes the financial implication of the mistake. The top example sustains this precision while using more conversational expressions that suit an email to a friend.
• The plant sale announcement makes the event sound inviting, but I noticed a problem with the wording of my donation pledge. — Readability: The opening is fluent and tactful, with a clear transition from appreciation to concern. The top example reaches the requested action and poster deadline immediately, giving the opening greater focus.
• Could you update the online announcement today, before tomorrow's poster order? — Task Fulfillment: This establishes the correct timing and links the online update to the printing deadline. The top example makes the printing action more explicit by directly requesting that the corrected text be used for printing.

Level 11 sample answer

188 words

Hi Anjali,

Could we adjust the plant sale announcement before tomorrow's posters are ordered? My matching pledge has come across as more generous than I can afford.

I committed to matching donations up to $100 altogether, whereas the online announcement suggests that every dollar raised will be matched without a ceiling. I know you are trying to build enthusiasm for Saturday, so I wanted to flag this while there is still time to correct it.

Although my contribution cannot increase, my bigger concern is that donors might give on the strength of a promise we cannot fulfil. Clarifying the limit now would protect their trust and spare us an awkward explanation at the sale.

How about changing the wording to “Help unlock a $100 matching donation: the first $100 contributed will be doubled”? That makes the offer appealing without leaving the amount open to interpretation. Please update the online version today and use the corrected text for printing; a brief clarification on the original post would help anyone who has already seen it.

Thanks for handling the publicity. I'm happy to check the final version with you.

Jonah

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 teaching example integrates the financial limit, donor expectations, friendship, and printing deadline into a focused email. Its precise but natural language supports a positive correction, with explicit actions for both the online announcement and printed posters.

• Clarifying the limit now would protect their trust and spare us an awkward explanation at the sale. — Content/Coherence: This connects immediate clarification to benefits for both donors and organizers. It completes the reasoning efficiently: the misleading promise creates a trust problem, and correcting it before the sale prevents an uncomfortable explanation.
• donors might give on the strength of a promise we cannot fulfil. — Vocabulary: “On the strength of a promise” precisely explains how the announcement could influence donors' decisions. The wording expresses responsibility clearly without blaming Anjali or making the email sound formal.
• I know you are trying to build enthusiasm for Saturday, so I wanted to flag this while there is still time to correct it. — Readability: The sentence smoothly links recognition of Anjali's intentions with the need for timely action. Its conversational wording keeps the correction friendly, while the clear connection between clauses makes the reasoning easy to follow.
• Please update the online version today and use the corrected text for printing; — Task Fulfillment: This assigns clear actions for both publicity formats before the poster order. Together with the appealing replacement wording and the requested clarification on the original post, it addresses accuracy, donor enthusiasm, and people already exposed to the mistake.