Here are the most common expressions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in English.
Expressing Satisfaction
To express satisfaction, we can use the following expressions. Satisfaction can also be expressed with compliments.
- I’m very satisfied with ....
- I’m very pleased with ....
- It’s very satisfying.
- This is incredible / remarkable / fantastic / fabulous / unbelievable / amazing.
- Well done.
- You’ve done a great job.
- You did it.
- That was a good one.
- You’ve made a great effort.
- I really appreciate that.
Expressing Dissatisfaction
To express dissatisfaction, we can use below expressions. Dissatisfaction can also be shown through complaints.- I’m disappointed with ....
- It’s very disappointing.
- What a terrible ...!
- How awful!
- It’s terrible / annoying.
- You should have done / known better.
- I want to complain about ....
- I have a complaint to make.
- (I’m afraid) ... it just isn’t good enough.
- Something must be done about ....
Example Dialogue 1
| Shea: | Every time we come here we have to wait! |
| Kath: | Never mind – it won’t be long now. |
| Shea: | We’ve been here the whole morning, practically. |
| Kath: | [looks at her watch] Well, ... we’ve only been here twenty minutes, actually. |
| Shea: | It’s really annoying, and I’m fed up! |
| Kath: | It’s no use being annoyed, Shamira. Either we can wait here and be patient, or we can come back later. |
| Shea: | Why does everyone else decide to come here just when I want to? |
| Kath: | Calm down. All the assistants are busy, but .... |
| Shea: | You mean ‘both the assistants’! There are only two of them! They should employ more assistants so people don’t have to wait. |
| Kath: | Look, we’re in town all day today – let’s come back when they’re not so rushed off their feet. |
| Shea: | I’m not budging! |
Example Dialogue 2
| Manager: | In summary, your review is mostly favorable. I really appreciate that. |
| Employee: | Thank you, Sir. |
| Manager: | You met four of your six incentive goals, which means your bonus will total four million and five hundred thousand rupiahs. |
| Employee: | Could you tell me which areas I should improve? |
| Manager: | Well, you got high marks for promptness and dedication, but you need to improve your business etiquette and time management. |
| Employee: | Will my performance review be used in deciding on a salary increase? |
| Manager: | Of course. Your review will go into your file, which is part of your permanent employment record. Do you have any other questions? |
| Employee: | I guess all's clear. Thank you very much, Sir. |
| Manager: | You're most welcome. Keep up the good work. |
| Employee: | I will. |
EXERCISE
I. Answer these questions by referring to Dialogue 1.- Where did the dialogue most probably happen?
- What were the speakers mostly talking about?
- What do you think about Shamira's feeling?
- Rewrite Shamira's sentence expressing her feeling.
- In your opinion, what made her feel that way?
- What do you think about Kath's attitude?
- What did Kath suggest?
- What would they most probably do after the conversation?
- Where did the dialogue take place?
- What were the speakers talking about?
- What did the manager most likely feel?
- Rewrite the manager's sentence which expresses his/her feeling.
- What can we learn about the performance review in relation with employees' salary increase?
Strengthen Your Speaking Skills
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