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How to write a review? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

Level: C1
Article navigation:
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Structure
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Writing Guide
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example reviews
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example topics
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Tips
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Writing Checklist
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Grading
C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Useful phrases

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A review is usually written for an English-language magazine, newspaper or website.

The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the essay writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday, a product, a website, etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Structure

Title + Introduction
Name what you are going to be reviewing. Identify the book, restaurant or film
Main content:
Paragraph 1: Describe the first thing mentioned in the task

Paragraph 2: Describe the second thing mentioned in the task

Recommendation
Contain your general impression and your verdict.
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C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Writing Guide

We will use the example CAE review topic below:

Write your review (around 220 – 260 words)

Step 1: Briefly analyse your task…

The first thing is to find underline a description part, where we have to describe something like a film, book, restaurant or anything else. Next, find a discussion part where need to give opinion and or make a recommendation or suggestion.

On top of that, find the target reader who is always specified so you know exactly who you are writing for and who is going to read your review.

Thanks to this, we have all the elements we need to write a great review below:

You need to describe: Book or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society

You need to answer/discuss:

  1. Why this person made an important contribution?
  2. Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?

Who is the target reader: website, Great Lives 

We know now that the target readers are the users of the website, so the writing style can be quite direct and informal (idioms, phrasal verbs).

Now we can start building our structure and writing a review.

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Step 2: Title

The review should start with the title, and there are several ways to write it:

  • imagine you’re reviewing a book you can write [Title] by [Author]
  • if you were reviewing a hotel you could write the [name of the hotel] – a review
  • or you can just write something catchy but it has to point to what you are going to review

we will use this title in our guide:
TITLE: Mandela: Striving for Freedom — a review

Step 3: Introduction

Use the introduction to identify the thing you are going to be reviewing, and state its genre (i.e. a science fiction novel, a horror movie) or location (if it’s a restaurant or a hotel).

The other function of your introduction is to engage the reader. There are certain tools we can use to achieve that for example, we can ask a rhetorical question.

It is a question that doesn’t really need an answer it is there as a stylistic feature that engages the reader and makes them interested in the topic

Make your introduction at least 2-3 sentences long.

INTRODUCTION: Have you ever been so passionate about something that you would sacrifice your very best years for it? In the film Mandela: Striving for Freedom we get not only a glimpse of Nelson Mandela’s life, but rather dive deep into who he was and how he changed a whole country. This autobiographical film, based on the book, and released in 2013, tells the amazing story of an even more extraordinary man.

                  – rhetorical question

                  – identification of reviewed item

Step 4: The body paragraphs (main content) 

The body paragraphs can be used to describe the points you’ve found in (Step 1)

You need to answer/discuss:

  1. Why this person made an important contribution?
  2. Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?

Unlike essays, your paragraphs don’t have to be of the same length (however, should be longer than the introduction or conclusion).

Use idioms, phrasal verbs and colloquial language  –  informal language is appropriate for your target reader – users of the website, Great Lives

See the example below, in which we dedicate one paragraph to one point…

[Why this person made an important contribution?]

While the whole film captivated me throughout, there was one aspect that truly stood out to me. Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie had a one-of-a-kind relationship driving each other to continue and grow the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa even after Mr Mandela was
captured and imprisoned. It is a testament to their dedication and partnership and something ‘that a lot of us can learn from.

[Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?]

Despite having a strong and driven partner in his wife, I still used to be astonished by the fact that someone would simply sacrifice themselves and give up a big part of their life to help others, but this biopic made me reconsider. Witnessing segregated society and all the racial abuse the
black community had to endure during apartheid, there was no other option for Nelson Mandela than to stand up and fight for equality.

                     – topic-specific vocabulary

                   – engaging/interesting vocabulary

                    – relevant details

Step 5: Conclusion / Recommendations

It will contain your general impression and your verdict/recommendation.

Use this paragraph to make an objective assessment of the reviewed material. You may then recommend or dissuade your readers from seeing/attending it.

CONCLUSION: All in all, Mandela: Striving for Freedom gives some incredible insight into the life of one of the world’s most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century. It would be a shame not to watch it so I highly recommend that you check your favourite streaming service as soon as you can and I promise you won’t regret it.                 – recap, what you like about the film

                 – recommendation

See full review…

Mandela: Striving for Freedom — a review

Have you ever been so passionate about something that you would sacrifice your very best years for it? In the film Mandela: Striving for Freedom we get not only a glimpse of Nelson Mandela’s life, but rather dive deep into who he was and how he changed a whole country. This autobiographical film, based on the book, and released in 2013, tells the amazing story of an even more extraordinary man.

While the whole film captivated me throughout, there was one aspect that truly stood out to me. Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie had a one-of-a-kind relationship driving each other to continue and grow the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa even after Mr Mandela was captured and imprisoned. It is a testament to their dedication and partnership and something ‘that a lot of us can learn from.

Despite having a strong and driven partner in his wife, I still used to be astonished by the fact that someone would simply sacrifice themselves and give up a big part of their life to help others, but this biopic made me reconsider. Witnessing segregated society and all the racial abuse the black community had to endure during apartheid, there was no other option for Nelson Mandela than to stand up and fight for equality.

All in all, Mandela: Striving for Freedom gives some incredible insight into the life of one of the world’s most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century. It would be a shame not to watch it so I highly recommend that you check your favourite streaming service as soon as you can and I promise you won’t regret it.

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  Things to remember…

Don’t talk about yourself

You’re writing for the public, not for your friends. Your opinions are only interesting if you can explain them, justify them, or make them entertaining.

Be interesting:

People don’t read reviews in magazines in order to be bored, If your review isn’t interesting, they won’t read it. To be interesting, you should :

  • give your review a good title
  • start with a good opening,
  • use concrete images and facts, not concepts and generalizations.
  • use precise and interesting vocabulary.
  • know when to finish – and finish in style

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example reviews

Question:

You have seen this announcement on your favourite music website.

Have you ever been to an amazing concert venue?

Write a review of the best music venue in your local area and tell us about what makes it so special. Say who you would recommend it for a why?

The best entries will be published on our website.

Model answer:

The Apollo: The Theatre of Dreams

Never before have you seen such an amazing spectacle as you will see in the Apollo. It´s not only the facilities and personnel that make this venue so great, but also the amazing acoustics of such a large venue.

From the moment you enter the place there is an awe about it. All of the greatest acts of recent times have played here and you can feel the buzz as soon as you enter. The crowd are so close to the stage that they can literally feel the droplets of sweat coming off of the brows of their favourite artists, this creates an amazing connection between the musicians and the audience and I can tell you, the fans go wild!

I´d definitely recommend this venue to anyone, it has a great feel to it and the prices are at the lower end of what you would expect to pay in such a place. They also don’t go over the top on drinks prices, and through it sounds weird, it´s not all that difficult to get to the bathroom which is a plus. So, without a doubt, the next time your favourite group is playing, come on down to the Apollo, oh, and did I mention it is in London? It couldn´t get any better.

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Question:

You see this announcement in an international magazine.

The most UPLIFTING and the biggest DOWNER.
It’s sometimes hard to choose a film that fits your mood purely on the basis of the poster or the description on the cover of the DVD. That’s why we want to publish reviews of the most uplifting and the most depressing films our readers have seen, so that others know what to watch and what to avoid.
Send in a review which describes the most uplifting film you’ve ever seen and the one you found the biggest downer. Make sure you give reasons for your choices.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Model answer:

A tale of two films

If I were to present two of the most contrasting films about overcoming adversity it would be The Blind Side (2009)  and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Whereas the former left me with a huge grin on my face, sadly, the latter left me feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Doctor Zhivago, directed by five-time Oscar winner David Lean, is set in the Bolshevik revolution and follows the title character, who must adapt to the new order while pining for Lara, the beautiful wife of a political campaigner. The director succeeded in creating a film that is thoroughly engaging but full of gritty realism, cruelty and tragic irony. Take the tissues!

The Blind Side, which is based on a true story, is also a bit of a tearjerker, in a completely different way. Starring Sandra Bullock, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a rich white mother in Tennessee who takes a homeless black teenager under her roof. Understandably, the gentle giant thinks he isn’t good at anything but his new mother sees his potential to become a football star and part of the family. The plot is based on a true story, making it all the more touching.

I would strongly recommend The Blind Side. It will appeal to a range of people and is a great choice for a movie night. Although Doctor Zhivago is a classic, I think it has more of a niche audience and is best saved for when you want a dose of gloom!

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example topics

You see the the following announcement on a website, Great Lives:

REVIEWS WANTED Send us a review of a book or a film focusses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society.

Did you learn anything new about the person’s life from the book or film? Did the book or film help you understand why this person made their important contribution?

Write your review in 220-260 words

You see this announcement in an international magazine called Cinefilia.

THE MOST UPLIFTING AND THE BIGGEST DOWNER. It’s sometimes hard to choose a film that fits your mood purely on the basis of the poster or the description on the cover of the DVD. That’s why we want to publish reviews of the most uplifting and the most depressing films our readers have seen, so that others know what to watch and what to avoid. Send in a review which describes the most uplifting film you’ve ever seen and the one you found the biggest downer. Make sure you give reasons for your choices.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

You see the following announcement in a magazine:

SEND US YOUR REVIEW

Have you read a book or seen a film that has a central character whose life is affected by an event or decision they make early in the story What did you learn about the person’s character? Did the book or flim help you to understand how the person was affected by this event or decision? Send us your review for our next issue

Write your review for the magazine readers. (220-260 words)

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Tips

  • A title is advisable.
  • Think about what you are trying to achieve and the structure of your review.
  • You should also start a new paragraph for every item/aspect you are addressing in your review. 
  • Include a final recommendation or evaluation
  • Don’t forget!  The target reader is specified in the question, so the candidate knows not only what register is appropriate, but also has an idea about the kind of information to include. 
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C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Writing Checklist

After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:

Content

  • Have I covered all the key information required by the task?
  • Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
  • Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?

Communicative Achievement

  • Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example, explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
  • Have I used a suitable mix of fact and opinion?
  • Have I used a suitable style and register (formal or informal) for the task?

Organisation

  • Have I used paragraphs appropriately to organise my ideas?
  • Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre of the text (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
  • Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words, pronouns, etc. to refer to different things within the text?)
  • Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space given to each one?

Language

  • Have I used a wide range of vocabulary?
  • Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
  • Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical structures?
  • Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the specific task or topic?
  • Is my use of grammar accurate?
  • Is my spelling accurate?

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Grading

Language

Try to include some sophisticated language in your review.  But: you can think of some cool words and expressions before you go into the exam!

 Keep control of your language – don’t forget simple things like the third person singular ‘s’.

However, don’t stick only to really simple forms. You need to show that you know higher level forms like past perfect and third conditional.

Organization

Start with a heading so you don’t forget to mention the name of the thing you’re reviewing.

Put each content point in a separate paragraph.

Finish with your recommendation.

Vary the length of your sentences – some short, some long – to make the Review more interesting.

Communication

Always think about the Target Reader.

Are they going to learn enough in your Review to make a decision about the book?

The Target Reader’s time is precious. Keep them entertained!

At a most basic level, does your Review look like one? Is it written like one?

Content

You should be able to get all 5 content points. Make sure to cover everything in the rubric.

Remember, nothing that you write has to be real or honest. If it’s easier to make something up, do that.

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C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Useful phrases

We will finish it with some useful vocabulary mostly used to organize information. Although it is taking a shortcut, if you learn several expressions for each paragraph in each type of text that could be on your exam, you will certainly be able to create a very consistent and well-organized text.

What I liked

What I liked most was …..
The thing I liked most was ….
I was pleasantly surprised by …..
 ….. would appeal to …..
 If you get a chance to ….

What I disliked

What I disliked most was …..
I was disappointed by ……
I was disappointed with …..
I was very disappointed by …..
 I was very disappointed with ….

Reviews of books:

main character
is set in
comedy
science fiction
thriller
romance
comedy:
author
written by
chapter
factual
fiction
unbelievable
bestseller
chapter
ending

Reviews of films, tv programmes, plays:

lead role
star role
star
star actor
star actress
starring
secondary role
He plays a …….
She plays a …….
written by ….
is set in …..
based on a true story ….
believable
true to life
not very believable
far-fetched
comedy
romance
science fiction
ending

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc:

location
service
setting
attractive setting
disappointing setting
owned by
run by
head chef (restaurant)
waiters (restaurant)
staff …….
staff at reception …….(hotel
hotel facilities ….
reasonable prices …..
good value for money …..
excellent value for money …..
expensive
a bit expensive
overpriced
not worth the money
poor value for money
always fully booked
book in advance

Criticism

The script seemed rather conventional/predictable to me.
The plot struck me as completely bizarre/absurd/incomprehensible
The characters are appealing and true to life
The dancers were quite brilliant/amateurish

Recommendations

I would strongly encourage you not to miss/not to waste your money on…
I would definitely recommend seeing/visiting/reading/having a look at …

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