An exercise for B2 first preparation of writing skills with questions 5.

FCE Course Lesson1 4 – An exercise for B2 first preparation of writing skills with questions 5.

In this lesson we will listen to a conversation between a Cambridge teacher and a student about FCE writing. We will learn to talk about pros and cons and go over vocabulary related to film, books and travel to practise writing detailed reviews.

Dialogue 14: Writing a review

GORDON: Ok, Emma. Now, we will move on to reviews. So, I want you to think of the last film you saw. Whether it’s negative or positive, I want you to write a review of this film.

EMMA: Ok, so I’m going to write a review of “The Great Gatsby”, a film that I watched at home on Saturday.

GORDON: I watched that in the cinema when it first came out. What did you think of it?

EMMA: I really enjoyed it. My favourite aspect was the costume design, all of the 1920’s dresses which the girls wore were so beautiful and they added to the overall glamour of the film. I thought all of the actors gave brilliant performances, especially Leonardo DiCaprio who was sublime! Did you like it?

GORDON: Honestly, I really didn’t. Maybe it’s because it is based on one of my favourite books of all time. For me, it just didn’t do the book justice. Crucial elements of the story were not included in the plot of the film. If I were you, I would read the book and you will see that it is a million times better! Anyway, I take it you’re going to write a positive review. I would like you to articulate your opinion into the correct structure of a review. Make sure to start off by giving a brief summary of the film’s plot, then add your opinion and justify this with examples from the film.

EMMA: Ok. I will use lots of positive phrases such as “breakthrough performance”, “excellent directorial debut” and general positive adjectives to describe aspects of the film like the actors, the plot and the direction. I’m ready!

Vocabulary for the B2 first preparation writing skills 5.

ENGLISH	SYNONYM or DEFINITION
a review	a critique, an article
to come out (a film)	to become available
a performance (an actor)	acting
sublime	excellent, grand
of all time	up until now and still now
to articulate	to express something well
the plot	the story line

Exam tips First Writing Skills 5

EXAM TIP FOR First Writing Skills 5

How to write a review. The main difference between the report and the review is that you give your opinion in a review. A review is to express your point of view on a book/film/etc., being informative yet giving an assessment of value based on your technical knowledge of the matter. You have to take into account your audience and the number of words required. Make sure that you make your experience relatable and that your draw comparisons so as for your readers to be able to judge the product on its own merits. When writing a review, there is a firm structure to be respected:

Brief introduction with the Title and Sub-Title
Introduction of contents (brief summary)
Opening paragraph expressing your “controversial” point of view: using a chatty, informal style
Assessment of value (Body of the review) with a comparison with others (positive and negative)
Conclusion (which echoes the introduction and gives your opinion)

Some more useful vocabulary:

LIKES	What I enjoyed most was… If you get a chance…. I was pleasantly surprised by… The thing I liked most was… …. would appeal to….
DISLIKES	What I found disappointing was… I was disappointed by… What I disliked most was….
BOOK VOCABULARY	The main character…/The protagonist… The story is set in…. In this chapter… Fiction/ comedy/science fiction/comedy… The plot…
FILM VOCABULARY	The lead role/The star role He plays a…. This movie starring (name of actress/actor)… true-to-life/far-fetched/science fiction/romance…
TRAVEL VOCABULARY (hotels, restaurants)	The location… The service… The setting… (attractive/disappointing) The staff… (waiters, staff at reception, room service…) The prices… (reasonable/expensive) Good/poor value for money Book in advance The hotel facilities…. Run by/owed by…