B1, WRITING ASSESSMENT 2

That’s not my bill!

Communicative goals:
 Write a basic email/letter of complaint requesting action.
 Write an email/letter sending a message of sympathy.
 Use common connectors to tell a story or describe an event in writing.

1. Think about…

1. Who pays the bills in your house?

2. Have you had any issues regarding

your bills?

3. What have you done to solve them?

Issues: Problem, inconvenient.

Regarding: In relation to, with.

2. Words matter!

To do well in this lesson it is necessary to learn a number of words. Please complete

the following exercise. At the end you will have increased your vocabulary.

2.1. Underline the expression that best matches the idea of the boldfaced word or
phrase. Have a dictionary at hand!

a. My mobile carrier was Claro, I changed this year to Virgin.

- A cellphone brand - A company that provides network services

b. The birth rate has decreased in first world countries.

- A measurement - A price

c. When I get to the Chinese Wall, I’ll stand in awe of its size.

- Be amazed by - Be tired of

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d. The decision the president made was crucial for the future of the country.

- Very bad - Very important

2.2. Match the word on the left with the meaning on the right. Write in the
parenthesis the corresponding letter.

Word Meaning
1 Plead ( ) a Confusion
2 Notice ( ) b Notification
3 Revoke ( ) c Ask intensely
4 Misunderstanding ( ) d Cancel a deal

3. Read a bit!

Read the following text called “That’s not my bill!”. It is a complaint email that a
woman sent to a mobile carrier.

Dear mobile carrier,

I am sending you this email to show

my disappointment because it has
been 5 years since I first acquired your
services and nothing like this had
happened before. I was very glad with
your services until now. I have never
been delayed with my payments
during all this time. Yet, I am taking the
decision of not paying this bill unless
you can solve this problem hastily.

Yesterday, I got my cellphone bill at home along with a three-paged extra bill full of extra
costs that do not belong to my usual consumption rate, which monthly does not go over
more than $30 USD. This time, I stood in awe of the big amount of money I have to pay
this month: $150 USD. I cannot believe it!

There are two crucial reasons why I can’t take this bill as mine:

1. First, most of this month I was out the city. I left my cellphone at home because I only
used my corporative line during that time.

2. Second, there are many unknown international calls, TV sales numbers, and many
cellphone numbers which I supposedly called once for exactly 2 minutes.

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On these terms, if you insist on making me paying that bill, I plead for your notice so I can
make all the paperwork to formally ask you to revoke my contract with you.

I hope you can clarify this misunderstanding.

Regards,

Joan of Arc

4. Tips for composition:

In this session you find grammar elements and composition strategies that help you
with your writing production. Read the explanation; this is important for the next
step!

How to complain and get results:

Sometimes things are not as you wish, you receive a bad service or maybe a wrong product.
You feel it is time to complain in order to get a solution but you don’t know how to proceed.
Follow these steps and get your problem solved!

 Vent then write: Be confident and calm in the way you feel and the way you write.
 Be clear about what you want: What do you expect from the company?
 Be succinct: Be clear and brief.
 Write a “complaint sandwich”: First, point out a positive aspect like how long you
have been a costumer, then, write the brief complaint. Finally, write a positive note
expecting that the problem be solved.
 Avoid: Exaggerations, nasty and rude language, asking for a compensation and
WRITING IN CAPITALS!
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/15/smarter-living/consumer-complaint-writing-letter.html

4.1. What was the last time you complained about something? Describe your
experience and then answer the following questions:

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4.1.1. Why did you complain about such thing?

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4.1.2. What did you expect as a solution for your complaint?

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4.1.3. How often do you complain about services or products you are consuming?

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Now you are ready for your composition. Let’s write something!

I&D Team 2018