Disputing a Parking Ticket

The task

Your neighbour Ravi got a parking ticket in downtown Victoria. He says he paid for parking with an app, but a parking officer still gave him a ticket. Ravi is not sure whether it is worth disputing the ticket or whether he should simply pay it. Advise Ravi on what he should do.

• Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
• This is an original practice question written in a CELPIP-style format. It is not a real test question.
• The CLB level of each model answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score. This practice material is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises.
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Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

90 seconds

Question

10 of 10

Ravi, that's so annoying! You paid and you still got ticket. Before you decide, check the app. Look at the history. Is the licence plate correct? And the zone, the zone number, is it same like on the ticket? Many people make a mistake with one number and they get ticket, it happens a lot. If everything is correct, take a screenshot of the payment, with the time and the zone. Save your credit card statement also. Read the ticket. It explain how to dispute, and there is a deadline, don't wait too long. Maybe you can do online, I'm not sure. Write short and polite, not angry, and send the screenshots. If you made the mistake with the zone, you can still explain them, maybe they are nice to you. I think it's worth to try. I can help you write it, if you want, no problem.

Why this answer works

• Sensible order (check, collect proof, read the ticket, write politely), with a plan B, but the steps are short commands with few links ("Read the ticket.").
• Plain words with varied slips ("is it same like", "It explain how to dispute", "worth to try") and a restart ("the zone, the zone number"), which suit a CLB 7.
• Gives an opinion at the end, but the link between his evidence and the decision is not made clear.

Ravi, that's really frustrating, especially because you paid. I think it's worth disputing, but first you need to check how strong your case is. Open the app and look at your payment history. Make sure the licence plate and the zone number match the ticket exactly. A wrong number is one of the most common reasons people get a ticket even after paying. If everything matches, take screenshots that show the time, the zone and the amount, and keep your credit card statement too. Next, read the ticket carefully. It should explain how to dispute it and give you a deadline, so don't wait too long. In many cities you can do it online. When you write your explanation, keep it short and polite, and attach your screenshots. A calm message usually works better than an angry one. If you find out the zone was wrong, you can still explain what happened and ask if they'll lower the fine. I'd try, because it only takes about twenty minutes. Tell me if you'd like me to read it first.

Why this answer works

• Gives an opinion early and links it to the evidence ("first you need to check how strong your case is").
• Clear steps in order (check, collect proof, read the ticket, write), with one plan B for his own mistake.
• Plain, accurate vocabulary: payment history, licence plate, screenshots, deadline.

Ravi, whether you fight this really comes down to one screenshot, so let's work out which situation you're in before you spend any energy on it. Open the app's payment history and put it side by side with the ticket. If the plate, the zone and the time all match, dispute it, no question. You've got a paid receipt for the exact spot, and that's about as clean a case as you'll get. If they don't match, because you typed one digit wrong or picked the zone across the street, it's a closer call. You can still ask for a review and explain it was an honest mistake, and some cities may reduce it. But if the fine's small and the process looks like a pile of forms, paying might honestly be the better use of your afternoon. I know, paying feels like admitting you were wrong when you weren't. Just don't let the deadline on the ticket slip by while you're deciding, because then you lose the choice completely. So, what does the app say?

Why this answer works

• Turns the decision into a test with two outcomes ("comes down to one screenshot") and gives a different recommendation for each.
• Weighs the cost of disputing against paying, admits the emotional objection ("paying feels like admitting you were wrong"), and flags the deadline as the real risk.
• Natural, exact phrasing ("side by side", "as clean a case as you'll get", "a closer call") and a one-line closing question instead of an offer.