GE4 HANDOUTS FOR FAST-TRACK PROGRAM

WRITING HANDOUT 3

COMPLAINT & APOLOGY LETTER

A. Useful language
1. Letter of complaint is normally written in formal style.
- Letters should start with an appropriate greeting (e.g. Dear Sir, Dear Brown,
etc)
- Mild or strong language can be used depending on the feelings of the writer
or the seriousness of the complaint, but abuse language must never be used.
- You should state the reason for the complaint in the first paragraph
- Start a new paragraph for each different aspect of the topic
- Any complaints you make should be supported with a justification
- Complaints and justification can be linked with appropriate linking words
and phrases

Organization of Letters of Complaint

Introduction
- Paragraph 1: reason for writing
Main body
- Paragraphs 2-3: complaint(s) and justification
Conclusion
- Final paragraph: suggested action to be taken
- Closing remarks

Useful Language for Letters of Complaint

Opening Remarks:
- I am writing to complain about/regarding/on account of/because of/on the
subject of...
- I am writing to draw your attention to...
- I am writing in connection with...
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- I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction with...

- I am afraid to say I have numbers of complaints about...
- I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed with...
- I was appalled at...
- I feel I must protest/complain
about...
Useful Phrases:
- We ought to discuss the matter...
- To make matters worse...
- I was very disappointed to find that...
- I would be grateful if you could...
- I should have been informed that...
- The first problem was... Another problem was... The most visible problem...
- I hope you will understand that I was very dissatisfied...
- I believe you can appreciate how disappointed I was
…
Linking words:
- Even though, furthermore, firstly, finally etc.
Closing Remarks:
- I would like to hear your explanation for the above problems...
- I would therefore be grateful if you could give me a fullrefund...
- I would like a full refund as soon as possible...
- I would like to have all or part of my money refunded...
- I am not satisfied with...
- I hope/assume you will replace...
- I trust the situation will improve...
- I hope the matter will be resolved...
- I hope we can sort this matter out amicably
- I look forward to hearing from you in your earliest convenience to offer me a

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complete refund
- I feel I am entitled to a partial refund in addition to an apology for the
inconvenience caused
- I insist you replace the item at once...
- I demand a full refund...
- I hope that I will not be forced to take further action
- I look forward to hearing your early reply
- I look forward to receiving a prompt reply
Sample Letter of Complaint
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing today to complain of the poor service I received from your company on June 12, 2016.
I was visited by a representative of That Awful Company, Mr. Madman, at my home on that day.

Mr. Madman was one hour late for his appointment and offered nothing by way of apology when
he arrived at noon. Your representative did not remove his muddy shoes upon entering my house,
and consequently left a trail of dirt in the hallway. Mr. Madman then proceeded to present a range
of products to me that I had specifically told his assistant by telephone I was not interested in. I
repeatedly tried to ask your representative about the products that were of interest to me, but he
refused to deal with my questions. We ended our meeting after 25 minutes without either of us
having accomplished anything.

I am most annoyed that I wasted a morning waiting for Mr. Madman to show up. My impression of
That Awful Company has been tarnished, and I am now concerned about how my existing business
is being managed by your firm. Furthermore, Mr. Madman's inability to remove his muddy shoes
has meant that I have had to engage the services, and incur the expense, of a professional carpet
cleaner.

I trust this is not the way That Awful Company wishes to conduct business with valued customers
—I have been with you since the company was founded and have never encountered such
treatment before. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss matters further and to learn of how
you propose to prevent a similar situation from recurring. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

2. Letter of apology can be either formal or informal. It can be written when

someone has made a mistake, has failed to perform a duty or is not able to fulfill a
promise.
- The main body contains reasons for the inconvenience caused.
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- In the final paragraph you can express your hope to improve the situation or
promise to make up for any problems that have been caused.

Organization of Letters of Apology

Introduction
- Paragraph 1: reason for writing
Main body
- Paragraphs 2-3: reason(s) to explain the inconvenience caused and justification
Conclusion
- Final paragraph: express understanding/regret/promise to make up for the situation
- Closing remarks

Useful Language for Letters of Apology

Opening Remarks:
Formal Informal
- I am writing to apologise for... - I hope you will understand
when I say that...
- I must apologise for...
- What can I say, except I'm
- Please accept my sincerest
sorry that...
apologies for...
- I'm sorry for...
- How can I apologise enough
for... - I owe you an apology...

- I must apologise - I'm so sorry if I upset you in

anyway...

- I can't describe how sorry I

am and how guilty I feel …

Closing Remarks:
Formal Informal

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- Once again, sincerest - I hope you believe me when I

apologies for... say how sorry I am...

- I hope you will accept my - I can't tell you how sorry I

apologies... am...

- I hope my apologies will - I beg you to forgive me for...

be/are accepted...
- There is no excuse for ... and I
hope you'll forgive me...

Sample Letter of Apology

Dear Dylan,
I apologize for not arriving on time to pick you up from the airport yesterday afternoon. I have no
excuse for keeping you waiting and wondering when your ride would show up.

It’s important to me not to let people down when they’re depending on me. Next time, I’ll make
better use of calendar alerts so I’ll be sure to leave in plenty of time to arrive as scheduled, or even
ahead of schedule.

I humbly ask your forgiveness. I hope my mistake won’t prevent you from seeking my help in the
future. I’m always happy to be of service.

All the best,

Jillian

B. Exam focus
Exercise 1: VSTEP WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You received an email from Mr. Gorge Reid, manager of a local bus service. He is
asking for what you have not been satisfied about the service. Read part of his email
below.

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We are implementing a regular evaluation on the whole system, and we know that you
are a frequent customer of our bus service. Therefore, we would be glad if you could give
us some critical feedback on certain criteria of the service such as bus driver, bus fare or
bus schedule, etc.

Your feedback would be of great help to us in improving our service. Thank you very
much.

Write an email responding to Mr. Gorge Reid.

You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include your name or address.
Your response will be evaluated in terms of Task Fulfillment, Organization, Vocabulary and
Grammar.

Language Input:
- Paragraph 1: Greeting & Purpose of the letter
+ I am writing in connection with…
+ I am sorry to honestly show my dissatisfaction with …
- Paragraph 2-3: Clarifying complaints on bus drivers/fares/schedule/route
+ The first problem was... Another problem was... The most visible problem...
+ I hope you will understand that I was very dissatisfied...
- Paragraph 4: Suggesting some solutions
+ Regarding ways to improve the attitude of bus staff, I recommend you should …
- Paragraph 5: Closing
+ I would like to receive your explanation about all these problems.
+ I hope that you can see through all problems and resolve them so that your quality
can be better improved.
Your answer:
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Exercise 2: VSTEP WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You received an email from Jane, one of your friends. She is asking you to give back
her book, which she lent you last month. Read part of his email below.

I am looking for the textbook used in Online Marketing course and I cannot find it out. If
I am not mistaken, you borrowed the book last month, didn’t you? At the moment I really
need it, so could you please get it back to me as soon as possible?

Write an email responding to Jane to apologize for misplacing the book.

You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include your name or address.
Your response will be evaluated in terms of Task Fulfillment, Organization, Vocabulary and
Grammar.

Language Input:
- Paragraph 1: Greeting & Purpose of the letter
+ I’ve just received your email reminding me of the book you lent me last month.
+ I am writing to give you my apology for …
- Paragraph 2-3: Stating reason(s) for the inconvenience caused and justification

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+ One reason for my fault is …

- Paragraph 4: Suggesting some solutions
+ Would you mind if I bought another copy of the book for you?
- Paragraph 5: Closing
+ I beg you to forgive my mistake.
Your answer:
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