Problem versus incident

[Jose Cuervo]

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #29 "Letter Writing (1)", question 1

Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to describe the ......... I've been having with one of your products.

(a) incidents
(b) instances
(c) problems
(d) examples

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #29 "Letter Writing (1)", answer 1

Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to describe the problems I've been having with one of your products.

Correct answer: (c) problems

Your answer was: incorrect
Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to describe the incidents I've been having with one of your products.
_________________________

Why problems and no incidents? Both are relative to something is no going according with that desirable, aren?t they?

Jose Cuervo

[Mister Micawber]

.
Hello, Jose.

An incident is simply a 'single distinct event'-- it can be good or bad; when we use the word for a bad event, that event is usually rather complex-- as the American Heritage Dicitionary puts it, an occurrence or event that interrupts normal procedure or precipitates a crisis.

This definition is not applicable to the usual products that we simply have problems with.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber