Review Writing

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 8 English (Cambridge Lower Secondary 0861)

1. What is a review?

A review is a piece of writing that gives your personal, evaluative opinion of something — a book, a film, a place, an event or a product — and supports that opinion with specific examples, so that the reader can decide whether it is worth their time or money. To evaluate means to judge: what is good, what is weak, and how good it is overall.

A review has a double purpose: to inform (the reader learns what the thing is) and to persuade or advise (the reader learns whether to try it). It is not a retelling of the story and it is not an advert. A good review is honest: it praises what deserves praise and criticises what deserves criticism, politely and with reasons.

Where the review sits in the exam

Year 8 students sit the Cambridge Lower Secondary Progression Test Stage 8 in school, and later the Checkpoint (0861) test. Both have the same format: Paper 1 Non-fiction and Paper 2 Fiction. Each paper has Section A Reading (25 marks) and Section B Writing (25 marks), and each paper lasts 1 hour 10 minutes. On recent papers about 35 minutes is suggested for the writing section.

How your review is marked (25 marks)

Every Paper 1 writing task is marked out of 25 in five categories. The teacher's older names are in brackets.

2. Features of a review

3. How to structure a review

Use this five-part plan for every review. The opening and closing never change. Only the middle content changes with the type.

What changes with each type

How to start: five openings that work

1. 'Imagine…': Imagine a museum where you are allowed to touch almost everything. That is the promise of the new science centre in our city.
2. A question: Can a two-hour film about a lost football really keep a whole family glued to the screen?
3. A bold opinion: This is, without doubt, the most surprising book I have read this year.
4. A short scene: The lights went down, the drums began, and the whole school hall fell silent.
5. Expectation vs reality: After months of adverts, I expected great things from these headphones. What I got was a pleasant surprise and one big disappointment.

How to end: five closings that work

1. Clear recommendation: I would strongly recommend it to anyone aged eleven and over who enjoys a good mystery.
2. Balanced verdict: Despite its slow start, it is well worth your time.
3. Who should avoid it: However, if you dislike loud music, you may prefer to stay at home.
4. Short punchy sentence: Go. You will not regret it.
5. Star rating: Verdict: four stars out of five — nearly perfect.

4. Useful phrases and sentence starters

5. Strong sample: book review (full answer)

Short plans for the other review types

The exam may ask for any type. These plans show what goes in each paragraph. Practise turning one of them into a full 350-word answer in 35 minutes.

6. Common mistakes

• Retelling the whole story — the summary takes half the answer and there is no evaluation. Keep the summary to one paragraph.
• Spoiling the ending — a reader who has not seen the film will be annoyed. Stop at the main problem.
• Opinions with no evidence — 'The acting was amazing.' Which actor? Which scene? Why?
• Only praise — a review with no weakness sounds like an advert. Add at least one fair criticism.
• Weak vocabulary — good, bad, nice, boring repeated. Use the vocabulary list above.
• Vague recommendation — 'Everyone should read it.' Name a specific group and say why.
• Wrong tense — mixing past and present without a reason.
• Forgetting a bullet point — every bullet in the task carries content marks.

Practice tasks

1. Task 1 (place): Your school's website has a page called 'Weekend Ideas'. Write a review of a restaurant or café you have visited. Include: • where it is and why you went • the food, service and atmosphere • who you would recommend it to. Write a five-paragraph plan.

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   Title: 'Breakfast with a View: A Review of [café name], [area]'. P1: hook ('Few things beat breakfast by the Nile'), then location, opening hours, price range and why you went (a cousin's birthday). P2: arriving, booking, first impressions of the terrace and decoration. P3 liked: fresh bread and ful, quick friendly waiters, calm atmosphere in the morning, with an example of one dish. P4 did not like: noisy after 11 a.m., small portions for the price, and a comparison with another café. P5: recommend for families and early risers, advise booking a terrace table, 4/5.

2. Task 2 (event): Write a review of a school trip or concert for your school magazine. Include: • what happened • the best and worst parts • whether it should be repeated next year. Write a five-paragraph plan.

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   Title: 'Lights, Music, Action: The Winter Concert Reviewed'. P1: short scene opening (lights dim, choir begins), then date, place, who organised it. P2: running order — choir, orchestra, drama sketch, Year 9 band. P3 best parts: the Year 9 band's final song, clear organisation, colourful stage design, with one specific moment. P4 worst parts: started thirty minutes late, sound problems in the drama sketch. P5: verdict — should definitely be repeated, with a sound check and a printed programme. Recommend that parents come early for seats.

3. Task 3 (product): A teenage technology magazine asks readers to review a gadget they use every day. Write the opening paragraph and the final paragraph only.

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   Opening (example): 'When my old phone finally gave up in the middle of a revision session, I needed a replacement that was cheap, fast and tough. After weeks of reading comparisons, I chose the [model], which costs around [price]. Two months later, I can honestly say it has surprised me — mostly in a good way.' Closing (example): 'Overall, the [model] is excellent value for money. Its battery and camera beat phones that cost twice as much, although the slow charging is a real drawback. If you are a student who needs a reliable phone for study and photos, I would recommend it without hesitation. My verdict: four stars out of five.'

4. Improve this weak review sentence: 'The film was very good and the actors were nice and I liked it.'

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   Example: 'The film is gripping from start to finish, and the lead actor's quiet, nervous performance in the exam-hall scene makes the character feel completely real.' (Present tense for the film, precise vocabulary, a specific example and a reason.)