Match the column A to column B to associate the ideas, try to guess what we are going to complain about

Complaint 1. My 2-years-old daughter cut herself on the toy. 2. When we received the bill we realized we had been charged the full price. 3. The top rack of the dishwasher has broken. 4. You still keep delivering equipment to the wrong address. 5. I received a letter saying my licence has expired. 6. The shirt’s bright red collar has turned pink. 7. I had to share a bathroom with other guests.

Justification   a) I sent you a cheque to renew it a month ago. b) I informed you of my change of business address / c) I booked a room with a private bathroom. d) I have only used it three times. e) You claim it is safe for children over 18 months. f) The label states that it can be washed at high temperatures without the colours fading. g) We were told there would be a 20% discount if we ordered before June.

 

2) Read the letter and fill the blanks with phrases from the list:

The second, fortunately, I would appreciate, firstly, all in all.

You’ve recently bought a DVD player online in which the disk tray gets stuck. Write a letter of complaint to the company. In your letter you should:

• state when you bought it;

• explain what the problem is;

• ask for a replacement

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the DVD player (model NBC 130-5) which I purchased from your online store on March, 10th. I am extremely upset with the quality of your device.

1 ____________there wasn’t any instruction manual, so I could hardly understand the function of some buttons. 2 __________________, I have found the manual on the Internet, but the packaging was not complete in appropriate way.

3 __________________ is worse than the first one. I have tried to insert the disk and suddenly the disk tray got stuck. I even was not able to take my disk out!

4 _____________, I feel this DVD is not of acceptable quality and does not match the sample on your website.

5 _______________ it if this model could be replaced with one of the same quality and price. I have attached a photocopy of my receipt as a proof of the purchase. I hope that this matter will be resolved as quickly as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Jane Norman

Jane Norman

 

Read the letter and fill in the table with the appropriate information.

Writer’s complaints	Justifications

 

Read the sentences and complete the box as in the example.

1. I am writing to complain about the quality of service at your department store.

2. I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction at the disgraceful treatment I received at your medical centre.

3. I insist on a full refund or I shall be forced to take the matter further.

4. I expect a refund for the extra money I had to spend.

5. I am writing to draw your attention to the inefficient service of your local branch.

6. Unless I receive the product by the end of this week, I will have no choice but to cancel my order.

7. I hope you will deal with this matter properly.

8. I am writing to express my disgust at the facilities and service offered by your agency.

 

	Mild tone	Strong tone
Opening remarks
Closing remarks

 

 

5) Read the situations below and say:

a) Who you would address your letter of complaint to;

b) What complaints you would include in the letter;

c) What tone would be appropriate for your letter;

d) What opening and closing remarks you would write.

Ø You have just come back from a package holiday to a seaside resort. You did not enjoy your holiday however because of the room service, the staff and the facilities at the hotel.

Ø You recently went for a meal at Carter’s Pizza Restaurant to celebrate your birthday. Your party was completely ruined. You were horrified by the service, quality of the food, rudeness of the staff.

Ø A month ago you ordered some sport equipment from a sports shop. You were disappointed with the delivery service and the quality of the equipment.

 

6) Readthe rubric, underline the key words and answer the questions:

You ordered a camcorder and paid by credit card but you were sent the wrong model and you were overcharged. Write a letter of complaint explaining what happened and saying what action you expect the company to take.

§ What type of letter should you write?

§ Who is going to read your letter?

§ Would you use a mild or a strong tone? Why?

§ What style would you use? Why?

§ How would you begin / end your letter?

§ How many main body paragraphs should you write?

What should the topic of each one be?

§ What kind of problems could the camcorder have?

§ What would you expect the company to do?

 

 

Complete the chart.

Part	Purpose	Notes	Useful expressions
First line	Greetings	Dear…
Introduction (Para 1)	State complain and detailes (where / when / what)		I am writing to complain about / regarding / on account of / on the subject of…/ I am writing to draw your attention to…/ in connection with… I was appalled at / I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with / I feel I must protest about…
Main body (Para 2)	Make your 1^st complaint and give reason / example		First of all / firstly / furthermore / secondly / in addition to / however / not only / to make matters worse / in spite of / even though
(Para 3)	Make your 2^nd complaint and give reason / example
(Para 4)	Make your 3^rd complaint and give reason / example
Conclusion (Para 5)	Actions you expect to be taken / recommend-dations		I expect / Needless to say / I feel I am entitled to / I insist on / I hope / I strongly recommend
Closing expressions (2)	Express respect		Yours faithfully / Faithfully yours
Final line	Sign (your full name)

8) Read the rubric again and write your letter of complaint (120 -180 words).

Writing Tip

Opinion essays are formal in style. They require your opinion on a topic which must be clearly stated and supported by reasons. It is necessary to include the opposing viewpoint in another paragraph.

A successful opinion essay should have:

a) an introductory paragraph in which you state the topic and your opinion;

b) a main body which consists of two or more paragraphs. Each paragraph should present a separate viewpoint supported by your reasons. Another paragraph giving the opposing viewpoint and reasons may be included;

c) a conclusion in which you restate your opinion using different words.

Useful Language To express opinion: I believe/feel that…, In my opinion, I think, In my view, I strongly believe, The way I see it, It seems to me (that), To my mind, As far as I am concerned, I (completely) agree that/with…, I (strongly) disagree that/with…, I am totally against, I couldn’t agree /disagree/ more that/with… To list points: In the first place, first of all, to start with, Firstly, to begin with. To add more points: what is more, another major reason, also, furthermore, moreover, in addition to this/that, besides, apart from this, not to mention the fact that. To introduce contrasting viewpoints: It is argued that, People argue that, Opponents of this view say, There are people who oppose, Contrary to what most people believe, As opposed to the above ideas. To introduce examples: for example, for instance, such as, in particular, especially. To conclude: To sum up, All in all, All things considered, Taking everything into account.

 

 

Practice

1) Read the rubric and answer the following questions. Your teacher has asked you to write an essay, giving your opinion on the topic “A new trend toward extreme sport”.

Ø What type of writing is it?

Ø Who is going to read it?

Ø What style should you use? Why?

 

2) Read the essay and put the paragraphs in the correct order.

However, we must not forget about the high risk of getting injured while doing extreme activities. We must always remember about caution and common sense. Moreover, insurance is important to cover medical costs in case of an accident or injury.

Furthermore, extreme sports tend to be highly stimulating. It is an excellent way to relieve anxiety and tension from our everyday life. I think this makes people feel happy and full of energy and have a great sense of achievements.

To start with, some people are in favour of such sports as surfing, rock climbing, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, parachuting because of opportunity to test their limits. For example, by performing complex feats they get to know the limits of their courage and overcome their fear of certain things like public speaking or inferiority complex.

All things considered, although extreme sports can be dangerous at times, they involve a lot of extreme emotions and help people get rid of their tiresome fears.

“I'm really into extreme sports and just having fun”, Kellan Lutz, a famous American actor, says. Nowadays extreme sports are gaining popularity among teenagers and grown-ups as a reaction to the safety of modern life. I strongly believe that the pace of life has become faster, and people need to exercise adrenaline.