How to write a review fce

How to write a review? | B2 First (FCE)

A review is a piece of writing usually written for an English-language magazine, newspaper or website. The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something the 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.

How to write a review?

The review may be formal or semi-formal in style, depending on its intended readership, and is usually written using present tenses.

B2 First (FCE) Review: Structure

CAE, FCE, CPE

More than Practice Tests

B2 First (FCE) Review: Writing Guide

Title:

Title: THE THIEVES OF OSTIA

Introduction:

In the introduction, you make your review more interesting with personal comments. Mention the title, the type of the book/ play/ film/etc, the setting (when/where), the theme, the main characters, etc

Phrases you can use in the introduction:

This well-written/ informative / fascinatng/ thought-provoking book is…
The film/ book/ play/ etc. is set in / tells the story of / is based on
The film/ play starts / is directed by / is the sequel to

1st – 2nd body paragraph:

In the 1st and 2nd body paragraphs you include the main points of the plot (without revealing the ending), and evaluate such features as the acting, writing style, directions, characters, etc. You can also add what you learnt, found out from the book, etc.

Recommendation:

In the last paragraph, you include an overall assessment of the work and/or a recommendation, usually with justification. You may also be asked to give reasons why someone should see the film/ play or read the book, how it has influenced you, etc.

B2 First (FCE) Review: Model Answers

Model Answer 1

Topic

You have seen this notice in your school library:

REVIEWS NEEDED
We want to buy some new books for the library. Have you read a good book inEnglish recently? Write us a review of a book you enjoyed, explaining why you liked it and why you think it would be a good choice for the school library.

We will use your reviews to help us decide which books to buy

Model answer

THE THIEVES OF OSTIA

„The thieves of Ostia‟ by Caroline Lawrence is the first in a series of books entitled„The Roman Mysteries‟ and I think it‟s an absolute must for the school library.

The book is set in the Roman port of Ostia nearly two thousand years ago. It tells the story of Flavia and her three friends, and their attempts to discover who has been killing the dogs of Ostia and why. It‟s full of mystery and excitement, and the plot has many twists and turns, which make you want to keep reading.

The book is aimed at ten – to twelve – year – old native English speakers, but it is very popular with older children and would be ideal for teenagers studying English. What‟s more, it gives a fascinating insight into life in Roman times, so readers learn about history as well as improve their language skills.

After finishing „The Thieves of Ostia‟, students will want to borrow further books
from the series. By buying it, then, the library would be doing a lot to encourage students to read more in English

Get Your (FCE) Review Checked!

Model Answer 2

Topic:

You have found the following advertisement online:

RESTAURANT REVIEWS WANTED!

Have you been to a great restaurant lately? If so, send us an honest review of the restaurant explaining what you liked and disliked of the place as well as its location, staff and how it looks on the inside.

We will publish the first 20 decent reviews we get!

Model answer

Foster’s Hollywood

Being a huge fan of traditional American fast food and restaurant styles, it’s no wonder that my favourite restaurant in Granada is Foster’s Hollywood.

Located smack in the middle of the city, this fast-food chain serves a wide variety of mouthwatering, American dishes at a reasonable price. These range from typical Tex-Mex nachos or French fries to more elaborate meals like traditional, homemade Bourbon steak. And if you’re hungry, it’s the perfect place to go, as their servings are absolutely huge!

Another cool thing about this place is its magnificent decor. If you’re a film buff, you will quickly fall in love with this place, since all the walls are covered in famous movie posters! Apart from that, it’s got a spacious dining hall, super friendly staff and an outdoor terrace which is absolutely fantastic on summer nights!

The only negative thing I can say is that it is right next to a gym, which sometimes makes me feel guilty for eating so much!

Nevertheless, Foster’s Hollywood offers delicious meals in an unbeatable atmosphere, so you should definitely give it a try. I promise you won’t regret it!

Free English Lessons

In this lesson, you can learn how to write a review for the FCE writing exam. For many people, the writing section is the most challenging part of the FCE test. In this lesson, you’ll see a step-by-step process for writing a review. You’ll see exactly what to do at each stage and how to improve your FCE writing score.

Read the Full Script

1. How to Analyse Your FCE Writing Task

Let’s look at a sample question:

There are four steps to writing an effective answer. So, what’s the first step? Read the question and identify exactly what the examiners want from you.

Your FCE writing is assessed on four points:

Each area is worth up to five marks.

First, let’s focus on content. To get five marks for content you need to make sure, “all content is relevant and the reader is fully informed.”

Those aren’t my words—those are the words from the official mark scheme! But what do they mean?

Very simple: they mean you need to do everything the question asks you to do.

Look at our sample question again.

There are three things you need to include in this task; Do you know what they are?

Number one: you need to write a review of a book. This means you should include some basic information about the book, like its title, the author, and what genre it is: crime, historical, romance, etc.

Number two: say why you liked it.

Finally, say who you would recommend it to.

Easy, right? Yes and no. It’s simple, but most people don’t get full marks for content. You should aim to get five out of five. Here’s how you do this:

One: make sure you cover everything fully. Don’t leave any parts of the question out!
Two: make sure you cover everything equally. In this question, there are three points to include. You should have a more-or-less equal number of words for each point.
Three: make sure you support your ideas with reasons or details.
Four: don’t include anything unnecessary or irrelevant. Your task is to do what the question asks, and nothing more!

Now, you’ve identified the three things you need to include. You can move on to step two: planning!

2. How to Plan Your FCE Writing Review

Planning is the most important step.

The FCE writing test is one hour 20 minutes long. Parts one and two are worth equal marks, twenty each, so you should spend about 40 minutes on each.

Of those 40 minutes, you should spend five to ten minutes on planning.

It can be tempting to think, “I need all of that time to write! I don’t have time to plan!” However, this is a bad idea.

Not planning your writing is like going on a journey without map: you’re likely to get lost.

Planning is especially important for your organisation score. Your writing needs to be well-structured and coherent to earn marks in this area.

Organisation focuses on “how well the writing is put together”. By planning your writing carefully, it will naturally be organised. This gives you a good chance to get high scores in organisation.

You can also use this step to maximise your score in “Communicative Achievement”. This focuses on “how appropriate your writing is for the task”.

So, when you’re planning, think about questions like this:

The answers to these questions will depend on the exact task.

For a book review, it should probably have a title, but it doesn’t need sub-headings. It should be written in a neutral style, and it should use specific language for the task: for example to describe books, or make recommendations.

You don’t really need an introduction or a conclusion, because it’s not an essay; you’re not trying to prove anything.

Now, let’s make a basic plan together. When you plan, you need to decide how many paragraphs you’ll have, and what main idea will go in each paragraph.

How many paragraphs do you think you’ll need?

There isn’t one right way to do this, but you have three main points to include for your content score. So, it makes sense to have three paragraphs, and an extra paragraph to explain what happens in the book, like this:

Remember: this isn’t the only possibility. A different structure might make more sense for you. That’s fine; just make sure the structure is clear in your head. ‘Clear’ means that each paragraph has one main point, and you know exactly what that main point is.

After you have your basic outline, you should add some key words or phrases to each point.

A book I read recently was ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ by Truman Capote. Maybe you’ve read it, or perhaps you’ve seen the film!

So, here’s my plan. You don’t need full sentences, just an idea of what you’re going to say.

Pause the video if you want some more time to read the plan.

3. How to Write Your FCE Review

Okay, now it’s time to write your answer! You have between 140 and 190 words.

Count the number of words you write in your practice answers so you can get a feel for how much to write.

Here’s something you might not know: Cambridge does not allow correction fluid, correction tape or erasable pens. Make sure you leave plenty of space on the page in case you want to cross something out and change it.

Here’s our first draft:

Pause the video for as long as you need to read it.

How does it look to you?

It’s not bad but it’s not perfect either. Now for the last step!

4. How to Check and Improve Your FCE Writing Answer

It’s time to find the mistakes. Even if you’re short of time, try to leave two to three minutes at the end to check your work. It can make a difference to your score, so it’s important!

This is where you can improve your score in the ‘language’ section of the assessment.

To get a high language score, you need to “use a range of vocabulary, including less common vocabulary,” “use a range of simple and complex grammatical forms,” and make only “occasional errors.”

Again, these are direct quotes from the Cambridge mark scheme.

Learn more with this Oxford Online English lesson on using a notebook to expand your vocabulary.

There will be mistakes and things you can improve in your writing. Look at our model review again. There are at least seven things which could be changed in this answer. Can you find what they are?

Here are some questions to help you:

These are questions you can ask yourself after you’ve finished your own practice answers.
Pause the video and read our answer. See how many things you can find.

First, did you notice I forgot to include a title? A book review in a magazine or a newspaper normally has a title, so our review should have one, too.

What else could I have done better? Look at the bold text in the answer. Can you improve them?

Okay, let’s see how you did!

First, titles of books and movies are normally written in italics or placed inside speech marks. Let’s put it inside single speech marks here:

Then, in the 2nd paragraph, 1940s should not have an apostrophe:

In the third paragraph, I’ve repeated who lives downstairs which I said in the second paragraph. Can you think of another way to say this?

You could say …who rents the apartment downstairs, …who lives in the apartment below his, or …who is a tenant in the apartment downstairs.

This shows a greater range of vocabulary and will improve your language score.

The next one is similar: can you think of a synonym for more difficult?

How about more challenging?

More difficult is not wrong, but challenging is a less common and more specific word. If you show a range of language, you’ll get more marks for your language score.

Next, behavior. Why is this a problem?

Behavior is the American spelling.

It’s fine to use American spelling, but you must be consistent! Earlier I spelt travelled with two l’s, which is British spelling. I need to change one, so let’s change behaviour to the UK spelling by adding a ‘u’:

Next, let’s look at the gap at the start of the last paragraph. What do you think we could add here?

You could add a linking word or phrase. It would make it much easier for the reader to follow. You would also improve your organisation score.

You have a few options. For example:

What about in conclusion? Would it be a good choice?

Maybe, but it’s not ideal. It’s too formal! Save this one for your essay and keep your review in a neutral style.

Finally, what’s wrong with I’d recommend it teenagers?

Remember after recommend you need the proposition to: recommend something to someone.

By correcting these errors and making these improvements, you could improve your FCE writing score without very much work.

We used this process to write a review, but you can use it for any Cambridge exam writing task, including the CAE and CPE when you get that far.

Good luck with your exam preparation and let us know when you pass! Thanks for watching!

FCE Exam Tips

How to Write a Review for FCE

In this article I will plan an FCE review, then write it.

Here’s a sample review task from Cambridge: First:

Who’s going to read this? My fellow college students. What does that mean about the tone? It means I can be on the informal side of neutral. You know, serious but friendly.

Okay, the first thing to do is to think of a book where the main character surprised me. This is quite an important step, because everything that follows is linked to this decision. Do you think I should spend five seconds on it, or thirty seconds?

[Thirty seconds later] I chose one of my favourite books, The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s great! They made a movie of it with Anthony Hopkins.

So what do I have to include?

— write a review of the book

— explain what the character did

— and why it was surprising

— would I recommend it

It doesn’t make much sense to have points 2 and 3 separate, so for this review I will keep them together in one paragraph.

So my outline looks like this:

Main Character’s Surprising Moment

Let’s think of vocabulary and grammar I can use. I’m just going to brainstorm by writing words and phrases I know that might be useful in the different paragraphs.

genre; historical drama; romance; set in the 1930s; duty; uniform; reserved; butler; gentleman; conflict; a difficult choice; there’s no doubt that; not only but also;

You’ll see what I mean, I hope.

I’m ready to write it now! Here goes:

The Surprising Truth about The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day seems to be a very simple story. An elderly English butler borrows a car and drives to the coast to meet an old colleague. But is that all there is to it?

Working out the answer to that question is one of the most rewarding quests in literature, and that’s why I strongly recommend you read this book as soon as possible.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty good review!

All I have to do is reword the ending:

Finding out the truth about Mr Stevens is one of the most rewarding quests in literature, and that’s why I strongly recommend you read this book as soon as possible.

That gives a ‘thread’ through the review, from start to finish.

There’s also a really good review on on the imdb page. Take a look. (Specifically the one written by Ben Calmes.)

Do you have any questions about the review I wrote? Or about the process? Ask them in the section below and I will do my best to answer!

How to write a review for New FCE exam

How to write a review for the New FCE exam? Here’s a sample topic that has been divided into paragraphs and each of the sections explained.

Part 2

You must answer this question.

An international arts website is looking for reviews of novels for a new section called ‘A Reader Writes’. You have decided to write a review of a novel you’ve recently read for this section. Describe the novel and say what you think about it. Would you recommend this novel to other people?

Write your review in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

Sample answer:

I really enjoyed the film version of The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon, but I thought the original novel by Robert Ludlum was even better. This book is so well-written, I didn’t want to finish it!

You start with Paragraph 1- Introduction
In the introduction you :

– make your review more interesting with personal comments

– mention the title, the type of the book/ play/ film/etc, the setting (when/where), the theme, the main characters, etc

Phrases you can use in the introduction:

The plot is gripping right from the start. When we first meet the lead character, Jason Bourne, he is being rescued from the sea. His identity is a mystery to everyone, including himself! Over the course of the novel we gradually find out who Bourne is, and follow him through a series of exciting adventures.

In the 2nd and 3rd Paragraph you :

– include the main points of the plot ( without revealing the ending), and evaluate such features as the acting, writing style, directions, characters etc.

– you can also add what you learnt, found out from the book, etc

Phrases you can use to in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph:

Phrases you can use to in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph:

I would highly recommend The Bourne Identity to anyone who enjoys action or crime stories. However, if you prefer more descriptive or romantic novels, then you should give it a miss. Personally, I can’t wait to start reading the sequel!

In the last paragraph you :

Phrases you can use to end the letter

You have seen the following announcement in a magazine.

ENTER NOW!!

OUR READERS AND THE BOOK THEY TREASURE

• Is there one special book that has had a great influence on your life?

• Write in and tell us about it.

• Tell us briefly about the book and, more importantly, what it taught you or how it helped you.

• The best entry will he published in the near future.

Prize: £100 in book tokens to help you build up your own library!

Write your review in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

Here’s the next task:

The magazine published by your school’s English club is asking students to give opinions on the coursebooks they have been using. Write a review of a coursebook, giving your views on the following points:

• its content

• its design

• how well it prepares students for the exam

• how much it has helped you improve your English

Write your review in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

Cambridge First Review: 20+ заданий

Cambridge First Review: 20+ заданий

Про рецензию и другие типы текстов в FCE Writing я написала в обзорном посте. Здесь я привожу более 20 заданий, которые основаны на материалах из сборников:
Cambridge English: First (Past Papers) 1-3
First Trainer 1-2
Exam Essentials Practice Tests 1.

Объем текста — примерно 140-190 слов, но можно и больше, если время позволяет и смысл не размазывается.
Задания поделены на группы:

Фильмы, сериалы

1. You recently saw this notice on an English-language website called TV Gold:
Reviews wanted!
A TV documentary I learnt a lot from.
Have you seen an interesting TV documentary recently that you learnt a lot from? Write us a review of the documentary. You should exam plain what the documentary was about, tell us what you learnt from it and say whether other people would find it interesting too.
2. You recently saw this notice on an English-language website called TV Watch:
Review wanted!
TV series
Is there a TV series you watch regularly?
Write a review of the series explaining what it is about, why you like it and who you would recommend it to.
3. This is part of an email you receive from a friend in Canada.
I’m doing a project about how films can help people to learn about history. Could you tell me about a film which helped you understand a particular time or event in history? What made the film an effective way to learn?
4. You see this notice in a popular English-language magazine called Cinema News: have you seen any good films lately? If you have, write a review for our magazine! Include information on the plot and the character, and say why you think it is worth seeing.
5. You see this notice on an English-language website:
Reviews wanted
Comedy TV Series
Write us a review of a TV series that makes people laugh. Your review should include information about the storyline and the characters. Why do people think this TV series is funny? What do you think about the series?
6. You recently saw the notice in an English-language magazine called TV News:
Send us your review of the best or worst TV programme you have seen this year. Include information on what the programme was about and say what made the programme so good/ bad. Do you think another programme should be made on the same theme?
7. You recently saw this notice in an English-language magazine called Young Film Critic:
WANTED: GREAT FILMS WITH GREAT STORIES
Films can rely too much on special effects instead of a good story or good acting. Write a review of a film that used many special effects. How good or bad was the film? Did it rely heavily on special effects?
8. You recently saw a film about a famous historical event in your country. Write a review of the filmgoer your college magazine. Include information about the story, the characters and costumes, and say whether the film was historically accurate.
9. You see an announcement on an English-language website.
Film reviews wanted
Which film have you seen in which something totally unexpected happened? Write review of the film, describing what happened and why it was sos unexpected. Say whether you think other people would enjoy watching the film, too.

Книги, выставки, концерты

10. You recently saw this notice on an English-language website called Book World.
Review wanted!
The best thriller I have ever read!
Have you read a thriller recently that you think other readers would enjoy?
Write us a review of the book. You should include information on:
-what it’s about
-why it’s exciting
-who you would recommend it to.
11. You have seen this notice in an English online magazine:
Review wanted
Interesting Exhibitions
Have you been to an interesting exhibition recently? It could have been about art, photography, science or another subject.Write us a review:
-describing the exhibition
-explaining why you found it interesting
-saying which people you would recommend it to.
12. You recently saw this notice on an English-language website called Music Live.
Write us a review of a concert you’ve been to. It could be a pop, rock or classical concert, or one with a different type of music. Include information on the music, the place and atmosphere.

Рестораны, магазины

13. You see this notice in an English-language website called Restaurant World:
Reviews wanted
A Wonder Meal
Write us a review of a restaurant where you had a wonderful meal. Tell us what the restaurant was like, describe what you ate and explain why it was so good.
14.A new shop has recently been opened in your are and your English teacher has asked you to write a review of it for the college English-language magazine. Describe the shop, what it sells and give your opinion of the staff in the shop. Would you recommend this shop to other people your age?
15. Your town’s English-language website plans to publish review of restaurant in your town.
Tell us about your favourite restaurant.
Describe the atmosphere and explain what kind of customer would or wouldn’t enjoy going there.
16. You see this announcement in the English-language magazine of your college.
Restaurant reviews wanted
Classes sometimes like to celebrate special occasions by going out for a meal together. Write a review of a suitable restaurant that you like. Describe the atmosphere and the food, and explain why you think your class would enjoy being there.

Путешествия

17. You have seen this notice in an online magazine:
Reviews wanted
Sports Holidays
We’re looking for reviews of organised holidays where people can practise sports.
Write a review on the holiday, including information about the place, the sports, and how well organised the holiday was.
18. You see this announcement in a travel magazine.
Reviews of holiday resorts wanted
Write a review of a holiday resort you have stayed at. Describe the resort, saying what you enjoyed and did not enjoy about your stay there. Tell us whether you would recommend the resort to other people.

Технологии

19. An online magazine regularly publishes review written by consumers.
Write a review of an electrical device that you bought recently. Outline its strengths and weaknesses, and value for money, with reasons.
21. You see this announcement in a lifestyle magazine.
Reviews of electronic devices wanted.
Which electronic device have you used recently?
Write a review of it describing the device, explaining how to use it and saying where it is good value for money.
22. You have recently used a good website where you can download music. Write a review of the website for your student magazine. Include information about how the website is better than other of its type, and say what the special features of the website are. Say who you would recommend the website to.