1. Reasons for writing.
Read the sentences. Choose the option that best describes the function of each sentence:
a complaint, an apology, an explanation or a request.
2. When things go wrong.
Exercises 2 to 7 contain the correspondence between a customer, Frank Keaton, and a holiday company called Holidaymakers. Holidaymakers has a programme where travellers who book holidays with them can receive bonus points for discounts on future holidays.
Read the first email in the correspondence.
Recently I travelled to Europe with Holidaymakers. While in Europe, on 8 January, I joined the Holidaymakers bonus programme. Now that the holiday is over I need to apply for the bonus points, and as I still haven't received any information about how to do this, I have sent two enquiries by email from the Holidaymakers Web page, on 17 January and 21 January. Two weeks have passed and I still haven't received a reply, just the acknowledgement of receipt messages. Can you please send me the information I require?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Keaton
3. The reply to Frank Keaton's letter.
Use the words below to complete the email from Holidaymakers, replying to Frank Keaton's message
4. More complications.
Mr Keaton sent the flight details to Holidaymakers and then received this reply.
Read the reply, and then choose the best summary of it.
Thank you for your facsimile of 31 January regarding your and your family's Holidaymakers membership accounts. Unfortunately, residents of the United States are only eligible to earn bonus points when travelling on Full Economy, Business or First Class and selected Discount Economy Class airfares. As your entire travels were undertaken in 'M' Class (discounted economy), and this class is ineligible for bonus points within our programme, in view of this, we are unable to allocate points to your account for travel affected by these parameters.
Alison Markham
Holidaymakers Service Centre
Choose the best summary of the letter.
5. Responding to a complaint.
Mr Keaton wrote an angry email to Holidaymakers to complain about the situation.
Put the sentences in order to reconstruct the email.
7. Completing sentences.
The holiday company replied to Frank Keaton's email.
Match the two parts to complete the sentences from this final email.
8. Completing the letter.
Type each missing word in the box on the right to complete the letter from exercise 2.
10. Writing Tutorial 6.
Situation
Imagine you have recently bought a new computer from Fast One Electronics. You paid for it immediately, but it wasn't delivered for three weeks. When it was finally delivered, you discovered that the 300-page user's manual for one of the programs installed on your computer was missing. This user's manual was advertised as a free extra for people who bought this computer. You have phoned the shop twice, but they still haven't delivered the manual.
- Write an email (or letter) to Fast One Electronics. Include the following points:
- explain the situation
- complain about the delay in receiving the computer
- complain that you have phoned twice, but you still don't have the manual
- request that they send you the manual immediately, or you will send the computer back to the shop and demand a refund
- Write a response from Fast One Electronics. Include the following points:
- apologise for the customer's dissatisfaction
- explain that the program user's manual was a special offer for one week only and does not apply to the customer's purchase
- say that if the customer wants to return the computer, it is her/his decision