Letter writing

MODULE 3

3A LETTERS OF COMPLAINT

practice

1. Read the following letters of complaint (A and B). Why are the people dissatisfied? What would they like to be done? Translate the letters of complaint into Russian. Use the tips below and a dictionary to help you.

• Read the whole text carefully before you start translating.

• Translate the general sense of each sentence, not every single word.

• Use good monolingual and bilingual dictionaries.

• Read your finished translation – does it sound natural in your own language?

• Check the final text for any errors.

A. Dear Sir/Madam,

We are writing to complain about our holiday in Venice. We stayed in the “four-star” Hotel Rialto in June. The travel agent told us it would be fine at that time of year, but it was not “sunny”: it rained every day and the streets were flooded. As a result, we couldn’t walk about the famous streets of Venice.

Your brochure said that “rooms overlook a canal” but our room overlooked a narrow street with a view of a brick wall. Your brochure also said the hotel had beautiful antique Venetian furniture – our room only had an uncomfortable bed and an old chair. When we complained to the receptionist, she offered us a suit – at an additional charge!

In a four-star hotel I expect to find a satellite TV, but there wasn’t one in our room. When we asked the receptionist, she said there wasn’t any TVs in the hotel and that we could watch TV at home. In addition to all these problems, room service was too slow.

In conclusion, our holiday to Venice was ruined by all these inconveniences. We are very unhappy with the service we received and we would like our money back. We await your reply and our compensation.

Yours faithfully,

Peter and Amy Harrison

B. Dear Sir,

I am writing to complain about the appalling conditions and treatment my wife and I received at the Hotel Saint German over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd October. The advertisement we saw suggested that your hotel suited our requirements, and we were looking forward to a comfortable, carefree weekend break. However, it turned out to be most disappointing.

Firstly, we arrived at the hotel after a tiring journey, only to be informed that our reservation had, inexplicably, been cancelled. By chance another room was available, saving us the inconvenience of searching for another hotel, but we had specifically booked a room with an en suite bathroom, which we were obliged to do without. As if that were not enough, the view from the room turned to be of a brick wall and a narrow alley full of rubbish.

Secondly, despite the international reputation of French cuisine, I must remark that your hotel restaurant is the worst I have been to in any part of the world. The chefs may well have been 'highly skilled', as stated in the advertisement, but the service was slapdash, the waiters discourteous, and it took almost an hour for the food we had ordered to be served by this time, not surprisingly, it was stone cold. We therefore had no choice but to make alternative eating arrangements, at great expense.

The last straw was that, on returning to our room, we discovered that the air conditioning was not working. Since the advertisement described the rooms as 'cosy', 'with all modern conveniences', we had at least expected some form of heating. When I complained to the receptionist, he was most unhelpful, claiming that repairs could not be made until after the weekend, and offering no alternative solution.

In conclusion, it is clear to me that, given the amount we paid, the services and facilities offered by your hotel are most unsatisfactory. I therefore feel that the least you can offer us in compensation for such a disastrous weekend is a full refund I am hoping that you will give this matter your urgent attention. Otherwise, I shall be obliged to take it further to the appropriate authorities.

Yours faithfully,

Reginald Berkeley

(Upstream Proficiency. Workbook)

2. a) Compare two letters. Imagine you are an examiner. Read the two letters A and B below. Then use these questions to help you to decide which is better. Say which letter, A or B:

1. does not cover all the aspects required in the task (comes before the letters)

2. is written in the correct tone (i.e. firm but polite).

3. is rambling and confusing

4. contains complex sentences that are well linked together.

5. contains well-developed paragraphs.

6. addresses the recipient correctly

7. contains a suitable introduction.

8. contains a final paragraph which is clear and assertive, but not aggressive.

9. contains an appropriate closure

10. contains a number of punctuation mistakes.

11. is the correct length.

Task:

Write your answer in 300-350 words in appropriate style.

You have just returned from a foreign holiday you booked through a well-known holiday company. Neither the resort nor the hotel that you stayed at came up to your expectations. You have decided to write a letter to the holiday company complaining about aspects of your holiday and outlining the reasons for your dissatisfaction. In your letter, suggest what steps you think the company should take to rectify the problems for holiday makers in the future, and say what kind of compensation you expect. Do not write any postal addresses.

Letter A

Dear Manager, Recently, I booked a holiday with your company and what a waste of money it was! I am very disgusted with you and your staff and I’d like to know what you plan to do about it. The holiday we had was on page 54 of your brochure and we were there from 13-23 July. My parents paid for my friend and me to go on this holiday so that we could enjoy ourselves and have a good time after our exams. It cost them a lot of money but they didn’t mind, they thought we were going to a good place. When we went to the travel agents the man said that the resort was good for young people but when we got there we found it was full of boring grey haired old people, there was nothing to see and do and nowhere for us to go in the evenings so we were really bored. The hotel was no good because there were no disco’s just old fashioned singers and entertainers and everything finished by 10.30 in the evening, we just had to go to bed and it was really disappointing. The travel agent said that we would have a hotel room with a sea view and a balcony but when we got there our room was at the back and the balcony was so small we could only stand we couldn’t sit down or sunbathe. And the view from our room was not of the sea, it was of the back of the hotel where they put all the rubbish. It smelt really bad, too. I expect to get a refund and an apology. Best wishes, Sonya Brown

Letter B

Dear Sir or Madam, I have just returned from a holiday which I booked with your company and I am writing to say how disappointed I am. When I booked the holiday together with two friends of mine, we made it clear to your representative that we wanted a small beach resort which was lively but not too noisy or over-developed. He recommended the Arosa resort. He assured us that it was a picturesque little harbour town with plenty to see and do and lots of local colour. He also recommended the Atlantico Hotel and showed us a photo in the brochure of a wonderful room with a balcony and sea view. Although the price of the holiday was more than we had anticipated, we were persuaded to book it. When we arrived at Arosa, we discovered our mistake. All the town has to offer is a disused and unsightly fishing harbour and a small stony beach which, when we were there, was covered in oil. There was a beautiful sandy beach in the neighbouring resort but that was 10 kilometres away and we had no transport. Our hotel was equally disappointing. They are building a new road behind the hotel and the noise and dust was indescribable. We were unable to sit on our balcony at all. Some of the other tourists in the hotel had young children and they were afraid to let them go out alone because it was so dangerous. Another problem was the lifts. They broke down nearly every day so everybody, even the very elderly, had to climb up many flights of stairs. When we complained to the manager, he shrugged and replied that it was ‘difficult to get hold of technicians at this time of year’. As you can imagine, I am disgusted with the holiday we were sold. Regarding the resort, may I suggest that your representatives remove it from your list of recommended destinations or at least give holiday makers a more truthful description in future. The same applies to the hotel. I find it impossible to believe that the lifts cannot be properly maintained at the very least. I also think that the hotel should be closed while dangerous building work is going on. I would very much like to hear your reactions to all this, and I anticipate receiving an apology and substantial refund from your company. I look forward to hearing from you. Tours faithfully, Bruce Hawkins Bruce Hawkins

b) Find words or phrases in Letter B which mean the same as the words below.

1. to reserve

2. spoilt because it has too many new buildings

3. to suggest/advise

4. to tell someone something, firmly and with confidence, with the aim of removing doubt

5. charming and interesting

6. to expect

7. no longer in use

8. unpleasant to look at

9. impossible to describe

10. to obtain/find

c) Answer the following questions about Letter B.

1. Look at paragraph 1. Is this a good way to start the letter? Why? What does the writer say in this paragraph?

2. What is the main topic of Paragraphs 3,4 and 5? Find the topic sentences in each of these paragraphs.

3. Paragraph 6 rounds off the letter in an appropriate way. What does the writer say in this paragraph? Why do you think this is important?

(New Proficiency Writing. pp.22-24)

3. a) Complete the following sentences, using the words and expressions below.

Mild feeling fed up inconvenienced put out taken aback

Quite strong feeling annoyed disappointed dissatisfied irritated

Very strong feeling appalled disgusted furious horrified

1 When something is not satisfactory, you feel ………………… .

2 When you expect something good, and it turns out bad, you feel …………… .

3 When something makes you feel extremely upset, you feel ………………… .

4 When you feel quite angry, you are …………. or …………… or ………….. .

5 When something causes trouble or difficulty for you, you are …………. by it.

6 When you are very, very angry, you are ……………… .

7 When something negative happens, and you are surprised by it, you are ………. by it.

8 When something upsets you a little, you are ………….. by it.

9 When you have had enough of the situation, you feel …………… with it.

b) Some of the adjectives in a) end in –ed and are passive in meaning. Some of these adjectives can have an –ing ending and are active in meaning.

Read the following extract from a letter about a disastrous holiday. Complete the extract using an appropriate word from a) in the correct form. Use a different word for each answer.

In general, the holiday was (1) ………….. . For a start, the food was (2) …………, and the service was slow. What’s more the telephone was ringing all night, which was very (3) …………. . Not only that, but I had to ask five times for my room to be cleaned; I was quite (4) …………., I can tell you. When I finally saw the bill, I was (5) ……………. ! For that kind of money, I had expected a better hotel. It was all very (6) ………….. .

(First Certificate Writing. pp.53-54)

4. a) Read the advertisement and the notes. Then read the sample answer. Choose the best option from the words in italics.

FIVE BIG SCREENS Seats: £3.00 Free parking All programmes start at 20.00 NOW SHOWING: Golden eye Dr Zhivago Waterworld Babe Midnight Runner

NOTES Seats: None at £3. Ours cost £10! 20 mins' walk away. Nearest car park costs £10. Ad is not true - want money back

Dear Sir / Manager,

I am writing to complain about/ This is about your advertisement for the Multiplex Cinema, which is misleading in a number of ways.

Firstly, you state in the advertisement/ your advert that seats cost £3.00. But you know/ However, when I went to the cinema, the only seats that were available cost £10 each. I feel/ reckon that it should have been made clear that only a limited number of seats cost £3, and that the others are far/ loads more expensive.

Secondly/ And then you say that there is free car parking. However, when I asked about this at the box office, I was told that the free car park was twenty minutes' walk away. There is a £10 charge for using the car park next to the cinema, but your advertisement does not make this clear at all.

So all in all/ Under the circumstances, I feel justified in asking for a refund. I would therefore be grateful if you could refund the extra £141 I had to spend on the tickets and the £10 charge for parking. I am enclosing/ Here are the receipts for these.

I look forward to hearing/ Hope to hear from you.

Yours faithfully/ sincerely

D D Jones

b) Look again at the task and the sample letter. Answer these questions with yes or no. Where you have answered no, think about why the writer has chosen not to do this.

Has the writer of the letter ...

1 written to the Manager?

2 chosen a formal style?

3 covered all the points mentioned in the writer's notes?

4 mentioned the five films in the advertisement?

5 explained clearly what the complaint is about?

6 suggested a course of action the manager should take?

7 been offensive?

5. Read the following extracts from letters of complaint, and decide which one would be successful in getting a refund. Which one is:

• not strong enough?

• too strong?

• appropriate in tone?

1 Your company should not be allowed to operate. You told lies in your advertisement, and I think the public should know about this. If you don’t give me my money back, I will have to take you to court.	3 I was unhappy with the holiday, and I would be very grateful if you could please refund some of my money. If this is not possible, could you please offer me another holiday for free?
2 I believe you can appreciate how disappointed I was when the holiday turned out to be very different from the one advertised. I would like all or part of my money refunded.

(First Certificate Writing. p.51)

6. Imagine you went on one of the excursions in the advertisement opposite and you were very disappointed with your trip. Report what the advertisement promised, and add a complaint to each point.

BREAKAWAY EXCURSIONS ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪ See the sights of the city with us! Tours leave at 8.30 am every day. All our guides speak good English, French and Italian. Our guides are very knowledgeable. All tours include the price of lunch in a traditional restaurant.

(First Certificate Writing. p.54)

7. Read the following model text and decide if the following are appropriate:

• the greeting and ending

• the style of the letter

• the tone

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing in connection with your weekend breaks, which I saw advertised in The Sunday Times. I went on one of these breaks last week, and I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed. Even though your advertisement stated that all transport would be provided, I had to take a taxi to the hotel. To make matters worse, the hotel refused to refund my taxi fare. Furthermore, your advertisement promised a stay in a top-class hotel. However, the lift was not working at any time during the weekend, despite my repeated requests to have it repaired. In addition, the hotel was near a construction site and the constant noise was very irritating. I also went on a sightseeing tour, which I had been looking forward to. I was very disappointed to find that the guide clearly knew nothing about the area. I would like to hear your explanation for the above problems, and I would also like to have all or part of my money refunded. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Claire Dawson Claire Dawson

(First Certificate Writing. p.51)

8. Write an introduction and a conclusion to the following letter.

Your advertisement stated that the cost of all the meals would be included in the price. When I got the bill, I was appalled to find that I had to pay for them. Furthermore, the meals were cold, and the service in the restaurant was very slow.

Your advertisement also promised that there would be a babysitter available in the hotel. When my husband and I wanted to go out for the evening, we were told that the babysitter was on holiday. The receptionist was very rude when I asked her to find someone else to look after my little girl.

(First Certificate Writing. p.53)

9. Read the instructions below and the beginnings and endings from letters of complaint. Then match the beginnings and endings and say whether the language in each pair is mild, strong or abusive. Which level of language would be most appropriate for the situation described?

You recently travelled by coach and were very disappointed with the ser­vice provided by the staff, and the delays you encountered. Write a letter to the company to complain and to demand compensation.

Beginnings…

1 I am writing to express my total dissatisfaction with the appal­ling service I experienced on one of your coaches from Cardiff to Coventry on 24th May.

2 I am writing to complain about the poor quality of the service I experienced on one of your coaches from Cardiff to Coventry on 24th May.

3 I am writing to draw your atten­tion (if you have any, which I doubt) to the fact that the staff who 'served' us on your Cardiff -to-Coventry coach on 24th May are incompetent, idle fools.

…Endings

A I hope that you will look into this situation as a matter of some urgency, and that the service offered by your com­pany will improve.

В Organise your pitiful company efficiently and stop cheating the public by charging outra­geous prices for fifth-rate service.

С I insist that my wife and I re­ceive a full refund of the price of our tickets, and must warn you that unless this matter is resolved at once I will not hes­itate to take legal action.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.104)

10. Read the following situations, and say whether mild or strong language would be more appropriate for a letter concerning each one. Then, choose two situations and write a suitable beginning and ending for a letter of complaint about each.

1 your neighbour's dog barks at night – you can't sleep;

2 the hotel receptionist forgot to place your wake-up call – you over­slept, missed your flight and had to pay for another ticket;

3 you found a piece of glass in a packet of frozen food – you nearly swallowed it;

4 the TV guide always has inaccuracies concerning dates and times – you can't be sure what programmes will be shown;

5 the birthday cake you ordered wasn't delivered on time – the children were extremely disappointed;

6 there was no lifeguard on duty at the public swimming pool – your child almost drowned.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.104)

11. Look at the following writing task instructions and then answer the questions below. The questions apply to both tasks.

a) You are the manager of a supermarket which is losing customers because employees of the company next door park their cars in the supermarket parking area. Write a letter of com­plaint to the company and suggest what should be done.

b) You have noticed that students at your son's school are often left unattend­ed. Write a letter of complaint to the headmaster and ask him to ensure mat the situation does not continue.

• What greeting would you use?

• What is the main purpose for writing the letter?

• What is the additional purpose?

• What paragraph plan would you use?

• What useful expressions could you use as opening and closing remarks?

• How would you sign the letter?

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.104)

12. Complete the letter below using your own expressions.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with the service I received during a visit to your restaurant on December 12th.

Firstly, ………, but ………. Such a delay seems to me inexcusable.

Then, in spite of the fact that ………. Such careless service should not be tolerated in a restaurant which charges such high prices.

To make matters worse, ………. The menu claimed, though, that ……….

My wife and I will not be dining in your restaurant again; however, as manager, you would be wise to guard against such appalling treatment of your customers in future.

Yours faithfully,

Larry Dunman

(Successful Writing. Upper-Intermediate. St’s book. p.47)

13. Fill the gaps in these two letters with words from the list.

claims sorry must convenience ordered response hearing recover returning refund ensuring failure replace receiving

A Dear Sir or Madam, On August 2nd I bought a tin of Miracle Oven Cleaner in (1) ___ to your television advertisement, which (2) ___ that this product will clean ‘all the stains that ordinary oven cleaners leave behind’ and leave ‘even the dirtiest oven as clean as new’. In the light of the (3) ___ of the Miracle Oven Cleaner to clean my oven in anything resembling the manner you describe, I am (4) ___ it to you, and ask you to (5) ___ the full cost price of £2.12 plus the postage of 64p. I look forward to (6) ___ a cheque for £2.76 from you at your earliest (7) ___. Yours faithfully,

B Dear Sir, I received today the ‘Hendrix Junior’ guitar that I 8) ___ from you on February 28th. I am (9) ___ to have to tell you that when I opened the parcel I found the guitar broken. The neck was detached from the body, and the body itself was shattered. I (10) ___ ask you, therefore, either to (11) ___ the damaged guitar – (12) ___, on this occasion, its safe delivery – or to refund the price I paid for it, £59.99. Should you wish to (13) ___ the broken guitar, I will hold it at your disposal until the end of next month. I look forward to (14) ___ from you. Yours faithfully,

(Advanced Writing with English in Use CAE. p.90)

14. Lay the letter out correctly, with addresses. Fill the gaps with any details that your imagination (or your real grievances) might supply. (Note that this is a very formal letter, appropriate for an employer on the verge of sacking an employee, or a business person about to break off a business relationship. The use of the word you is particularly direct, and indicates the writer’s anger.)

Dear ___

As you will be aware, there have been many occasions during the past ___ (period of time) when I have had cause to complain about your ___.

Unfortunately, despite your repeated assurances that the situation would be resolved, you ___.

Clearly, this situation cannot be allowed to continue and, unless you can ensure that ___, I shall be obliged to ___. It is my hope that such a drastic step will not be necessary.

Yours sincerely

(Advanced Writing with English in Use CAE)

15. Read the instructions and model letter, and fill in the blanks in the letter with the words and phrases below, as in the example. Some of the words can be used more than once.

in the meantime, therefore, not only ... but also, while, nevertheless, thus, furthermore, as a result, although, since

You are a regular customer of a local restaurant. The last time you ate there, however, you felt that the standards had dropped slightly. Write a letter complaining why you were disappointed and suggesting what could be done to improve the situation.

Dear Mr Seward,

It is with regret that I feel I must write to express my disappointment at the quality of food and service I received at your restaurant yesterday evening.

(1) ……… your food is usually of a very high standard I felt that, on this occasion, the meal left a lot to be desired. The preparation and presentation seemed hurried and careless. (2) ……… , neither my guest nor I felt inclined to finish our meal.

(3) ……… , the service was not what I have come to expect from your establishment. Our waiter was rather inattentive and slow, (4) … not only … in taking our order … but also … in bringing the dishes. (5) ……… the reason for my visit was to entertain a client, I was somewhat disturbed at the apparent fall in standards. On the basis of my previous experience of your restaurant, I had promised my guest an especially memorable dinner, and was (6) ……… deeply embarrassed to be proved entirely wrong.

Might I suggest that, as the manager, it would be advisable for you to oversee the preparation of food personally. (7) ……… I realize the work involved in running a restaurant is very demanding, I (8) ……… feel that the standard of the food served is of utmost importance. I would recommend, (9) ……… , that you give this matter your urgent attention.

Regarding the service, I would suggest that you speak to the waiter concerned to ensure that other customers are not similarly inconvenienced. This would help your restaurant maintain its well-deserved reputation.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. (10) ……… , I hope you will take my comments into consideration.

Yours sincerely,

P.A.Hogan

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.103)

16. Rewrite the letter using different grammar and wording.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction with my recent stay at the Grange Health Spa.

Contrary to your advertisement's claim that guests would be offered a selection of meals, we had to make do with the same poor-quality food every day.

Moreover, I was appalled to find that the “luxury” I was promised was, in reality, a small room with barely enough space to move around. In addi­tion, the only view from my window was of the hotel's car park.

On leaving I was also charged for drinks I had had in the bar, even though your advertisement clearly states that the price was all-inclusive. Furthermore, I also had to pay extra for an aerobics class I took.

I insist on some compensation for my experience or I will be forced to take this matter further.

Yours faithfully,

Mark Smalls

(Mission. Teacher’s Book. p.47)

17. Sort the vocabulary used to describe service/ staff into the appropriate columns bad/ good.

sluggish

overbearing

off-putting

courteous

quick

sullen

brusque

nice

impeccable

friendly

accommodating

knowledgeable

unblemished

responsive

helpful

uncooperative

slapdash

discourteous

appalling

aberrant

abject

abusive

abysmal

disagreeable

disgraceful

disgusting

disinclined

poor

polite

organized

outrageous

disobliging

unacceptable

unapproachable

unceremonious

uncommunicative

needlessly brisk

inattentive

slow

obnoxious

obsequious

unprofessional

unpleasant

unpardonable

dreadful

iniquitous

reprehensible

discreditable

egregious

unsatisfying

unresponsive

unwelcoming

unsympathetic

unsmiling

unqualified

unsatisfactory

unrepentant

unhelpful

unobtrusive

efficient

courteous

offhand

(Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners)

18. a) Match the words (1-10) with their opposites (a-j).

airy spotless efficient good-humoured polite spacious reasonable delicious quiet in working order

a cramped b rude c exorbitant d out of order e inedible f noisy g stuffy (frowsty) h disorganized i bad-tempered j filthy

b) Complete the following sentences with words from a).

1. The disco was too ……… .

2. The windows wouldn’t open, so the room was hot and ……… .

3. The bathroom was ……… and looked as if it hadn’t been cleaned.

4. The lift was ………, so we had to use the stairs.

5. Our room was so ……… that that we could hardly turn round in it.

6. Most of the staff were polite but one or two were extremely ……… .

7. The prices in the restaurant were ……… .

8. The chef put too much salt in the vegetables, which meant they were almost ……… .

(New Proficiency Writing. St’s book. p.106)

19. a) The words and phrases below can all be used to describe food. Write out those with positive or neutral meaning.

crisp, delicious, disappointing, dried-up, exotic, fatty, fresh, greasy, healthy, imaginative, limp, melt-in-the-mouth, mouth-watering, over-cooked, plain, raw, spicy, stale, stunning, succulent, superb, tasteless, tender, tough, lukewarm

b) Write down pairs of words with an opposite meaning.

e.g. crisp/ limp

c) Write the words and phrases below in the correct category. Think of some more to add.

attentive, central, pricey, convenient, reasonably-priced, cosy, courteous, cramped, efficient, friendly, off the beaten track, offhand, over-priced, roomy, sophisticated, spacious

(New Proficiency Writing. St’s book. p.133)

20. Make notes about your complaints of the worst hotel you have stayed in (real or imaginary) in the following sections.

a)

Staff: Rude, unhelpful. Didn’t offer to help us with luggage. Didn’t have time to listen to our complaints.

…………………………………

Entertainment: Too noisy. We couldn’t sleep at night because of the disco.

…………………………….

Facilities: ………………………………

Food: ……………………………

Price: ……………………………

b)

a foyer a reception area lifts to all floors a porter a bar a residents’ lounge a TV room a sauna a swimming pool central heating

a terrace a games room a sun lounge an en suite bathroom a television in your room tea and coffee making facilities a telephone a clock-radio a fridge air conditioning sound proofing

(New Proficiency Writing. St’s book. p.105, 133)

21. Tick the option in the pairs of sentences which is more appropriate to use in a letter to the holiday company.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b

The description we were given of the resort was not an accurate one. Your staff didn’t tell the truth about the resort. Our hotel was rubbish. Our hotel fell far short of the standard we were expecting. Please sort things out soon. I would be grateful for your prompt attention in this matter. I anticipate receiving a substantial refund. I demand a refund. When we had a look at the radiators, we found that two weren’t working. On checking the radiators we found that two were out of order. I was finally given a room at the back of the hotel, where the noise level is low. They put me at the back of the hotel, where it’s quieter. Why don’t you put large groups in a separate annexe? One solution could be to allocate rooms for large groups in a separate annexe. It should be done as a matter of urgency. You should do it quickly. The staff proved to be unable to cope with the demands of the job. The staff were useless.

(New Proficiency Writing. St’s book. pp.22, 108)

22. Read the notes and, using the information given, complete the letter of complaint making changes where necessary. Write the missing words in the space provided. Use only one word in each space.

Bus too small – nowhere to sit Bus made stops not on schedule Rooms dirty and not comfortable Waiters not polite or organized Wouldn’t accept payment by cheque Location not convenient – 4 miles from town centre

I am writing on behalf of my firm to make a 1) …………… regarding the service your hotel provided at our annual convention. Firstly, the bus which transported us from the train station to the hotel did not have enough 2) …………… and as a result many delegates were forced to stand. Moreover, the driver made two 3) ………….. stops. When we finally arrived at the hotel, we found our rooms dirty and 4) …………… . Later, we had dinner in your restaurant. The food was tasty but the waiter was 5) ……………. and 6) ………… . In fact, when the bill was presented he wouldn’t accept a cheque and insisted we should 7) ……………. by cash or credit card. Finally, you described the location of your hotel as “central” when, in fact, it was located four miles from the centre, which was most 8) …………… . I look forward to receiving a letter of apology and an offer of comprehension.

(Common Mistakes at CAE)

23. Below, you will see eleven common situations that people encounter when they are writing a formal letter. Choose the sentence or phrase (A, B or C) that would be most appropriate in each situation.

1. You are writing a letter to the headteacher of a school or college, but you don't know their name. How do you begin your letter?

A. Dear headteacher B. Dear Sir/Madam C. Dear Sir

2. You have received a letter from the manager of a company which buys computer components from your company, and you are now replying. What do you say?

A. Thank you for your letter.

B. Thanks a lot for your letter.

C. It was great to hear from you.

3. You recently stayed in a hotel and were very unhappy with the service you received. You are now writing to the manager. What do you say?

A. I had a horrible time at your hotel recently.

B. I would like to say that I am unhappy about your hotel.

C. I would like to complain about the service I received at your hotel recently.

4. You have sent a letter of application to a college, togethe^r with your curriculum vitae which the college requested. What do you say in the letter to explain that your curriculum vitae is attached?

A. You asked for my curriculum vitae, so here it is.

B. As you can see, I've enclosed my curriculum vitae.

C. As you requested, I enclose my curriculum vitae.

5. You have applied for a job, but you would like the company to send you more information. What do you say?

A. I would be grateful if you would send me more information.

B. I want you to send me more information.

C. Send me some more information, if you don't mind.

6. In a Setter you have written to a company, you tell them that you expect them to reply. What do you say?

A. Write back to me soon, please.

B. Please drop me a line soon.

C. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

7. In a letter you have written, you want the recipient to do something and are thanking them in advance of their action. What do you say?

A. Thank you for your attention in this matter.

B. Thanks for doing something about it.

C. I am gratified that you will take appropriate action.

8. The company you work for has received an order from another company and you are writing to them to acknowledge the order and let them know when you can deliver. What do you say?

A. About the order you sent on 12 January for...

B. I would like to remind you of the order you sent on 12 January for... C. I refer to your order of 12 January

9. In a letter, you explain that the recipient can contact you if they want more information. What do you say?

A. Give me a call if you want some more information.

B. If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

C. If you would like any more information, why not get in touch?

10. You began a letter with the recipient's name (e.g., Dear Mr. Perrin). How do you end the letter?

A. Yours faithfully B. Yours sincerely C. Best wishes

11. You did not begin the letter with the recipient's name (see number 1 above). How do you end the letter?

A. Yours faithfully B. Yours sincerely C. Best wishes

(Check Your Vocabulary for English for the IELTS Examination. Workbook. p.7)

24. How many words can you think of to replace the underlined words in the sentences below?

1 We had a nice week in Mauritius.

2 The island is good.

3 We had a bad time in the hotel.

4 They are very nice people.

5 The weather was good while we were there.

6 The hotel manager was terrible.

(Writing Skills CAE. p.39)

25. Write the introduction and the conclusion to make it a letter of complaint.

…

The problems started the moment we set foot in Portugal. We were informed that a coach would be at our disposal to transport us to our destination, but after a three-hour wait and numerous telephone calls by our representative we had to arrange for individual taxis to take us to the hotel. By this time we had missed the evening meal and the hotel management refused to supply us with any food until the following morning.

My wife and I had paid extra for a balcony with a sea view, so as can be imagined we were extremely surprised to wake up and find we were overlooking a ceramics factory. I demanded that our room be changed only to be informed that the hotel was fully-booked and no other room of any kind was available. Another advertised feature, an Olympic-sized swimming pool in a tropical garden setting, turned out to be far from the truth. The pool, although quite large, was full of leaves and rubbish and the tropical gardens were a few dried up pot plants.

We were promised nightly entertainment within the hotel but on most nights it was cancelled, which meant we had to make our way into town to find something to do. The food was adequate, no more than that, and the restaurant staff were sullen and uncooperative.

…

(Practice Tests for the revised CPE 2. Teacher’s Book. p.179)

26. Write the missing paragraphs of the following letter.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in connection with the weekend I recently spent at your hotel. I have to say that I was very disappointed…

I am sure you will understand that I was very dissatisfied, and did not enjoy my weekend at all. I would like a refund as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

John Waters

John Waters

(First Certificate Writing. St’s book. p.52)

27. Read through the sample answer for the question below and answer the questions that follow the letter.

You recently stayed at one of a chain of large hotels and encountered a number of problems during your stay which you feel were the fault of the company. Write a letter to the company’s head office, detailing the problems that you had, describing what happened when you complained to the hotel staff about them. Suggest ways in which the hotel group could improve its service to customers.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I’m writing to complain about your Hotel Blue Star, where I was staying for two nights on 24^th-25^th of November during my business trip. Despite of recommendations of a friend of mine, I encountered three major problems that made my stay rather unpleasant and unnecessarily complicated. Although the hotel facilities were of high standard, I certainly cannot say the same about your service.

For the first night I reserved a table for four people in your hotel restaurant. For some reason the reservation had not been made and my business partners and I had to wait in the lobby for more than half an hour to get a table. Considering that my guests were some of the most important business partners of mine, this was most unpleasant.

The next evening I arrived at the hotel very tired at 7pm, hoping that my dinner, which I ordered in the morning, will be delivered to my room at 7.30pm. At 8 o’clock, starving, I rang the restaurant. They knew nothing about my order. Therefore I had to wait for my dinner for another 45 minutes to be ready.

The same evening I rang the reception, asking them to prepare my bill for the following morning as I was about to leave at 6am for the airport and could not wait. This had not been done either, which meant another wait for me. It took more than 20 minutes to get my bill ready. Not mentioning that my taxi booking was omitted too.

I strongly advise you to inform your hotel staff in the reception as well as in the restaurant about the appalling service I had to endure and instruct them in the service they should provide, especially for business people, who usually lack the time for waiting. I don’t require any financial compensation, although your apology and information about steps that have been taken to avoid such a situation in the future is awaited.

Yours faithfully,

Content

Are all the main points mentioned in the question covered? Where are these points covered? If any are not covered, which are missing? Are any additional points included? If so, what are they, and are they relevant?

Range

Is there wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures? If so, give examples. If there are occasions when the vocabulary or grammar is too simple, suggest alternatives.

Accuracy

Are there any mistakes in the use of vocabulary or grammar? Correct any that you find.

Appropriacy of register and format

Are the style and tone of the letter appropriate? How would you describe them? Why are they appropriate or inappropriate? Is the format suitable for a letter of this kind? If so, why? If not, why not?

Organization and cohesion

Is the letter well-organized in terms of the beginning, middle and end? Is it divided into paragraphs appropriately? Describe briefly the content of each paragraph. Does the letter flow well in terms of the linking of points and ideas within paragraphs and between paragraphs? Give examples of places where the linking is good. If there are occasions when the linking is inadequate or inappropriate, suggest improvements.

Target reader

Do you feel that someone reading this letter would be clear what the writer’s point of view is throughout it? If so, summarize the writer’s point of view briefly. If not, say what you feel is unclear in the letter.

(New Proficiency Testbuilder. pp.105-106)

3B LETTERS OF APOLOGY

practice

1. Read the letter below and divide it into paragraphs. Then read it again and answer the following questions: a) Why was the letter written? b) What reason is given for the inconvenience? c) What action will be taken to make up for the inconvenience caused? d) What style of language has been used? e) What is the topic of each paragraph? Translate the letter into Russian.

Sunrise Тravel Agency

25 Baker Street, London Tel: + 412223* Fax: + 41583796

Dear Mrs Brown,

On behalf of Sunrise Travel, please accept my sincere apologies for your dissatisfaction with your Caribbean holiday in February. Due to a computer error we were forced to change your accommodation at the last minute to what we had been led to believe was a hotel of equally high standard. Sadly, it was not until later that we discovered the hotel in question did not meet the requirements demanded of Sunrise Travel accommodation. As a long established travel compa­ny, we are well aware of the upset that can be caused by problems experienced while on holiday. For this reason we would like to offer you a weekend for two in Paris at a top-class hotel as compensation. Once again, our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience caused. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

John Greenway

(Successful Writing. Upper-Intermediate. St’s book. p.49)

2. Complete the letter of apology using the following expressions. Translate the letter into Russian.

please find enclosed we were very sorry to hear

we need to improve we apologize for any inconvenience

we would like to offer you unfortunately

SAFARY EXPERIENCE HOTEL

Mr Roy Petersen

1422 Ocean Drive

Jacksonville

Florida

USA

10 October 2003

Dear Mr Peterson,

We are very sorry to hear (1) that you were unhappy with the Safari Experience Hotel. We always try to make all our guests feel welcome and to provide a quality service at all times,

We have spoken to the staff involved and it seems that we were fully booked at the time you stayed. …………… (2), our usual safari guide was unwell, but has now returned to work. In addition, a number of our staff were not on duty because of the local holiday. We also take note of the fact that ………… (3) our facilities. ............. (4) our new brochure with the correct prices and times for safari excursions. ................ (5) a double room for one night at no charge in compensation.

Once again, ................ (6) and hope you will stay at the Safari Experience Hotel in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Paula Morgan

Paula Morgan

Manager

Safari Experience Hotel

3. Fill in the gaps with a suitable preposition.

1. This situation was due … an oversight, which resulted … a breakdown in communication and led … your losing the contact.

2. The company cannot be held responsible … any inconvenience caused as a result … bad weather.

3. Unfortunately, our client is … no obligation to offer any compensation according … the terms of the contract.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.105)

4. Fill in the correct words/ phrases from the list below. Try to include them in your letters.

inevitable, gift voucher, isolated incident, circumstances beyond our control, at your disposal, compliments, complimentary, oversight

1. I assure you that this is a(n) ……… . (single occurrence which is unlikely to happen again)

2. Unfortunately due to ………, we will not be able to offer an alternative venue for the concert. (something which we have no control over)

3. Failure to repair the equipment was due to a(n) ……… on our part. (failure to notice something)

4. It is ……… that our prices will rise periodically. (certain)

5. We are delighted to enclose ……… tickets for our forthcoming concert, by way of compensation. (free)

6. A complete refund cannot be given but a(n) ……… for the amount has been enclosed. (token)

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.105)

5. Read the two letters below and fill in the gaps with expressions from the list. Then answer the following questions: a) Which letter is for­mal and which informal? b) What is the reason for writing each letter? c) What is the topic of the final paragraph in these two letters? d) What complaint had been made in each situation? Finally, under­line the opening and closing remarks then replace them with others.

1 to apologize/ to say how sorry I am

2 bad behaviour/ disgraceful conduct

3 I know/ I realize

4 sort out the problem/ resolve the matter

5 due to my absence/ Because I wasn't there

6 but/ However

7 severely reprimanded/ properly told off

8 be sure/ rest assured

9 what happened/ this incident

10 put you off/ deter you

Dear Mr Johnson,

I am writing to you 1) ................ for the 2) ................ of a member of our staff towards you on Saturday April 23rd. 3) ................ how much this must have upset you, and I hope that we can 4) ................ agree­ably.

5) ................ at the time, I was unable to apologize to you in person. 6) ................, I always take such incidents extremely seriously and, following your letter of complaint, the member of staff has been 7) .............. . You can 8) ................ that he will be treating our customers quite differently in future. I hope that 9) ................ will not 10) ................ from using our store m future. In an attempt to make up for the inconvenience caused, we are sending you a complimentary gift.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Brown (Manager)

Dear Belinda,

I'm writing 1) ........... for my son’s 2) …………. last week. 3) ........... thought I'd write to you to try and 4) ............... . 5) ……………… when you called around, I didn’t realize what had happened straight away, 6) ……………… when I got your letter, I promise you that he got 7) ……………………. You can 8) …………… he’ll never speak to you like that again.

I hope 9) ……………. won’t 10) ……………. coming round to our house again. I’d like to make up for my son’s behaviour by inviting you to dinner on Thursday so that we can have the chance to say how sorry he is himself.

Love,

Joanne

(Successful Writing. Upper-Intermediate. p.50)

6. Read the letter carefully. Correct the mistakes and write it again.

Thank you for your letter of 25^th March informing us of the faulty equipment we were sent you. We would like to express about our deep regret for the error, together with an explanation of it what happened. There was a mix-up with the orders at the manufacturing plant and they sent us the wrong equipment already packaged and sealed. Our clerk he failed to check the equipment inside and much carelessly sent on the box to you. We assure you of the actual equipment is not faulty but so simply the wrong model. We would like for you to accept our sincere apologies for the incident and we promise that this will not to happen again. Please find enclosed a cheque for all the shipping and transportation costs as well as and a cheque for £200 for an inconvenience caused. We hope you will continue to do the business with us in the future.

(FCE Use of English 1. p.12)