CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: Library Fee for Water-Damaged Books
Writing an Email · 27 minutes · 150–200 words · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
You run a neighbourhood book club in Peterborough that borrows a ten-copy book kit from the Ashcombe Branch Library every month. Last week, a ceiling leak in your apartment building's mailroom, where you had briefly set the kit down, soaked two copies, and the library has charged you $96 to replace them. Your building manager admits the leak was the building's fault but has not said whether the building will pay. Meanwhile, your library card is blocked, and the club's next kit must be picked up on the 15th.
Write an email to the branch supervisor, Ms. Lakshmi Rao.
- Explain how the two books were damaged.
- Describe how the blocked card affects your book club.
- Request a specific arrangement that would solve the problem fairly.
Model answers
Level 7 sample answer
178 words
Dear Ms. Rao,
I am writing about the $96 charge on my library card for two damaged books from the book club kit.
Last week, there was a leak in the ceiling of my apartment building's mailroom. I left the kit there for one hour because I was helping a neighbour, and water came down on the box. Two books got very wet and now the pages are stuck together. It was an accident, and my building manager says it was the building's fault.
Now my card is blocked, so I can't pick up next kit on the 15th. Our club has ten members, and some of them are seniors who really enjoy our monthly meeting. If we don't have the books, we have to cancel this month.
Could you please unblock my card while I wait for the building to decide about paying? I can bring a letter from my building manager. If the building say no, I will pay the $96 myself by the end of the month.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Qian Zhao
Why this answer is at level 7
This level 7 answer clearly explains the damage, the club's difficulty, and a reasonable proposed solution. Its basic vocabulary, grammatical slips, and less definite payment arrangement hold it below the more controlled level 9 answer.
Our club has ten members, and some of them are seniors who really enjoy our monthly meeting.
— Content/Coherence: This connects the blocked card to the people affected, giving the request a clear human reason. The higher-level answers integrate the members' circumstances more closely with the disruption to their planned meeting.Two books got very wet and now the pages are stuck together.
— Vocabulary: The damage is easy to understand, and the stuck pages explain why replacement is necessary. However, the description relies on basic wording; the higher-level answers describe the extent of the water damage more precisely.If the building say no, I will pay the $96 myself by the end of the month.
— Readability: The payment promise is understandable, but the subject and verb do not agree: the building says no. Level 9 handles its conditional payment promise with better grammatical control.Could you please unblock my card while I wait for the building to decide about paying?
— Task Fulfillment: This politely requests practical relief so the club can borrow again. However, the fallback payment depends on the building refusing; level 9 also covers the possibility that payment remains unresolved at the deadline.
Level 9 sample answer
193 words
Dear Ms. Rao,
I am writing regarding the $96 replacement fee recently added to my account for two copies from our book club's monthly kit. I would like to explain what happened and ask whether a temporary arrangement is possible.
The damage was caused by a ceiling leak in my apartment building's mailroom. I had set the kit down there for less than an hour while helping a neighbour, and when I came back, water was dripping onto the box. Two copies were soaked through, and their pages have since dried stuck together. The building manager has confirmed that the leak was the building's responsibility.
Unfortunately, the timing could hardly be worse. With my card blocked, I cannot collect next month's kit on the 15th, and our ten members, several of whom have already started planning our discussion night, would have to go without.
Would you be willing to lift the block for now while the building decides on payment? I can forward the manager's email, and if the building has not paid by the end of the month, I will cover the fee myself.
Thank you for considering this.
Sincerely,
Qian Zhao
Why this answer is at level 9
This level 9 answer combines a clear explanation with fluent sentences, appropriate formal language, and a payment deadline that protects the library. Some wordiness, an awkward damage description, and an unspecified period for lifting the block distinguish it from level 11.
I would like to explain what happened and ask whether a temporary arrangement is possible.
— Content/Coherence: This clearly previews the explanation and request, making the email easy to follow. However, it spends space announcing its purpose; level 11 uses its opening to establish responsibility and strengthen the appeal.Two copies were soaked through, and their pages have since dried stuck together.
— Vocabulary: The wording conveys more precise damage than level 7's basic description. However, the phrase describing how the pages dried is slightly awkward; level 11 expresses the resulting condition more smoothly and vividly.our ten members, several of whom have already started planning our discussion night, would have to go without.
— Readability: The relative clause adds relevant detail with good grammatical control. However, the long sentence delays the consequence, and its ending is vague; level 11 states the meeting's postponement directly.if the building has not paid by the end of the month, I will cover the fee myself.
— Task Fulfillment: This gives the library a firm payment commitment even if the building delays its decision, improving on level 7. Level 11 further clarifies the arrangement by specifying how long the borrowing block should be lifted.
Level 11 sample answer
197 words
Dear Ms. Rao,
I am writing about the $96 replacement fee now attached to my card for two copies from the book club kit I borrow each month. I accept that the kit was in my care, but I hope you will allow me to explain the circumstances.
Last Tuesday afternoon, water began leaking through the ceiling of our building's mailroom, where I had set the kit down for barely forty minutes. By the time I returned, two copies were saturated, and their pages have since fused into solid blocks. Our building manager has acknowledged that the leak was the building's fault, though he has yet to say whether it will reimburse me.
In the meantime, the block on my account leaves our ten members in limbo. Unless I can collect the next kit on the 15th, we will have to postpone a meeting that several retirees in our building plan their month around.
Would you consider lifting the block for thirty days? Should the building not have paid by then, I will settle the full amount myself, and I can forward the manager's acknowledgement for your records.
Thank you for your consideration.
With thanks,
Qian Zhao
Why this answer is at level 11
This level 11 answer balances personal responsibility with a persuasive explanation of the accident and its consequences. Precise language, controlled sentence structures, and a clearly timed arrangement make the request strong and fair to the library.
I accept that the kit was in my care
— Content/Coherence: This acknowledgement establishes responsibility before explaining the building's fault. It strengthens the argument by showing why temporary flexibility is reasonable while preserving the library's claim to payment.two copies were saturated, and their pages have since fused into solid blocks.
— Vocabulary: The precise description communicates both the severity of the soaking and its lasting effect. It makes the need for replacement concrete, with greater expressive control than the descriptions in levels 7 and 9.Should the building not have paid by then, I will settle the full amount myself
— Readability: The conditional structure is grammatically controlled and easy to follow. It links the payment promise directly to the requested borrowing period while maintaining a formal, courteous tone.Would you consider lifting the block for thirty days?
— Task Fulfillment: This specifies the exact temporary relief requested. Combined with the personal payment guarantee and offer of the manager's acknowledgement, it gives the supervisor a concrete arrangement that supports the club and protects the library.
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