Learn English with Mr. Duncan - Lesson 40 (Complaint & Complain)

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You know the world of English is a fun and exciting place to be. I'm so glad you could join me for another lesson.

Hi everybody, this is Misterduncan in England. How are you today? Are you OK? I hope so! Are you happy? I hope so! In this lesson we will look at a common social action that most of us will find ourselves doing from time to timeMaking a complaint.

The word 'complaint' is a noun and means a statement that is made concerning something which is unsatisfactory or not to your liking. You say that you are not happy about the quality of something. You show your disappointment verbally.

There are many words connected to 'complaint' or 'complain'… such asCriticise, Gripe, Grumble, Object, Moan, Protest, Whimper and Whinge.

Excuse me a moment, I'm a little thirsty. Phew! That hit the spot. When you complain to someone, we say that youmake a complaint. You put forward your complaint. You draw attention to a problem. You have found a fault. You show your dissatisfaction. There are two ways of making a complaint. You can make itin a nice way or you can make itin a rude way.

Nice ways to make a complaint.

"Excuse me, this food does not taste right. Could I have another meal sent to me instead?"

"I have found a fault with this shirt. Could I please replace it with another one?"

"I'm not happy with the cable TV service you are providing. I would like to have it disconnected please."

Rude ways to make a complaint.

"What! Do you call this food? It tastes disgusting. Get me the ManagerNow!"

"Look at this shirt, it's rubbish! How can you sell this junk?"

"This cable TV service of yours is awful, I hate itCome and take it away!"

When a person complains in a rude way we can say that theyCreate a fuss, Kick up a storm, Make a scene, Cause a commotion, Protest out loud, Blow the whole thing out of proportion.

Oohlook what I've just found on the floor. Broccoli. Do you like Broccoli? It is always best to make a complaint in a calm and polite way, as being rude will only make the situation much worse and you could find yourself with a much larger and more serious problem to deal with.

After making the complaint you will normally receive an instant response, especially if you are making it directly in front of the other person. Of course if you are making the complaint in writing then you may have to wait for a long time before your complaint is handled or resolved.

When you receive a complaint you will usually deal with it or handle it as quickly as possible. You want to make the complaint go away. You wish to resolve the complaint. You would like to put the problem right. You try to placate the person making the complaint.

For example.

"Oh I'm so sorry about that, please allow me to bring you another meal."

"Oh I'm terribly sorry, I will fetch you a new shirt from our stock room right now."

"I'm sorry to hear that you are not happy with our cable TV service. Maybe we can offer you some different channels instead."

We can also make a general complaint about things around usFor examplethe Weather. "Oh it's too cold today, I really do not like Winter." We can complain about our job. "Ohmy Boss makes me work too hard, I need a holiday!" You can even make a complaint about yourself. "Oh I really hate my Nose, it's far too long."

You can never find the end of this. There is another definition of the word 'complaint' that means you have an illness, or you feel sick and unwell, normally relating to a certain part of the body. For exampleA Stomach complaint or an Ear complaint. I think you should go and see a Doctor.

Making a complaint is a normal occurrence and happens very often. But it is best not to complain too much about things or you may find yourself being called namessuch asOld Whinger, Nit-picker or Moaning Minnie. Sadly I have to leave you now but please do not complain because I will see you all again very soon. I promise. This is Misterduncan in England sayingTa-ta for now.