Y05W44WR Complaint to the Swimming Centre

Part 1

How to Write

Transactional – Letter (formal)

A formal letter makes a request, argument or recommendation to a specific person or organisation in a structured, professional format. It is written for an official audience who expects a clear purpose, organised content and a respectful tone. Every sentence should serve the letter’s purpose directly.

  • Ideas & content: State your purpose clearly from the opening. Develop your case with specific, relevant points and close with a clear request or outcome you are seeking.
  • Structure & cohesion: Follow formal letter conventions — opening, body paragraphs, closing. Keep each paragraph focused on one clear point. Use formal connectors to link ideas logically.
  • Voice & audience: Write with respect and authority. Avoid informality, sarcasm or excessive emotion. The reader should feel that you have considered their perspective as well as your own.
  • Language choices: Use formal vocabulary. Avoid contractions. Control modality — words like request, strongly believe and urge you to consider signal conviction without aggression.
  • Conventions: Format correctly — date, salutation, body, close, signature. Spell accurately. Use punctuation to manage formal sentences clearly.

Common pitfalls: Forgetting the formal structure and writing like an email — a letter has conventions that signal professionalism. Making the letter too long by including unnecessary detail, when a clear, direct case is more effective.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a formal letter of complaint to the manager of the swimming centre. Describe clearly what happened, explain why it was unacceptable and state what you would like the centre to do in response. Use an appropriate tone for a formal letter.

Stimulus: You recently visited a local swimming centre with your family. During the visit, a staff member was rude to your younger sibling without any good reason. Your parents have suggested you write a formal complaint to the centre’s manager. They believe a letter written by the child who witnessed it directly will be more powerful than one from a parent.

Task Analysis: Write a formal complaint letter. Describe exactly what happened. Explain why the staff member’s behaviour was wrong. Ask for specific action or an apology. Be respectful but firm.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • What happened — be specific about the day and time
  • What the staff member did or said — describe exactly
  • Why it was wrong — how did it affect your sibling?
  • What you want — an apology? Training for the staff member? A refund?

BLUF line

Start with a clear statement: ‘I am writing to complain about what happened at the swimming centre on [date].’ Get straight to it. The manager will understand immediately.

Key details to include

Describe exactly what happened: the time, what the staff member said or did, who was there. Real details make your complaint credible and serious.

Tone & voice

Be respectful but firm. You are not rude. You are making a serious complaint. Say things like: ‘This behaviour was unacceptable’ or ‘I expect better from your staff.’ Sound mature and serious.