Complaining and Apologizing ESL Role-Plays, Activities, Games and Worksheets
Appropriate Apologies

In this productive complaining and apologizing speaking activity, students practice making complaints and giving apologies using prompts. Working alone, students complete complaints with the words... read more
How to Complain and Apologize

In this insightful dealing with complaints worksheet, students identify and practice expressions for making complaints and saying sorry. Students begin by... read more
Always and Never

Here is a communicative making complaints role-play activity to help students practice complaining with always and never. In pairs, students take turns picking up a card that shows the subject of a complaint and two verbs. Using a dialogue... read more
Complaint Cards

In this communicative making complaints speaking activity, students role-play making complaints, apologies and requests in different situations. In pairs... read more
Customer Complaints

In this communicative complaining and apologizing role-play, students practice making and dealing with complaints about misleading advertisements. In pairs, students role-play the first complaint... read more
Dealing with Complaints

In this communicative dealing with complaints game, students role-play handling complaints using expressions on cards to score points. First, students brainstorm six situations in which people make... read more
I'm Sorry

In these two engaging apologizing games, students practice expressions with sorry. In groups, students take turns turning over one card from each set. If the statement or question matches the... read more
Stop Complaining!

In this useful complaining and apologizing worksheet, students learn how to make common complaints, requests and apologies. First, students read... read more
Back to the Shop

In this free shop complaints game, students role-play making complaints in a shop and their classmates try to guess where they are and what product they are complaining about. In teams, students imagine that items they bought are faulty and... read more
Complaining and Apologizing Language

This free complaining and apologizing phrases handout provides students with some useful expressions to use when making and dealing with complaints. The sheet covers language and phrases for making a complaint, apologizing, giving reasons, calming someone down, asking for specifics... read more
I can't get no satisfaction!

In this communicative making complaints role-play activity, students make and deal with complaints in various situations and score how satisfied they are with each outcome. In pairs, students role-play each situation with one person making the... read more
Race to Make It Right

In this engaging making apologies game, students race to match and complete apologies in response to complaints and expressions of dissatisfaction. In groups, one student turns over the... read more
Softening Complaints

In this communicative making complaints speaking activity, students learn how to soften complaints using not very and rather. In pairs, one student places nine... read more