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Reading and Writing
7. If you are not satisfied with something in the university, you may write a letter of complaint to the university authorities, dean, your tutor etc. Below are some Rules how to be effective when complaining.
Read the information given below and use it while writing letters of complaint.
For you to Know 
Letters of Complaint
Letters of complaint are normally written in a formal style.
1. Mild or strong language can be used depending on the feelings of the writer or the seriousness of the complaint, but abusive language must never be used.
2. Use a new paragraph for each different aspect of the topic.
3. You should state the reason for the complaint in the first paragraph.
4. Any complaints you make should be supported with a justification!
5. Complaints and justification should be linked together by such phrases as:
· In spite of…/Despite the fact that…
· Although/ Even though
· Nevertheless/ However.
6. Use the language typical for letters of complaint as follows:
Opening Remarks:
(Mild) I am writing to complain about…
I am writing to draw your attention to...
I am writing to you in connection with…
(Strong) I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with…
I feel I must protest / complain about….
Closing Remarks:
(Mild) I hope/ I assume you will …
I trust the situation will be improved.
I hope the matter will be resolved.
(Strong) I insist you… at once.
I demand…
Simulation
8. You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this writing task.
You live in a room which you share with another student. However, there are many problems with this arrangement and you find it very difficult to work.
Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the university. In this letter
· describe the situation
· explain your problems and why it is difficult to work
· say what kind of accommodation you would prefer.
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir/ Madam,
* International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (2002) Specimen Materials. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. – p. 37
Follow-up
9. Next class you will have a possibility to check your study progress with tests. Below are some recommendations on testing which will help you to be effective in taking tests.
DOs and DON'Ts
| Make sure you understand the instructions for each task, and follow them exactly. |
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| Try to answer all the questions – you won’t lose marks for wrong answers, and there’s a chance that you’ll guess correctly. |
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| Carefully copy your answers in pencil onto the Answer Sheet. |
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| If a question or part looks difficult, leave it, go on to something else, and come back to it later. |
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| Leave yourself enough time to check your answers, and to check that you’ve copied them correctly onto the Answer Sheet. |
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| Concentrate on understanding the main points of a text, rather than every single word. |
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| Remember that the texts range from a low to a high level of English, so you aren’t expected to understand everything. |
| Don't leave any answers blank. |
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| Don't spend too long thinking about a question. |
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| Don't worry if you find a text difficult to understand. |
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| Don't try to understand every single word in a text. |
* BULATS (Business Language Testing System) Teaching Resource. [online] Cambridge: University of Cambridge ESOL Examination. Available from http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/bulats. Accessed 17 Sept. 2007.
You can check how much you know about these DOs and DON’Ts and can use them in practice by doing the activities in Unit 8.