Unit 4: Travellers' tales
Select a unit
- 1Pop-ups
- 2Hidden talents
- 3Can't buy me love
- 4Travellers' tales
- 5The colleague from hell
- 6Jurassic mystery: unpacking the past
- 7Career changes
- 8Art
- 9Project management
- 10The dog ate my homework!
- 11The diary of a double agent
- 12Fashion forward
- 13Flat pack skyscrapers
- 14Extreme sports
- 15Food fads
- 16Me, my selfie and I
- 17Endangered animals
- 18A nip and a tuck: cosmetic surgery
- 19I'm really sorry...
- 20Telling stories
- 21Fakes and phrasals
- 22Looking to the future
- 23Becoming familiar with things
- 24From rags to riches
- 25Against the odds
- 26Our future on Mars?
- 27Where is it illegal to get a fish drunk?
- 28Dodgy dating
- 29Annoying advice
- 30I'll have been studying English for thirty weeks
Session 4
You're not happy with your hotel room. You want to complain. But how do you do it politely and effectively? Pick up some tips and tricks with our special functional English programme.
Wayitii marii qabxii 4
0 / 5
- 0 / 0Activity 1
- 0 / 5Activity 2
Activity 2
Slippers...
... there don't seem to be any!
You've heard Rob and Catherine complaining about the lack of slippers in their rooms. Poor things, we don't want their feet to get cold! And if you're ever in the same position, we hope that the tips you learned mean you won't get cold feet either. Remember, if you want to be both polite and firm:
1) Give a bit of background before you talk about the problem
2) Use phrases like seem to and appear to to soften your language
Barreeffama kana dubbisii shakala kana xumuri
To do
So, now it's your turn to put this new language to the test. We're going to give you some possible problems with a hotel room, and you have to choose the answer which is both polite and firm, according to our programme! How many successful complaints can you make?
Excuse me, but...
5 Questions
Use what you've learned in this session to choose the best option. Be polite but firm!
Gargaarsa
Activity
Use what you've learned in this session to choose the best option. Be polite but firm!
karaarra buusu
Remember, it's good to give some background before you mention your problem.Question 1 of 5
Gargaarsa
Activity
Use what you've learned in this session to choose the best option. Be polite but firm!
karaarra buusu
Remember, tell a little story and soften your language.Question 2 of 5
Gargaarsa
Activity
Use what you've learned in this session to choose the best option. Be polite but firm!
karaarra buusu
Remember to use an auxiliary.Question 3 of 5
Gargaarsa
Activity
Use what you've learned in this session to choose the best option. Be polite but firm!
karaarra buusu
Remember, you only need to use an auxiliary in a negative sentences.Question 4 of 5
Gargaarsa
Activity
Use what you've learned in this session to choose the best option. Be polite but firm!
karaarra buusu
Keep it short!Question 5 of 5
Excellent!Great job!Carraa badaa!Qabxii argatte:
End of Session 4
That's it for this session. We hope you enjoyed it, and have no complaints. And if you do have any complaints, now you know how to make them!
Next, in Unit 5, learn about conditionals.
Session Vocabulary
Tips for making complaints
1) Tell a story: Give some background before mentioning your complaint. But keep it short!
- I've just checked into room 401. It's a lovely room, but the problem is that I was really desperate for a drink and the mini-bar's empty.
2) Soften your tone: Use seem to and appear to to make your language softer. They're often used with be. In the negative, you need an auxiliary like can't or don't.
- Sorry, there seems to be a problem with the radio.
- Excuse me, there appears tobe a problem with your ticket.
- I can't seem to get the TV to work.
- There don't appear to be any slippers in the room.
