B2SpeakingWriting~8 min

Complaining politely

Express dissatisfaction firmly but without sounding rude.

1Learn the essentials

Complaining well in English means being firm about the problem while staying polite with the person.

Soften the opening, keep the point firm: “I'm sorry to bother you, but this isn't what I ordered.”
Describe the issue, not the person: “There seems to be a mistake” beats “You messed up.”
Ask for the fix clearly: “Could you replace it or refund me, please?”

2Warm up & speak

Phrase 1 / 6

I hate to be that person, but this really isn't good enough.

Odio ser esa persona, pero esto no es aceptable.

💡 El softener protege la relación; la segunda mitad no cede nada.

Speak it, or skip ahead anytime.

3Lock it in

Complaining politely1 / 14

Odio ser esa persona, pero esto no es aceptable.

Say it in English, then check yourself.

4Practise speaking

B2say it out loud

The repair that was not done

You paid on Tuesday to have your bike fixed. It is Friday, the receipt is in your hand, and nothing was done.

Say what was agreed and what happened, without saying whose fault it is.
Ask for one fix they could carry out today.
If the answer is no, repeat the ask once, then say what you will do next.

You did it if

You asked for one thing, said it twice calmly, and never blamed the person opposite.

0 of 3 moves rehearsed

Nothing here is listening or marking you — this is your own rehearsal, and you tick a move when you have said it out loud. For live correction, take the same situation to Rumi, your AI Tutor, in the role-play step below.

5Practise writing

B290–150 words

Complain to someone you will see again

The neighbours above you have run their washing machine after midnight three nights this week, and the spin cycle comes straight through your bedroom ceiling. You have another year on the lease. Write them a message: say what the problem is, give the dates, ask for one specific change, and leave the door open.

0 words (target 90–150)

Self-check

Tick each point once your draft covers it.

The three dates and roughly what time, so the problem is a fact and not a mood
The effect on you in one line, without the words “always”, “ridiculous” or “selfish”
A softener immediately before the request (“I'm sure you had no idea…”)
One specific, doable change — a time the machine goes off, not “be considerate”
An ending that offers to talk, so the message is a first step and not a verdict

✍️ Want detailed feedback on your own text? Paste it to Rumi, your AI Tutor, for line-by-line corrections.

6Role-play the conversation

Rehearse the full conversation with Rumi, your AI Tutor — live, in-character role-play with gentle grammar & word-choice corrections as you go.

Open the AI Tutor