PastPaper.question 1 · Short Transactional Complaint Email
21 PastPaper.marks### Situation
You recently stayed at the **Green Pines Resort** for a weekend getaway based on an online advertisement promising a "peaceful, eco-friendly retreat." However, your experience was highly disappointing. There was active construction right next to your cabin starting at 7:00 AM, and the "certified organic" restaurant served pre-packaged fast food instead.
### Task
Write an email of about 200 words to the hotel manager, **Mr. Harold Benson**, to complain about your stay. In your email, you should:
1. Describe the two main problems you encountered (noise and food quality).
2. Explain how these issues ruined your weekend getaway.
3. Request a partial refund and suggest how the resort can prevent misleading future guests.
Do not write your real name; sign off as **Chris Wong**.
You recently stayed at the **Green Pines Resort** for a weekend getaway based on an online advertisement promising a "peaceful, eco-friendly retreat." However, your experience was highly disappointing. There was active construction right next to your cabin starting at 7:00 AM, and the "certified organic" restaurant served pre-packaged fast food instead.
### Task
Write an email of about 200 words to the hotel manager, **Mr. Harold Benson**, to complain about your stay. In your email, you should:
1. Describe the two main problems you encountered (noise and food quality).
2. Explain how these issues ruined your weekend getaway.
3. Request a partial refund and suggest how the resort can prevent misleading future guests.
Do not write your real name; sign off as **Chris Wong**.
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PastPaper.workedSolution
An effective response must adhere to the conventions of a formal complaint email. It should include:
1. A clear subject line with booking details.
2. A polite but firm formal salutation and opening stating the purpose of writing.
3. Two body paragraphs detailing the specific complaints (early morning construction noise and misleading food quality) with supporting contrasts against the advertisement.
4. A description of the negative impact (stress and feeling deceived instead of relaxed).
5. A clear call to action (50% refund and a demand to update promotional materials).
6. An appropriate formal close and the designated pseudonym 'Chris Wong'.
1. A clear subject line with booking details.
2. A polite but firm formal salutation and opening stating the purpose of writing.
3. Two body paragraphs detailing the specific complaints (early morning construction noise and misleading food quality) with supporting contrasts against the advertisement.
4. A description of the negative impact (stress and feeling deceived instead of relaxed).
5. A clear call to action (50% refund and a demand to update promotional materials).
6. An appropriate formal close and the designated pseudonym 'Chris Wong'.
PastPaper.markingScheme
The assessment is based on three main criteria (Max 7 marks each, Total: 21 marks):
1. Content (7 marks):
- Formulates a highly relevant, complete response addressing all parts of the prompt (the two complaints, negative impact, request for refund, and suggestion for improvement).
- Ideas are fully developed with realistic and persuasive details.
2. Language (7 marks):
- Demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures appropriate for a formal complaint (e.g., 'profound disappointment', 'shattered any hope', 'rectify these discrepancies').
- Register and tone are consistently formal, objective, polite but firm.
- Grammatical accuracy is high with negligible errors.
3. Organisation (7 marks):
- Structure is logical and appropriate for a transactional email (Subject line, Salutation, Opening, Body Paragraphs, Call to Action, Sign-off).
- Cohesive devices (e.g., 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Therefore') are used effectively to ensure smooth transition between paragraphs.
1. Content (7 marks):
- Formulates a highly relevant, complete response addressing all parts of the prompt (the two complaints, negative impact, request for refund, and suggestion for improvement).
- Ideas are fully developed with realistic and persuasive details.
2. Language (7 marks):
- Demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures appropriate for a formal complaint (e.g., 'profound disappointment', 'shattered any hope', 'rectify these discrepancies').
- Register and tone are consistently formal, objective, polite but firm.
- Grammatical accuracy is high with negligible errors.
3. Organisation (7 marks):
- Structure is logical and appropriate for a transactional email (Subject line, Salutation, Opening, Body Paragraphs, Call to Action, Sign-off).
- Cohesive devices (e.g., 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Therefore') are used effectively to ensure smooth transition between paragraphs.