Using Collocation to Boost Your IELTS Score – Key Word: Complaint

Complaint

Verb+Complaint

1. Use the correct form of these verbs:

1. I’m not happy with the service and, to be honest, the food was not very warm. I’m not going to ______ an official complaint, but I think you should know that we were not happy.
2. I’m afraid I ______ a complaint. Can I speak to the person in charge, please?
3. A senior police officer has been suspended from duty while complaints against him are being ______.
4. The court refused to ______ the complaint against the newspaper. The footballer, John Inset, had claimed that the story run by the paper had seriously damaged his reputation.
5. Due to the seriousness of your complaint, it will have to be ______ to the board.
6. The cinema has ______ complaints from customers about the lack of parking facilities.

Common Adjective Collocations

2. Complete the sentences below with the following:

1. This is the fourth time this week! Your ______ complaints are beginning to annoy me.
2. The most ______ complaint tourists have about London is the high price of everything.
3. If you are not happy with the treatment you’ve received, you should lodge an ______ complaint.
4. I think our complaints are totally ______. We didn’t receive the quality of service we paid for.
5. The new timetable has been successful. We’ve only received one or two ______ complaints.
6. I’m very happy with the new members of staff. I haven’t heard a ______ complaint about them.
7. Inspectors visited the school after receiving a string of ______ complaints from parents about poor standards of teaching.
8. I’ve never heard such a ______ complaint in my life! Tony is the most competent person I’ve ever met.

Noun+Preposition+Complaint

3. Complete the sentences below with a suitable preposition:

1. If you are unhappy with the work done on your house, get a lawyer to draft a letter ______ complaint.
2. If you feel you have any cause ______ complaint, please contact the manager.
3. This year there has been a record number ______ complaints about the standard of service on Britain’s railways. In fact, rail offices around the country have been flooded ______ complaints.
4. If you have good grounds ______ complaint, then it is company policy to offer you compensation.
5. The council has received a constant stream ______ complaints about the noise coming from the Voodoo nightclub in Surrey Street.
6. Having to wait over 24 hours at the airport comes high on my list ______ complaints about our holiday.

Go back and underline the complete expressions using a noun+preposition+complaint.

Answer Key

Verb+Complaint

Ex 1:

1. make
2. have
3. investigated
4. uphold
5. referred
6. received

Common Adjective Collocations

Ex 2:

1. constant
2. common
3.  official
4. justified
5. isolated
6. single
7.  serious
8. preposterous

Noun+Preposition+Complaint

Ex 3:

1. of
2. for
3. of, with
4.  for
5. of.
6. of

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