LETTER OF COMPLAINT EXAM

PART ONE: READING  (15pts)                                                                                                    

A.    Comprehension :                                                                                   (8pts)

Read the text carefully then do the activities.

Dear Sir / Madam       I feel I must complain about the lunch we had at your restaurant on Thursday 17th May. Unfortunately, both the food and the service were not satisfactory.     To begin with, the dishes we ordered were not tasty because of heavy seasoning. There was also so much salt and pepper on the food that it was impossible to eat the whole meal. Furthermore, your advertisement was misleading as there were only two vegetarian dishes on the menu.       I must also point out that none of the dessert we ordered was fresh. In fact, they smelled bad and the “delicious Italian cakes” were stale. As if this was not bad enough, the prices were far from reasonable and contrary to what was stated in your advertisement; we found everything outrageously priced.      To make matters worse, the air-conditioning was out of order. As a result, we felt hot and extremely uncomfortable.      Finally, when we asked for the bill, we were surprised about the staff’s ignorance of the 10% discount for group bookings. Again, this was something highlighted in your advertisement. We could have made a fuss about it, but we decided not to.      Considering all the above, I believe I am entitled to a partial refund. I am confident that this matter will receive your prompt attention. I look forward to hearing from you.                                                                                             Yours faithfully,                                                                                                      James Kent

                                                                        Adapted From Plus MM Publications

1-     Circle the answer that best completes each statement.

1)      The text is a ...  a)      speech                                b)  letter                                 c)  report

2)      It is addressed to ..a)      James Kent         b)  a friend            c) the manager of the restaurant

3)      The writer is ...a)      Complaining                      b)  arguing               c)  giving his opinion

 2-     Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE?

       a-      The writer is not satisfied with the food and the service.

       b-     The food was salty and spicy.

       c-      The service was satisfactory.

       d-     The writer and his friends got the 10% discount for group booking.

 3-     Answer the following questions according to the text.

       a-      Why did the author write this letter?

       b-     Was he alone in the restaurant? Quote from the text to justify your answer.

        c-      Apart from the dishes, what other things made him dissatisfied?

 4-     What or who do the underlined words in the text refer to?

      a- they (§3)                                    b - this (§5)

5-     Tick the most appropriate general idea of the text.

a)      The writer’s dissatisfaction with food.

b)     The writer’s dissatisfaction with food and service.

c)      The writer’s dissatisfaction with the restaurant staff.

B.    Text Exploration                                                                                              (7pts)

1-     Find in the text words whose definitions follow.

a)      To say that you are not satisfied with something. (§1)

b)     A short article on radio intended to persuade people to buy something. (§2)

 2-      Give the opposite of the following words keeping the same root.

satisfied – lead – satisfactory – rational

3-     Combine the following pairs of sentences using the connectors provided. Make any necessary changes.

a)      The food was so bad. The service was so bad, too.  ( Both...and )

b)     He complains about it. He will get a refund.  ( If )

 4-     Classify the following words according to their final “ed” pronunciation. 

                          ordered – stated – priced – surprised

/ t /	/ d /	/ Id /

5-     Complete the following dialogue.

A: ................................................?

B: I wrote it because I felt deceived about the restaurant’s bad service.

A: .................................................?

B: I asked for a refund.

A: ...................................................?

B: They have to. I believe it is my right to get a refund.

A: And what if......................................?

B: I will make an advertisement campaign against their services.

 PART TWO: WRITING                                                                                        (5pts)

Choose only one topic

Either Topic 01.

You are an advice columnist in a consumer magazine. You have received the letter from one of the consumers. Using the notes on the left, write a reply telling her/ him what s/he should or should not do.

The Letter        I bought a chicken at the local supermarket, but when I got home, it had gone off. I wanted to take it back to the shop, but I never found the time. When I finally took it back two days later, they said it was too late to do anything about it. What should I do?

 Notes:

-          Realize / food / go off

-          Call / supermarket / immediately

-          Read the label / expiry date / package

-          Contact them / check other chicken

-          Check / before / coming home

Or Topic 02.

You have bought a product that was advertised on TV. When you arrived home you realised the advertisement had deceived you. Write a letter of complaint to the company manufacturing this product showing differences between what was advertised and reality.