Writing a Review

Main Objective

describe and
The main purpose is to

express a personal opinion about

something which the writer has

experienced

Give the reader a clear impression of

what the item discussed is like.

Description and explanation are key

functions for this task, and a review will

normally include a recommendation to

the reader.
 Have you read a book in which the
character behaved in a surprising
way?
Write a review of the book, explaining PUBLISHED:
what the main character did and why Magazine

it was surprising.
Tell us whether or not you would
recommend this book to other people.
The best reviews will be published in TOPIC:
the magazine. A Novel

MAIN IDEAS:
PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION:
Character's surprising action, Why it
1. Title and introduction was surprising, recommendation

2. Description (What did the main character do?)

3. Discussion (Why was it surprising?)

4. Recommendation (Would you recommend the book

to other people?)
 Introduction

– Make your review more interesting with personal

comments or personal question at the beginning

– Mention the title, the type of the book/ play/ film/etc,

the setting (when/where), the theme, the main

characters, etc.
 What would you do if you could

travel back in time? Most people

For Example would probably meet their great-

– Paragraph starts with a personal question. great-grandparents or watch how

the amazing pyramids in Giza

- Hints at the plot of the novel and at the curious
were built, but Jake Epping, the
decision that the main character makes

main character of the novel

- Information: book title, main character and author. “11/22/63” by Stephen King finds

himself in a completely
- Register: Informal / Neutral
unexpected situation and he has

to make a very difficult decision

that will change history as we

know it.
 2nd Paragraph
description
what did the main character do ?

- Stick to the question and don’t talk about unrelated

things.

- Give some support to your answer (related details)

- Use adjectives and adverbs to make it more

interesting to read.
 For Example
Jake, a teacher in a little town in
– Describes only the details that are necessary to
Maine, finds a mysterious time
understand how Jake gets to the point at which he
portal in the back of a ragged
makes his surprising decision.

diner which takes him back to the

- Descriptive adjectives and adverbs to make year 1958. He soon realizes that
paragraph a little bit more interesting (mysterious,
every time he goes through the
ragged, exact, eventually, unexpected, brutally).
portal he gets to the exact same

- Don't make it complicated! point in the past. Eventually, he

makes the unexpected decision to

stop Lee Harvey Oswald from

brutally killing President John F.

Kennedy on 22.11.1963.
 3rd Paragraph
discussion
why was it surprising ?

- Again, don’t write about things that are not in the

task.

- Use specific language to give your opinion (because

this paragraph is about your opinion!)

In my opinion/view, …

For me, …

I think/believe/feel that …

I would say that …

It seems to me that …
 It seems to me that Jake could

choose many other and more

personal things to do, but he

decides to try and change history

For Example
to a degree that he cannot
– Remember to use the correct phrases to make it clear
predict. I my opinion, that came
that you are giving an opinion.
definitely unexpected and if I were

in his position I probably wouldn’t

even consider a task this far-

reaching.
 Conclusion
recommendation

- Don’t mix up the recommendation with the other parts

of your review, it is not the same as your opinion.

- Use specific language to give recommendations:

I recommend/suggest [title/name] to + person

I recommend/suggest + -ing

I recommend/suggest that …

You should + base verb

You might want to + base verb

- Write a final sentence to conclude the review.

 I definitely recommend “11/22/63”

to everyone who has already read

some of Stephen King’s novels as

well as to those who like stories

For Example with twists and turns around every

corner, plus you get some modern

– Use specific language to give recommendations (I
history on top of that. For me, it
definitely recommend) and concluded the review with a

final sentence (…it was absolutely worth it…). was absolutely worth reading and

I’m sure you won’t be

- Your final sentence should wrap up the whole review.
disappointed.
 Now its your turn!
An international arts website is
looking for reviews of novels for a
new section called ‘A Reader
Writes’. You have decided to write
– Write a review using 140 - 190 words. a review of a novel you’ve recently
read for this section. Describe the
- Identify where the article is being published to decide novel and say what you think
which register you will be using according to the
about it. Would you recommend
audience that will be reading it.
this novel to other people?

- What information does the article have to include?

- Organize your paragraphs like in the example we

looked at.