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11 Revie Review

Unit 11 Review

Unit 11

  • I CAN review relative clauses, passive with modals, and complaint language
Unit 11 Review
Lesson Review

Lesson Review

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Welcome to the Unit 11 Review

In this final review of Unit 11, you will bring together three important areas of B2 grammar and functional language: defining and non-defining relative clauses, the passive with modal verbs, and the language we use to make complaints. These three areas often appear together in writing and speaking tasks at B2, so a clear review now will help you use them confidently in your own production, both in the exam and in real life.

Relative clauses: a quick refresher

A relative clause gives extra information about a noun. Defining relative clauses identify which person or thing we mean and cannot be removed from the sentence; non-defining relative clauses add non-essential information and are set off by commas. Defining clauses use who, which or that after the noun, while non-defining clauses use who or which (never that) and require a comma before and after the clause. We use whose for possession and where, when and why for place, time and reason.

Type Example
Defining The teacher who taught us grammar is retiring next month.
Non-defining My sister, who lives in Cardiff, is visiting this weekend.
Whose (possession) The author whose novel won the prize gave a talk at the school.
With preposition The project on which we worked was a success.

In formal writing, after a preposition we prefer whom for people (the colleague to whom I sent the email) and we keep the preposition before the relative pronoun.

Passive with modal verbs

We form the passive with modals using the structure: modal + be + past participle. This allows us to focus on the action rather than the agent, and it is especially common in academic writing, news reports, formal notices and complaint letters.

Modal Example
can / could The form can be downloaded from the website.
may / might Visitors may be asked to show identification.
should / ought to These errors should be avoided in academic essays.
must / have to All safety rules must be followed at all times.
will / would Tickets will be issued at the door.

Negative forms follow the same pattern: must not be left, should not be ignored, cannot be accepted. For past situations where something ought to have happened, we use should have been + past participle: The work should have been completed by Friday. This form is very useful when you are describing a problem in a complaint.

Complaint language

Knowing how to complain politely but firmly is an essential B2 skill. The tone, register and verb forms you choose will depend on whether you are writing a formal letter or speaking in a more informal situation.

Function Formal language Informal language
Opening I am writing to complain about… I'm really unhappy with…
Explaining the problem I would like to draw your attention to… The problem is that…
Describing impact This has caused me considerable inconvenience. It's been a real pain.
Making a request I would appreciate it if you could… Could you please…?
Stating what you want I would like a full refund / to be compensated. I want my money back.
Closing I look forward to your reply. Please sort this out as soon as possible.

In formal written complaints we often use the passive with modals to soften the tone: I would like the matter to be looked into immediately. In spoken complaints, we may use exclamations and tag questions: This really isn't good enough, is it?

Writing task: a formal complaint letter

Your writing task is to write a formal complaint letter to a company about a faulty product or poor service you received. Aim for 150–200 words and include:

  • A clear opening that states the purpose of your letter
  • Specific details (date, place, reference number if relevant)
  • A description of the problem using passive forms with modals
  • A request for action using relative clauses where appropriate
  • A polite but firm closing

Writing strategy: Using modal passives to sound formal

In formal complaint letters, modal passives let you describe problems without blaming anyone directly. Compare these three sentences:

  • You didn't deliver my order. (blunt, active)
  • My order was not delivered on the agreed date. (formal, passive)
  • My order should have been delivered on the agreed date. (formal, modal passive)

Using should have been + past participle is particularly useful for describing things that ought to have happened but did not. Combining this with relative clauses lets you link information smoothly: The item, which I ordered on 5 March, should have been delivered within five working days. Look for opportunities to combine these two structures in your letter.

ملخص الوحدة الحادية عشرة

في الوحدة دي جمعنا مع بعض تلات حاجات مهمة في مستوى B2: جُمل الوصل النسبية (relative clauses)، والمبني للمجهول مع الأفعال الناقصة (passive with modals)، ولغة الشكاوى.

جُمل الوصل النسبية

الجملة دي بتفيد معلومة زيادة عن الاسم اللي قبلها. لو هي defining، يعني بتحدد مين أو إيه اللي بنقصده، بنستخدم who أو which أو that من غير فواصل. مثال: The teacher who taught us grammar is retiring next month.

لو هي non-defining، يعني معلومة زيادة مش أساسية ومحتاجاها للتوضيح بس، بنحط فواصل قبل وبعد الجملة، وبنستخدم who أو which بس - مش that. مثال: My sister, who lives in Cardiff, is visiting this weekend.

للملكية بنستخدم whose زي: The author whose novel won the prize gave a talk. وللزمان والمكان والسبب عندنا when وwhere وwhy.

المبني للمجهول مع الأفعال الناقصة

القاعدة بسيطة: modal + be + past participle. وده بيساعدك تركّز على الفعل نفسه مش على اللي عمل الفعل. مثلاً:

  • The form can be downloaded from the website.
  • Visitors may be asked to show identification.
  • Tickets will be issued at the door.
  • All safety rules must be followed at all times.

ولما تتكلم عن حاجة المفروض كانت تحصل في الماضي بنقول should have been + past participle: The work should have been completed by Friday. الجملة دي بالذات مفيدة جداً في خطابات الشكاوى.

لغة الشكاوى

الطريقة اللي بتشتكي بيها بتعتمد على الموقف:

  • في الخطابات الرسمية: I am writing to complain about... أو I would like to draw your attention to... أو I would appreciate it if you could...
  • في الكلام العادي: I'm really unhappy with... أو It's been a real pain.

السر هنا إن النبرة تكون حازمة بس مهذبة.

دلوقتي استخدم بطاقات المراجعة عشان تفتكر القواعد دي بسرعة، وبعدين اكتب خطاب الشكوى اللي تحت باستخدام كل اللي اتعلمته.

Required

The engineer _ designed the new bridge is giving a lecture tonight.

Required

My company, _ is based in Edinburgh, is opening a new office abroad.

Required

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence with a defining relative clause.

  1. The
  2. project
  3. which
  4. we
  5. completed
  6. last
  7. month
  8. won
Required

Drag the correct relative pronoun into each gap.

  • which
  • who
  • who
  • where

Students miss the exam can resit in September.

The hotel we booked was disappointing.

Here is the café we first met.

Dr Hassan, is an expert in linguistics, will give the talk.

Required

These reports _ (must/finish) before the deadline.

Required

Private data _ (should/not/share) without permission.

Required

The deadline was last Friday, but the work was not done. Which sentence is correct?

  • The work should be completed by last Friday.
  • The work should have been completed by last Friday.
  • The work must completed by last Friday.
  • The work should has been completed by last Friday.
Required

Match each formal complaint phrase with its informal equivalent.

Match each formal complaint phrase with its informal equivalent.

  • I am writing to complain about…
  • I would appreciate it if you could…
  • This has caused me considerable inconvenience.
  • I look forward to your reply.
  • I want to complain about…
  • Could you please…
  • This has been really annoying.
  • Please get back to me soon.
Required

You are writing a formal complaint to a hotel manager. Which opening is most appropriate?

  • Hi! I've got a problem with my room.
  • I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent stay at your hotel.
  • Your hotel is rubbish and I want my money back.
  • I wanna tell you about my bad time at your place.
Required

I would _ it if you could send a replacement by the end of the week.

I am writing to complain about the poor service I received at your restaurant on Saturday evening.

Read this opening sentence aloud, paying attention to the formal tone and clear pronunciation of each word.

PREPARE — Before you write, gather your ideas.

Think about the following:

  • What product or service are you complaining about?
  • When and where did the problem occur?
  • What exactly went wrong?
  • What do you want the company to do? (refund, replacement, written apology)

Make brief notes in English for each point. Try to include at least one idea that uses a relative clause and one that uses a passive with modal. For example: 'I want a refund. The item, which I bought on 12 March, should have been delivered within five days.'

WRITE — Now write your formal complaint letter in 150–200 words.

Remember to include:

  • A polite opening that clearly states the purpose of your letter (e.g. I am writing to complain about…)
  • The background: when, where, and what you bought or what happened
  • The problem, described using passive with modals where appropriate (e.g. The item was damaged when it arrived. / My booking should have been confirmed.)
  • A request for action, using a relative clause to add a relevant detail (e.g. The laptop, which I purchased for my university course, no longer turns on.)
  • A firm but polite closing (e.g. I look forward to hearing from you within seven working days.)

REVIEW — Check your letter against this checklist before you finish.

✓ Did I use a formal greeting (Dear Sir/Madam) and a formal closing (Yours faithfully)? ✓ Did I include at least one passive with modal (e.g. should be refunded, must be replaced)? ✓ Did I include at least one relative clause, defining or non-defining, to add a detail? ✓ Did I use polite complaint language (e.g. I would appreciate, I would like)? ✓ Did I check spelling, punctuation and the use of capital letters?

If anything is missing, revise your letter and check it again.

Required