Making Complaints

ESOL Entry 2–Entry 3 • Reading, vocabulary, grammar, correction, writing and speaking

0% complete Score: 0 / 40

A mobile activity about polite complaints

You will practise how to understand, explain and write complaints in everyday UK situations.

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Learning aims
By the end, you can name common complaint situations, choose the right person to complain to, use polite complaint grammar, correct common errors, and write a short complaint message.
Can you help? Customer Service

Final feedback summary

Learner reflection

Write 2–3 sentences. Be honest. This is for learning, not for marks.

Extension tasks for fast finishers
  1. Role-play: one learner is a customer. One learner is the waiter, receptionist or customer service assistant.
  2. Write a stronger complaint email with three paragraphs: problem, effect on you, what you want.
  3. Change the tone: make one complaint too rude, then improve it to sound polite but clear.
Support tasks
  1. Match each complaint to one key word: noisy, late, cold, broken, dirty, boring.
  2. Use this sentence frame: I am sorry, but there is a problem with...
  3. Write only three sentences: What is the problem? How do you feel? What do you want?

Making Complaints — Printable ESOL Worksheet

Level: Entry 2–Entry 3. Skills: reading, vocabulary, grammar, sentence correction, writing and speaking.

1. Vocabulary: Match the problem to the right person

Write: waiter, cabin crew, reception desk, customer complaints department, instructor, or local government official.

  1. Your hotel room is noisy.
  2. Your restaurant food is cold.
  3. Your English class is boring today.
  4. A factory near your home makes pollution.
  5. Your order is late.
  6. Your flight meal is very bad.

2. Grammar: Complete the polite complaint

  1. I am sorry, but my room ______ very noisy.
  2. Could you ______ me, please?
  3. I bought this shirt yesterday, but it ______ colour in the wash.
  4. I would like a ______, please.
  5. The food is cold, ______ I cannot eat it.

3. Sentence correction

Rewrite each sentence correctly.

  1. i want complain about my room
  2. the food are cold
  3. can you helps me please
  4. my order did not arrived yesterday
  5. because the camera is broken i want refund

4. Reading

Text: Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing about my order. It arrived one day late. The box was damaged, and the new kettle has a scratch on the side. I would like a replacement or a refund. Please reply soon. Yours faithfully, Mina Patel.

  1. What is Mina complaining about?
  2. What was wrong with the box?
  3. What was wrong with the kettle?
  4. What does Mina want?
  5. Is the tone rude or polite? How do you know?

5. Writing task

You bought a new appliance. It has a scratch and does not work well. Write a short complaint email.

Include: greeting, problem, when you bought it, what you want, polite ending.

Writing checklist

☐ I used a greeting. ☐ I explained the problem. ☐ I used polite language. ☐ I used capital letters and full stops. ☐ I said what I want.