An event you paid for was cancelled at short notice, and you have not yet received a refund. Write a letter to the event organiser.
A full IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 letter requesting a refund for a cancelled event at Band 6.0, 7.0 and 8.5, with the structure, register and language it needs, and why each version scores what it does.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
An event you paid for was cancelled at short notice, and you have not yet received a refund. Write a letter to the event organiser.
In your letter,
give the details of the event you booked and when you paid
explain what happened when the event was cancelled
say what you would like the organiser to do and by when
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
This scenario hinges on money and a broken promise, so it is tempting to sound accusatory. The real skill is stating the figures, dates and the organiser's own broken deadline with total precision — so the complaint proves itself — while keeping the tone measured enough that the final deadline and consequence land as reasonable rather than as a threat.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Sir or Madam, — the organiser is a company, not a personal contact, so the impersonal opening is correct.
Opening — State which event you booked, the date you paid, and the amount, all in one clear opening sentence.
Body 1 — Explain briefly how and when you learned the event was cancelled, and note whether a refund process was promised at the time.
Body 2 — State plainly that no refund has been received, including how long it has now been outstanding.
Body 3 — Ask for the refund by a specific date, and name the payment method it should be returned to.
Closing — Note that you will escalate the matter (bank, consumer body) if the deadline passes, then sign off formally.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
157 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing about the photography workshop I booked with your company on 5 May, which cost 90 dollars and which I paid for in full at the time of booking.
On 18 May, I received an email saying the workshop was cancelled because there were not enough people who booked. The email said that refunds would be given within seven days, but this did not happen.
It has now been three weeks since the cancellation, and I still have not received my money back. I have tried to contact your office twice by email, but nobody has replied to me.
I would like my full refund of 90 dollars to be returned to my bank account by 15 June. If I do not receive it by then, I will contact my bank to ask for the payment to be reversed.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
States facts plainly and in order: 'On 18 May, I received an email saying the workshop was cancelled'
Basic but accurate vocabulary: 'I still have not received my money back'
The deadline and consequence are both stated simply: 'If I do not receive it by then, I will contact my bank'
Some repetition of 'refund' and 'money' shows adequate but limited range
Band 7.0 model answer
178 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing regarding the photography workshop I booked with your company on 5 May, for which I paid the full fee of 90 dollars at the time of booking.
On 18 May, I received an email informing me that the workshop had been cancelled due to insufficient bookings. The email stated that refunds would be processed within seven days, but this has not occurred.
It has now been three weeks since the cancellation, and I have yet to receive any refund. I have contacted your office by email on two separate occasions since then, but I have not received a reply on either occasion. This has left me considerably out of pocket in the meantime.
I would therefore ask that my full refund of 90 dollars be returned to my original payment method by 15 June at the latest. Should this deadline not be met, I will have no option but to contact my bank to arrange a chargeback.
I trust this matter can be resolved without further delay.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
'due to insufficient bookings' is more precise and formal than a plainer explanation
'I have not received a reply on either occasion' shows controlled, accurate use of a slightly more complex structure
'I would therefore ask that my full refund... be returned' uses a formal passive request structure accurately
'I will have no option but to contact my bank to arrange a chargeback' is precise, appropriately firm formal vocabulary
Band 8.5 model answer
191 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing regarding the photography workshop I booked with your company on 5 May, for which I paid the full fee of 90 dollars in advance.
On 18 May, I was informed by email that the workshop had been cancelled owing to insufficient bookings, and was assured that refunds would be processed within seven days. Three weeks on, however, no refund has materialised, despite my having emailed your office twice since then, on neither occasion receiving so much as an acknowledgement. This has left me considerably out of pocket, and the silence itself has been almost as frustrating as the delay.
What concerns me is not simply the missing refund, but the complete absence of any communication explaining it.
I would therefore ask that my full refund of 90 dollars be returned to my original payment method no later than 15 June. Should this deadline pass without payment, I will have little choice but to contact my bank and request a chargeback.
I would much prefer to resolve this directly with your office, and I hope a response will make that unnecessary.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
'Three weeks on, however,' fronts the time reference for natural emphasis
'on neither occasion receiving so much as an acknowledgement' is a flexible, idiomatic negative structure used with no strain
'What concerns me is not simply the missing refund, but the complete absence of any communication explaining it' is a precisely judged cleft sentence that develops the most important point
The closing 'I would much prefer to resolve this directly with your office' shows a natural, conciliatory register alongside firmness
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a formal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
Do I need to quote the exact refund policy the organiser gave me?
A brief reference to what they promised, such as 'refunds within seven days', is enough to show the request is reasonable — you don't need to quote it word for word.
Is it okay to mention contacting my bank for a chargeback?
Yes, as a single closing consequence tied to a clear deadline — it shows the letter is a genuine final request, not an empty complaint.
Should I explain why the event was cancelled?
Only briefly, in one sentence, since the task is about the refund, not the cancellation itself — don't let the explanation take over the letter.
How do I stay polite when I'm genuinely annoyed about not being contacted?
Stick to facts and dates, such as 'I have contacted your office twice... without a reply', and let the facts carry the frustration rather than commenting directly on how you feel.
