Name: __________________ Class S.
4 ___( )
S.4 A Letter of Complaint
A. Skills Focus: Using an appropriate tone
Tone refers to the writer’s attitude towards the reader(s). To determine the
appropriate tone for your piece of writing, you should consider:
who you are writing to.
what the purpose of the piece of writing is.
what you want the reader(s) to understand / know.
In most formal writing, the tone should show that:
you are polite and sincere.
you put appropriate emphasis on ideas you consider more important.
you do not use emotive or discriminatory remarks.
Exercise 1
The following is an extract from a letter of complaint to the manager of a sports
centre about its facilities. Read it carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Dear Mr. Lee,
I would like to draw your attention to the poor conditions of most exercise machines in the gym
room.
The pedals of your exercise bikes are rusty and the saddles move unsteadily from side to side. As
they are unsafe for use, they should be taken away from the gym for repairs immediately. Also,
many of the meters on the treadmills are not working properly.
We are disappointed at the gym’s poor maintenance standard which was once very high. As the
gym charges a much higher monthly fee than other fitness centres, we expect a high standard of
facilities and services.
1. What is the phrase used in the first paragraph to show the writer’s
politeness?
2. Which problem is considered more important or serious according to the
writer? How do you know?
3. Does the writer use any emotive or discriminatory remarks to express his
anger? What is the adjective he uses to express his dissatisfaction?
B. Task Focus – Paper 2 Part A: Guided Writing
Writing a Letter of Complaint
People write a letter of complaint to express dissatisfaction to a company or a
person responsible for the cause of a problem. The writer expects the recipient
of the complaint letter to act on the information provided and to rectify the
situation.
A letter of complaint is always written in formal language. It usually consists of
the following structure:
1. Stating what the complaint is
2. Describing factually what has happened
3. Explaining why one is dissatisfied
4. Giving suggestions on how to solve the problem or rectify the mistake
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Exercise 2
Read the letter of complaint below. Identify the function of each paragraph in
the box provided and write the numbers 1-6 in the appropriate lines.
1 – Giving details 2 – Stating your demands
3 – Giving background information 4 – Explaining why you are dissatisfied
5 – Closing the letter formally 6 – Stating the purpose of writing
12th May 20_ _
The Manager
Airway Pacific
12 Ship Street
Wan Chai
Hong Kong
Dear Sir,
I am writing to complain about the poor treatment I received from a member of your airline’s cabin
crew.
I was one of the passengers who took flight CA012 from Hong Kong International Airport to
Heathrow Airport on 2nd May 20_ _.
Shortly after the plane had taken off, a cabin crew member named Sandy Lee spilled drinks on me.
Normally, it would have been a small matter but she acted as though nothing had happened. She
walked away without an apology. When I complained to her, she told me to behave or else she
would tell the captain that I was causing trouble on the plane.
I am extremely upset by her threatening remark. Her behavior was unreasonable and her tone of
voice was condescending.
Your airline is reputable and you pride yourself on providing excellent service to customers. What I
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experienced on your plane was far from this high standard. I think I deserve an apology for the rude
treatment I received from your staff member.
I hope you will investigate this matter as soon as possible. I look forward to your reply.
Yours faithfully,
Josh Li
Josh Li
Format and Key Features of A Letter of Complaint
Parts Functions & Features Examples
A. Date Write the sender’s Flat C, 18/F, Block 2
B. & address (optional, either Phoenix Garden
addresses at the left or right, on the Tuen Mun, New Territories
line above the date) 7th May, 20__
Write the date (in the top
right-hand corner) The Principal
Write the recipient’s Liu Po Shan Memorial College
name (if provided), title, 22-66 Wai Chuen Road
company name and Tsuen Wan, New Territories
address (in the top left-
hand corner)
B. Greeting Formal greeting / Dear Sir / Madam,
/ salutation Dear Ms Lee, / Mr Chan, / Miss Wong
Salutation
C. Opening State clearly your I am writing to express my
paragraph purpose of writing disappointment about…
Give a brief summary of I am writing to complain about …
your complaint I would like to draw your attention to the
poor conditions of most exercise
machines in the gym.
D. Body Give details of your I am extremely unhappy about …
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complaints one by one – I was shocked to see that …
state what happened, I was dissatisfied with …
where and how it Initially, I wanted to…, but…
happened and who was Unfortunately, the service was …
involved
E. Closing State what you expect the I demand a full refund / an apology /
paragraph recipient to do explanation.
Give contact methods I hope this matter will be taken
State what further action seriously.
will be taken if the I demand a replacement of …
complaint is not dealt Please do not hesitate to call me on /at
with properly 9666 1234 if you have further questions.
I can be reached on /at 9333 5678.
If I do not receive a satisfactory reply, I
will…/ I have no choice but to …
F. Close Give a proper Yours faithfully, (don’t know the
complimentary close recipient)
Yours sincerely, (with recipient’s
Sign your name surname given)
Write your full name Susan Chen
Susan Chen
Language Focus
a. Format and Style
Use formal language
Contracted verbs (e.g. can’t, won’t), abbreviations (e.g. HK), direct speech,
short phrases (e.g. Call me if you have questions), colloquial English (e.g.
Guess what) should not be used in a letter of complaint.
b. Tenses
Use the simple past tense or the past continuous tense to talk about the
complaint.
e.g. The cabin crew were rude to me.
e.g. Your tour guide was treating us badly throughout the trip.
Use the simple present tense or the simple past tense to express dismay.
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e.g. I was annoyed that …
e.g. I find it unacceptable that …
Practice for the Exam
Composition 4: Writing a Letter of Complaint
Write about 400 words on the following topic:
You are the Secretary of Everplay Sports Club, a community sports centre. Last
Tuesday, four players from the school team of a nearby school played table tennis at
the club. After they had left, you went to check the equipment and found that two
table tennis bats and many table tennis balls were missing and there was chewing
gum stuck to one of the tables. The table tennis nets were also knotted. Write a letter
of complaint to the coach of the school team, Mr. Liu. In your letter, describe the
incident and urge the coach to take action.
1. Analyse the Question
Before you write, you should analyse the question carefully. Answer the
following questions:
a. What type of text do you have to write?
b. How many complaints do you have?
c. Who is your target reader?
d. What style of writing do you have to use?
e. What is the tone of your letter?
Useful Expressions, Words and Phrases for Writing a Complaint Letter
You may use the following expressions to make a complaint:
I am writing to complain about …
I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction at …
I am writing to you because I had a bad experience at …
I would like to lodge a complaint about …
Another problem I encountered was …
Another complaint I would like to make is about …
You may use the following expressions to express dismay:
I was annoyed that …
I was shocked to see that …
I was appalled to find that …
I was very upset about …
I was dissatisfied with …
I was horrified to discover that …
I received rude treatment from …
I received rude remarks from …
I am extremely disappointed with
6…
You may use the following expressions to make your points persuasive:
To my disappointment, the hotel room was small and dirty.
To be frank, I am not happy with the things that the travel agent did.
To make matter worse, the coach driver left us on the side of the road.
