C Reviewing

Reviewing requires you, once again, to analyse/break down a given topic to
uncover, consider and discuss its key parts. Reviews require writing that is lively
and authoritative and which shows good judgment and careful consideration.
• A review is usually written as a magazine or newspaper article with a media

audience in mind, i.e. a general adult audience. Its usual subject is a film or TV
programme.
• Reviews require a friendly, lively yet also authoritative style. This requires
some skill as it combines standard English with careful use of appropriate
colloquial language.
• Use adjectives and adverbs to show your position. E.g “The deafening voice
of the singer” or “the enchanting melody of the voice of the singer”
• Include typical features of documentaries. These are: name of documentary,

length, director, topic, strong view of the director, mention the host or
presenter, and possible interviews.
• Don’t forget to include, from the beginning, your general view (whether you
will give a favourable opinion or negative). Finish with a solid strong
authoritative recommendation. You must sound in control all the time.
STEPS TO WRITE A REVIEW (STEPS NOT PARAGRAPHS!)
Step 1 Give details of what you are reviewing
• What?
• Title
• Director/ producer/owner/ artist/chef, etc
• When? Where? How long?
• Intended audience (if applies)
• Briefly, hint at what your general opinion is.
Step 2 Explain the purpose

• Subject?
• Purpose? Main message?
Step 3 Mention your prior knowledge (past tense)
• Did you know anything about the subject/ this place before watching or visiting?
• What did you expect to see/ to find?
• What questions did you have about the subject? What did you wonder before? (e.g I had always
wondered what Mongolian food was like, or I thought that…but…)
Step 4 Summarise main events/ main aspects/ plot

(refer back to subject)
Step 5- Technical matters. Talk about the sound effects, camera work, interviews and special
effects
(or distinctive features of the place or event)
• Do you like the sound effects? Song? Voice-over or narration?
• Are the images sharp?
• How is the filming? What camera angles were used?
• Do you like the interviews? What have you learned from the interviews?
• Are there any special effects?

Step 6 Give personal comments and recommendation
• Which part of the documentary do you like most?

• What have you learned from it?
• Was there anything that surprised you?
• What are the drawbacks of the documentary?
• Would you recommend this documentary to your friends?
REVIEW OF A RESTAURANT
A REVIEW OF A TV SHOW
LANGUAGE FOR REVIEWS
• This documentary/ commercial revolves around / is concerned with / deals with

/…………………. It concentrates on / focuses on ....................................
• The people interviewed are ............. etc.
• As far as I am concerned/ As I see it/ to my mind, the commercial is ........
Or
• I find the commercial… thought-provoking, appealing, tedious, absurd, unconvincing,

predictable, unimaginative, gripping, captivating, dynamic, exhilarating, inspiring, irritating,
shameful, tedious, blunt, sharp, straight forward, invigorating, introspective, revealing,
dramatic, heartbreaking, profound, provoking, emotional, enigmatic, family-friendly, cinematic,
comic, complex, fluid, fresh, touching, theatrical, thrilling, controversial, convincing, creative,
thoughtful, worthwhile, visual, unforgettable, playful, futuristic, narrative, visionary,
suspenseful, a must-see, fun, magnetic, mindful, mature, meaningful, mind-blowing, modern,
intense, realistic, refreshing, revealing, rich, enriching, romantic, epic, entertaining, edgy,
effective, absorbing, a bore, overly-sentimental, superficial, arrogant, tasteless, average, hard
to follow, heavily flawed, holes in the plot, poor acting, tragic, poorly-directed, childish, poorly-
executed, trended, cliché, poorly-filmed, common, irrelevant, poorly-produced, poorly-written,
unaffecting, confusing, unconvincing, predictable, pretentious, unimaginative, redundant,
uninspired, depressing, meaningless, senseless, unoriginal, dissatisfying, mechanical,
distracting, mediocre, silly, melodramatic, unresolved, slow, dull, needless, slow-going, empty,
obvious, well-worth viewing.
• you can add an adverb before, such as appallingly, profoundly, deeply, considerably,
admirably, impeccably, richly, perfectly, wildly, highly, exquisitely, exceptionally, poorly, sadly,
depressingly, unnecessarily)
• What interested me / captured my attention/ annoyed me most was .................

• What I think is missing is a storyline, narration, a voice-over, a jingle, a catchy slogan, a
famous spokesman/woman…… etc.
To end reviews:
You should definitely see.../ Don’t miss.../You might enjoy… All in

all, it is well worth seeing, since…
On the whole, I wouldn’t recommend it, in view of the fact that…

C Reviewing

Uploaded by

C Reviewing

Uploaded by

Reviewing requires you, once again, to analyse/break down a given topic to

• A review is usually written as a magazine or newspaper article with a media

• Include typical features of documentaries. These are: name of documentary,

Step 1 Give details of what you are reviewing

• Director/ producer/owner/ artist/chef, etc

• When? Where? How long?

• Intended audience (if applies)

• Briefly, hint at what your general opinion is.

Step 2 Explain the purpose

Step 3 Mention your prior knowledge (past tense)

• What did you expect to see/ to find?

Step 4 Summarise main events/ main aspects/ plot

• Do you like the sound effects? Song? Voice-over or narration?

• Are the images sharp?

• How is the filming? What camera angles were used?

• Are there any special effects?

• Which part of the documentary do you like most?

• Was there anything that surprised you?

• What are the drawbacks of the documentary?

• Would you recommend this documentary to your friends?

• This documentary/ commercial revolves around / is concerned with / deals with

• I find the commercial… thought-provoking, appealing, tedious, absurd, unconvincing,

• What interested me / captured my attention/ annoyed me most was .................

You should definitely see.../ Don’t miss.../You might enjoy… All in

On the whole, I wouldn’t recommend it, in view of the fact that…

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