WRITING A REVIEW
A review should…
– use interesting vocabulary.
– try to catch the reader’s interest.
– be clearly organised.
– use a neutral style, but you have to check who you are writing the review for.
What should you do before you start writing your review?
– be sure about what you are reviewing and its purpose
– check who will read it.
– decide what style you will use for your review.
– be careful not to follow a report style.
Useful language
1. introduction: say what you are reviewing.
– The (film, book…etc) I would like to review is…..
– The last film I saw / book I read was…….
2. explain: give details of what you reviewing.
– It is set in…/It is located in…
– The story is based on (a book..) …..
– It’s about…..
– There are many memorable characters including ….
– The main theme of the film is…..
– What the film is saying is…..
3. opinion: give your own opinion of what you are reviewing.
– I would recommend this film to anyone.
– Although I enjoyed it, I would not recommend it for….
– It’s one of the best (shows) I’ve ever seen.
– Although I am not normally keen on (musicals), I am glad that I decided to go.
– The (film) lifts you out of your everyday life.
DO`s
– DO say what it is about, but not in too much detail.
– DO remember to mention important or memorable characters, but DON`T spend too
much time just describing them.
– DO try to use a range of interesting vocabulary to bring the film to life for the reader.
– DO remember to link ideas clearly, and to link paragraphs together.
– DO remember to give your opinion clearly, as this is the purpose of a review, but not
until the end.
It is highly recommended to use adjectives in review. Here you have some ideas.
Also, avoid using “very + adjective” if it is possible.
action-packed, amusing, badly acted, balanced, beautiful, (extremely) boring,
breathtaking, captivating, compelling, complex, (totally/slightly) confusing, contrived,
disappointing, enigmatic, enjoyable, entertaining, exciting, fantastic, (totally/rather) far-
fetched, (truly) fascinating, funny, gripping, hilarious, humorous, inspiring, lousy,
manipulative, masterful, poignant, powerful, (un)realistic, ridiculous, romantic,
overacted, overrated, overwhelming, (im)perfect, predictable, provocative, silly, stupid,
surprising, super, tense, unbelievable, unoriginal, (highly) uplifting, whimsical
