English Speaking Exercises for A2 – Making a complaint

1. Label the gadgets with the words below.

digital camera      digital radio      DVD player

e-book reader      games console      headphones

mobile MP3 player      tablet

img

Show answers

1) games console   2) digital camera   3) DVD player

4) e-book reader   5) mobile   6) digital radio

7) tablet   8) MP3 player   9) headphones

2. Match the parts of the gadgets (1-10) with the words below (a-j).

img

img


a battery

b remote control

c case

d screen

e on/off button

f USB port

g power lead

h volume control

i strap

j charger

Show answers

a 4   b 5   c 7   d 9   e 8   f 6   g 1   h 2   i 10   j 3

3. Listen to a customer complaining in a shop. The answer the questions.

1) Which gadget from exercise 1 is faulty?

   ________

2) Which three parts of the gadget are mentioned? (Choose from the parts in exercise 2.)

1) _____.

2) _____.

3) _____.

Show answers

1) digital radio

2) volume control, power lead, remote control

Transcript

see exercise 4.

4. Listen again and complete the sentences with the words below. Circle the correct speaker (C – customer or SA – shop assistant) for each sentence.

credit      happy      money      receipt      refunds      something      wrong

1) What’s ________. with it? C / SA

2) There’s ________. wrong with the volume control. C / SA

3) Can I have ________. back? C / SA

4) We don’t give ________, I’m afraid. C / SA

5) I’m not ________. about that. C / SA

6) I can give you a ________. note. C / SA

7) Have you got the ________. with you? C / SA

Show answers

1) wrong, shop assistant   2) something, customer

3) money, customer   4) refunds, shop assistant

5) happy, customer   6) credit, shop assistant

7) receipt, shop assistant

Transcript

Shopassistant Hello, can I help you?

Customer Yes, I bought this digital radio here a week ago and there’s a fault with it.

SA Oh, I’m sorry. What’s wrong with it?

c There’s something wrong with the volume control.

SA Let’s have a look. Have you got the power lead with you?

c Yes, it’s in the box.

SA OK, I’ll just plug it in.

c You see? It’s very quiet. And when I try to turn it up ___ nothing happens.

SA Have you tried using the remote control?

c No, I haven’t.

SA There. It works perfectly with the remote control.

c But it’s still faulty, isn’t it? Can I have money back?

SA We don’t give refunds, I’m afraid.

c No refunds? I’m not happy about that! The volume control doesn’t work!

SA I can give you a credit note.

c Hmm. Well, OK.

SA Have you got the receipt with you?

c Yes, I have. It’s in the box.

SA OK. If you just wait a moment, I’ll sort it out for you.

Speaking Strategy

When you are doing a speaking task, make sure you refer to all of the points in the task. It is also important that you react and respond properly to what is said during the conversation.

5. Read the Speaking Strategy. Then read the speaking task and write answers to all the questions below.

You are returning a gadget to a shop because one part of it is faulty. Discuss these four issues during your conversation with the shop assistant:

–  What the gadget is and how much you paid for it.

–  Which part of the gadget has a problem.

–  When the problem started.

–  What you want the shop to do.

1) What type of gadget did you buy?

  ________

2) How much did you pay for it?

  ________

3) Which part of the gadget has stopped working?

  ________

4) When did the problem start?

  ________

5) Do you want to exchange it or do you want to refund?

     ________

Show answers

your own answers

6. Now do the task using your notes from exercise 5.

Show answers

your own answers

Extra exercises

Strategy

Listen carefully to the instructions that the examiner gives and the questions that you are asked. If you do not understand the examiner’s question, it is OK to ask him / her to repeat it.

1. Read the Strategy. Then tick the statements that can be used to ask the examiner to repeat a question.

a I’m sorry?

b I don’t know.

c Excuse me?

d Could you repeat that, please?

e I can’t hear you.

f Pardon?

g Don’t speak so quietly.

h Sorry, I didn’t catch that.

Show answers

acdf and h

2. Now do the exam task.

These two photos show children learning in different ways. Compare and contrast them and say which lesson you prefer and why. The following ideas may help you:

–  the places and the atmosphere

–  the people and their feelings

–  the activities

img

After comparing the photos, answer the questions.

1) How do you think children learn best? Why?

2) Which style of learning suits you best? Why?