TEACHER’S NOTES
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Complaints, Requests and Apologies
Activity Type Overview
Lesson, reading, writing In this engaging three-page lesson, students learn how to make and
and speaking, individual deal with common complaints, make requests and give apologies.
and pairwork Students begin the lesson by looking at some common complaints
made by parents and teenagers. Students answer questions and
practice generating common complaints. Students then learn how
Language Focus to make a request following a complaint and how to use phrasal
Making and dealing with verbs to request action. After that, students practice making
complaints, making apologies using various structures. Finally, students work in pairs
requests, apologizing and practice complaints, requests and apologies by creating mini-
dialogues from pictures.
Aim Answer key
To learn how to make Exercise E - Possible answers
and deal with common
complaints, make Wash up the dishes
requests and give Pick up your clothes, your phone, your shoes, the towels.
apologies. Put away your clothes, your phone, the towels.
Clean up the mess.
Put out the garbage.
Preparation Turn up/down the television, the music.
Take off your shoes.
Make one copy of the Turn on/off the air conditioner, the music, the television.
lesson for each student.
Level
Pre-intermediate
Time
60 minutes
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COMPLAINING AND APOLOGIZING
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Complaints, Requests and Apologies
Common Complaints of Parents and Teenagers
My kids ... My parents ...
don't help around the house. nag about chores and homework.
don't listen to my advice. always tell me what to do.
have strange friends. don't like my friends.
dress badly. criticize my appearance.
are always chatting online. don't respect my privacy.
watch too much TV. don't listen to my opinions.
A. Answer the following questions and then discuss your answers in pairs.
Have your parents ever made any of these complaints? Which ones?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Do your parents always tell you what to do?
__________________________________________________________________________
What do your parents complain about the most?
__________________________________________________________________________
Complaints can be statements objecting to what the speaker thinks is a negative behaviour,
attitude or habit.
Examples:
My students don't turn their phones off before class.
Children watch too much television.
They can also be statements objecting to a condition.
Examples:
This room is too cold.
This city has too much traffic.
Petrol is too expensive.
B. Write down three complaints and tell your partner. Your partner guesses if the
complaints object to a negative behaviour, attitude, habit or condition.
1. _________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
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COMPLAINING AND APOLOGIZING
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Complaints, Requests and Apologies
Requests for action usually follow a complaint. You can use 'please', 'grateful' or
'appreciate' to make a request more polite.
Examples:
Please could / can you ... ... turn your phone off before class.
I would be grateful if you could ... ... arrive to class on time.
I would appreciate it if you could ... ... put away the groceries.
'Must' or 'insist' are used to make a request stronger.
You must ... ... turn your phone off before class
I insist you ... ... arrive to class on time.
Most simple complaints use a phrasal verb to request action.
C. In the box is a list of phrasal verbs and below are some phrases. Find a phrase that
can be paired with the phrasal verbs in the box (some phrases go with more than one
answer).
the music your clothes the television your phone the air
the mess the towels your shoes the garbage the dishes
wash up ................................................... put out ...................................................
pick up .................................................... turn up/down ...........................................
put away.................................................. take off ...................................................
clean up .................................................. turn on/off ...............................................
D. What requests could you make in these places:
the home: __________________________________________________________________
a library: ___________________________________________________________________
a classroom: ________________________________________________________________
a park: ____________________________________________________________________
a church/temple: ____________________________________________________________
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COMPLAINING AND APOLOGIZING
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Complaints, Requests and Apologies
Apologies can be made in different ways. For example, if someone complains about
the noise from your stereo, you can:
Apologize and... ...give an excuse - I'm sorry, I didn't realize
...admit a mistake - I'm sorry, I forgot I left it on.
...make an offer - I'm sorry, I'll turn it down right now.
... make a promise - I'm sorry, It won't happen again.
More than one of the above can be used, e.g. 'I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so loud. I'll turn
it down. I promise it won't happen again'.
E. Work with a partner. Use the pictures below to practice complaints, requests and
apologies.
Student A make a complaint and then request some action.
Student B apologise, give an excuse and make an offer.
Example:
Student A: You haven't washed up the dishes. Please could you wash them up now.
Student B: I'm sorry, I've been busy doing my homework. I'll do them now.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
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