CELPIP® Writing Task 1 sample: Move-In Elevator Booking Changed
Writing an Email · 27 minutes · 150–200 words · Published
Original practice questions in CELPIP® task formats, created independently by CELPIP Study.
Practice question
You are moving into a rented condo in Brampton on Saturday and have booked the service elevator from 9 to 11 a.m. Your building manager, Gabriel, has now offered a 1 to 3 p.m. slot because a required elevator inspection will run until noon. Your rental truck must be returned by 2 p.m., and extending it would cost $150 that you have not budgeted for. You must return your old apartment keys by 3 p.m. and confirm the new elevator booking by Thursday.
Write an email to your building manager, Gabriel.
- Identify the difficulty with the revised elevator booking.
- Outline your truck rental costs and key-return deadline.
- Ask for a workable booking and an alternative if the inspection runs late.
Model answers
Level 7 sample answer
161 words
Dear Gabriel,
I am writing about the new elevator time for my move into the Brampton condo on Saturday. I booked 9 to 11 a.m., but you have offered 1 to 3 p.m. because the inspection will continue until noon.
This time creates a problem for my truck rental. I have to return the truck by 2 p.m., and an extension would cost $150. I have not allowed for this charge in my budget. Also, my old apartment keys must be returned by 3 p.m., so I cannot simply move later.
Could I use the elevator from noon to 1 p.m. if the inspection finishes on time? I would accept a shorter booking to keep my other arrangements. Please also let me know what would happen if the inspection take longer. I need a plan that does not leave my things waiting outside.
Please reply before Thursday so we can discuss about the options before I confirm the booking.
Sincerely,
Greta
Why this answer is at level 7
This level 7 answer clearly explains the scheduling problem and includes the essential costs and deadlines. Its straightforward organization supports understanding, but grammatical slips, less precise phrasing, and a loosely developed backup request hold it below the stronger answers.
Also, my old apartment keys must be returned by 3 p.m., so I cannot simply move later.
— Content/Coherence: This connects the key-return deadline to the difficulty of delaying the move. The reasoning is clear, although the higher-level answers bring the truck and key commitments together into a more unified explanation of the scheduling pressure.I would accept a shorter booking to keep my other arrangements.
— Vocabulary: The meaning is understandable, but “keep my other arrangements” is imprecise. The stronger answers describe preserving the move's schedule or allowing existing arrangements to stand, making the purpose of accepting a shorter booking clearer.Please also let me know what would happen if the inspection take longer.
— Readability: The request is easy to follow, but “inspection take” has a subject–verb agreement error. The higher-level answers handle the same possibility with grammatically controlled wording, so the reader can focus entirely on the request.Could I use the elevator from noon to 1 p.m. if the inspection finishes on time?
— Task Fulfillment: This proposes a specific booking that could leave time to return the truck. However, finishing the inspection does not explicitly establish permission to use the elevator. The higher-level answers make the request conditional on clearance or passing inspection.
Level 9 sample answer
170 words
Dear Gabriel,
Thank you for letting me know about Saturday's elevator inspection. I am writing because the replacement booking, from 1 to 3 p.m., conflicts with the arrangements for my move into the rented condo. My original reservation was for 9 to 11 a.m.
The rental truck is due back at 2 p.m., so the revised slot would run beyond the return deadline. Extending the rental would cost $150, which I have not budgeted for. In addition, I must hand back my old apartment keys by 3 p.m. These commitments leave little room to push the move back.
Since the inspection is expected to finish at noon, could I book the elevator from noon to 1 p.m., provided it has been cleared for use? Although that would be a shorter slot, it could help me keep the move on track. I would also appreciate an alternative plan if the inspection runs late.
Please confirm what you can offer before Thursday's booking deadline so I can finalize my arrangements.
Sincerely,
Greta
Why this answer is at level 9
This level 9 answer combines complete factual coverage with clear paragraphing, accurate grammar, and an appropriately formal request. It improves on the simpler answer by requiring elevator clearance and explicitly requesting an alternative, while the top answer more firmly connects the contingency to the decision to commit.
These commitments leave little room to push the move back.
— Content/Coherence: This draws the truck and key deadlines together instead of leaving them as separate facts. The top answer develops the consequence further by explaining the choice between an additional expense and a schedule that is unlikely to work.Extending the rental would cost $150, which I have not budgeted for.
— Vocabulary: The wording states the financial consequence precisely and naturally. The top answer expresses the same information more compactly through “an unbudgeted $150 charge,” showing greater economy without losing the practical detail.could I book the elevator from noon to 1 p.m., provided it has been cleared for use?
— Readability: The conditional clause adds an essential qualification smoothly: the proposed booking depends on clearance. This is more controlled than the simpler answer's wording. The top answer sustains similar control while also explaining how the contingency affects acceptance.I would also appreciate an alternative plan if the inspection runs late.
— Task Fulfillment: This explicitly requests the alternative required by the question, improving on the simpler answer's general concern about belongings waiting outside. However, it does not state how that alternative affects confirmation; the top answer makes knowing the fallback necessary before committing.
Level 11 sample answer
187 words
Dear Gabriel,
I am requesting a revision to the replacement elevator booking for my move into the Brampton condo on Saturday. While I understand that the required inspection takes priority, moving my reservation from 9–11 a.m. to 1–3 p.m. would disrupt two commitments I cannot easily change.
My rental truck must be returned by 2 p.m.; retaining it longer would add an unbudgeted $150 charge. I must also return the keys to my current apartment by 3 p.m. Consequently, accepting the afternoon slot would leave me choosing between an additional expense and a schedule that is unlikely to work.
Would you consider allocating noon to 1 p.m. to my move, conditional on the elevator having passed inspection? I would be willing to accept a shorter reservation if that allowed the other arrangements to stand. Because an inspection could overrun, however, I would also need to know what alternative you could offer before committing to that plan.
Please respond before Thursday's confirmation deadline. Having a workable booking and a clear contingency would allow me to coordinate the move without relying on everything going exactly to plan.
Sincerely,
Greta
Why this answer is at level 11
This level 11 answer integrates the practical constraints into a persuasive, formally expressed request. Its precise vocabulary and controlled sentences explain why the revised booking is difficult, make elevator access conditional on passing inspection, and establish that a contingency is needed before commitment.
Consequently, accepting the afternoon slot would leave me choosing between an additional expense and a schedule that is unlikely to work.
— Content/Coherence: This turns the preceding costs and deadlines into a clear consequence. It gives Gabriel a reason to reconsider the booking, advancing the explanation beyond the other answers' statements that moving later would be difficult.Having a workable booking and a clear contingency
— Vocabulary: “Workable booking” and “clear contingency” precisely name the decisions needed from Gabriel. The vocabulary is formal and concise, while remaining directly connected to the move and the possibility of an inspection delay.My rental truck must be returned by 2 p.m.; retaining it longer would add an unbudgeted $150 charge.
— Readability: The semicolon links the truck deadline directly to its financial consequence. The sentence carries both facts efficiently and remains easy to read, demonstrating stronger compression than the simpler answer's separate statements.I would also need to know what alternative you could offer before committing to that plan.
— Task Fulfillment: This makes the alternative a condition of accepting the proposed booking. It asks Gabriel to supply the fallback without assuming what the building can provide, and directly addresses the uncertainty created by a possible inspection overrun.
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