Dealing with written complaints

The topic we're dealing now is related to complaints and apologies.
Guests and tourists are likely to complain about many different things and the hotel staff or the staff at any other tourist service will surely have to apologize for the inconvenience the customer experienced.
In some cases, the staff may deal with the apologies and will find a solution to the guest in person, face to face.  So, everything will be done in a spoken format.
In some other circumstances, it will be necessary to manage the situation in written format.

In the documents below you'll find information and actitivites to practise dealing with complaints in written format.  You must complete all the tasks, except the ones that contain activities for listening.

LETTERS OF COMPLAINT
LETTERS OF APOLOGY
DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS

New links:

LETTERS OF COMPLAINT
LETTERS OF APOLOGY 
DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS

Spoken and written complaints

You're going to listen to a client services manager of a large hotel chain talking about the topic.
Listen and answer the following questions:

1. How is a spoken complaint different from a written complaint?
2. Is the response to a written complaint different from the response to a spoken complaint?
3. Do tourism managers deal more with written or spoken complaints?
4. What does the speaker suggest doing when someone is making a 'public' spoken compaint?
5. According to the speaker, is it easier to check details in a written or spoken complaint?
6. what does the speaker say is the most important point?

Conditional sentences in songs 1

The bits of songs below contain conditional sentences from various types, including type 2 and 3.

Tip: Since songs are always full of informal language, it's very common to find contractions and not full forms (e.g.: I'm, you're, it's, it'll, I'd, etc.).  Be sure to use the contracted forms and not the full forms according to what you hear.

There is a case of contracted forms that you may need to use in conditional type 3.  This is the case of WOULD followed by HAVE.  The contractions could be WOULD'VE or, more informally, WOULDA.

Be sure you use the correct contraction to complete the lyrics.

Come back, be here – Taylor Swift And this is when the feeling sinks in, I don't wanna miss you like this, Come back... be here, come back... be here. I guess you're in New York today, I don't wanna need you this way, Come back... be here, come back... be here. The delicate beginning rush, The feeling you can know so much, Without knowing anything at all. And now that I can put this down, If I 1) (know) what I'd known now, I never 2) (play) so nonchalant.

If I fell – The Beatles If I 3) (fall) in love with you 4) (you/promise) to be true? And help me understand Cos I've been in love before And I found that love was more Than just holding hands If I 5) (give) my heart to you I must be sure From the very start That you 6) (love) me more than her If I 7) (trust) in you oh please 8) (not/run) and hide If I 9) (love) you too oh please 10) (not/hurt) my pride like her Cos I couldn't stand the pain And I 11) (be) sad if our new love 12) (be) in vain

Time after time – Cindy Lauper Sometimes you picture me - I'm walking too far ahead You're calling to me, I can't hear What you've said - Then you say - go slow - I fall behind - The second hand unwinds [Chorus:] x 2 If you 13) (be) lost you can look - and you 14) (find) me Time after time If you 15) (fall) I 16) (catch) you - I'll be waiting Time after time After my picture fades and darkness has Turned to gray Watching through windows - you're wondering If I 17) (be) OK Secrets stolen from deep inside The drum beats out of time -

If I hadn’t got you – Lisa Stansfield Whose friend 18) (I/be) If I 19) (lie) all the time If you never 20) (trust) my word The love that we make when feelings run high Is all that makes sense in the world And I can never go back, oh no For a moment of sweet solitude If I ever 21) (go) back I'd be looking for you If I hadn't got you Whose friend would I be If I 22) (not/get) you I 23) (die) in solitary If I hadn't got you God only knows what I'd do God only knows Whose friend would I be if I can't take a joke If I can't pull a smile from a tear The love that I feel whenever you 24) (be) close Makes yesterday's hurt disappear And I can never go back, oh no For a moment of sweet solitude With my head in my hands I've been waiting for you

If I were a boy – Beyoncé If I 25) (be) a boy even just for a day I 26) (roll) out of bed in the morning And throw on what I wanted and go Drink beer with the guys And chase after girls I 27) (kick) it with who I wanted And I'd never get confronted for it 'Cause they stick up for me {Chorus} If I 28) (be) a boy I think I could understand How it feels to love a girl I swear I'd be a better man I 29) (listen) to her 'Cause I know how it hurts When you lose the one you wanted 'Cause he's taking you for granted And everything you had got destroyed

If it hadn’t been for love – Adele Never 30) (hitch-hike) to Birmingham If it 31) (not/be) for love Never 32) (catch) the train to Louisiana If it hadn't been for love Never 33) (run) through the blindin' rain Without one dollar to my name If it hadn't been If it 34) (be) for love Never 35) (see) the trouble that I'm in If it hadn't been for love Woulda been gone like a wayward wind If it hadn't been for love Nobody knows it better than me I 36) (not/be) wishing I was free If it hadn't been If it hadn't been for love

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Conditional sentences in songs

We can find lots of examples of conditional sentences in the songs we listen to.

The bits of songs below give some practice with conditional sentences type 0 and type 1.

Rain – The Beatles

If the rain 1) (come)

they run and 2) (hide) their heads

They might as well be dead
If the rain comes, if the rain comes

When the sun 3) (shine)

they 4) (slip) into the shade

(When the sun shines down)
And 5) (drink) their lemonade

(When the sun shines down)
When the sun shines, when the sun shines

Rain, I don't mind
Shine, the weather's fine

I can show you that when it 6) (start) to rain

When the rain comes down)
Everything 7) (be) the same

(When the rain 8) (come) down)
I can show you, I can show you

Rain, I don't mind
Shine, the weather's fine

If you love someone – The Veronicas

If you love someone
If you love someone

9) (wake) up in the morning, take a breath and let it out

Just 10) (forget) tomorrow's ever gonna come around

Everybody's medicating, taking time and waiting for the right time
In the short life, but it's your life

We can run around in circles we make or we could run straight ahead
Never ever let the moment pass by when all that matters in the end

If you love someone,
then 11) (tell) them right now
'Cause your heart won't rest 'till you let it out
Let the words you dream come out of your mouth
If you 12) (love) someone you gotta make a sound
If you love someone you gotta make a sound
If you love someone

If I lose myself tonight – One Republic

I stared up at the sun,
Thought of all of the people, places and things I’ve loved.
I stared up just to see
With all of the faces, you were the one next to me.

You can feel the light start to tremble,
Washing what you know out to sea.
You can see your life out of the window tonight.

If I 13) (lose) myself tonight,

14) (it/be) by your side.
I lose myself tonight...
(oh) yeah, yeah, yeah.

If I 15) (lose) myself tonight,
16) (it / be) you and I.
Lose myself tonight...

If you don’t know me by now – Simply Red

If you 17) (not / know) me by now

You 18) (never never never / know) me

All the things
That we've been through
You should understand me
Like I understand you
Now girl I know the difference
Between right and wrong
I ain't gonna do nothing
To break up our happy home
19) (not / get) so excited

When I 20) (come) home

A little late at night
Cos we only 21) (act) like children

When we 22) (argue) fuss and fight

If you 23) (not/know) me by now
You will never never never know me

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Conditional sentences videos

The following videos offer explanations and examples of Conditional sentences.

Conditional sentences type 0 and 1

Conditional sentences type 2 and 3

Conditional Sentences

In CONDITIONAL sentences there are always two parts, one part is the condition and the other part of the sentence is the consequence.
The condition is expressed using, in general, the word IF.

Some examples:
If you read this information, you are a student from Vatel.
If you read this information carefully, you will understand how to use Conditionals.