CELPIP Writing Task 1: Writing an Email

CELPIP Writing Task 1 Sample Answer: Monthly Budget Chat

By Rita

You’re writing to your partner, Alex, to set up a time this weekend to review your joint monthly budget.

Time

27 minutes

Length

150–200 words

Tone

Formal or semi-formal, depending on the reader

The question

You’re writing to your partner, Alex, to set up a time this weekend to review your joint monthly budget.

Required Points:

-Propose meeting time/date

-List main budget categories to review

-Mention documents/tools you’ll use

-Ask for Alex’s input on agenda

Excellent answer: around CLB 11–12

Dear Alex, I hope you had a productive week. To ensure we stay on track, could we meet this Sunday, June 29 at 4:00 PM to review our July budget? I propose we cover rent, groceries, utilities, insurance, and our joint savings targets. I’ll prepare the bank statements, our shared spreadsheet, and a summary of last month’s variances. Please let me know if there’s anything you’d like to add or if another time suits you better. Looking forward to syncing up! Warm regards, [Your Name]

85 words

Good answer: around CLB 7–8

Dear Alex, I hope you’re free this weekend. Could we sit down on Sunday at 4:00 PM to review our monthly budget for July? I’d like to go over rent, groceries, utilities, and savings goals. I’ll have the bank statements, our budgeting spreadsheet, and the latest expense report ready. Please let me know if you’d like to add any other items or suggest a different time. Thanks! Best, [Your Name]

70 words

Basic answer: around CLB 4–5

Dear Alex, Can we meet Sunday at 4 PM to look at our budget? We need to check rent, groceries, and utilities. I’ll bring our bank statements and the spreadsheet. Let me know if that works or if you want to add anything. Cheers, [Your Name]

46 words

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB