Writing to review and comment

When you are writing a review or comment piece, you will need to offer your own opinion on a subject area.

Review writing and commentary writing

Review and commentary writing tends to be a piece of writing in which you offer your personal
opinion. Your own personal knowledge will make your conclusions count. To demonstrate how much
you do know about a topic, you will need to support your points with valid reasons.

A review:
 focuses on strengths and weaknesses
 uses evidence to support ideas
 draws a conclusion, saying whether something will be useful for, or
interesting to, its audience and purpose
 gives personal opinion with confidence and authority

Like all text types, review writing has certain fairly fixed conventions (called 'genre conventions'). A
good way to get used to these is to analyse an existing review and to use it as a 'style model' or
example for your own writing.

Questions:
1. What is the purpose of a piece of review and commentary writing?
2. Why does a review need to give evidence or examples?
3. What show the conclusion of a review or commentary tell the reader?
4. What should be the main focus of a review? (Can you give examples of what this might mean?)
5. What are ‘genre conventions’?
6. Where might you read this type of article?
7. Do you use review and commentary writings when deciding things?
8. Have you ever written in this style before? What about?
 Below is an extract from an example of a review of the book The Darkest Realm by fictional novelist
John Paul Grimeson. This particular reviewer did not like what they read. What techniques do you see
being used?

These are some of the typical conventions that are being used in this review:

 the review opens in a lively way to state the writer's opinion

 there is a use of direct-address ('you') combined with a question aimed at engaging the reader
 alliteration helps emphasise a key phrase
 references to other well known works by the author helps the reader's understanding
 writing techniques such as a metaphor create vivid imagery that helps engage the reader and also emphasise
the writer's negative view

You can also ask some questions about the language the writer uses to learn from this style:

Questions about the text:

1. Does the writer sound formal and use Standard English?

2. Does the writer address (talk to) the reader directly?

3. What are the vocabulary choices like?

4. What are the sentences like?

 An analysis of a professional example ('style model') like this can tell you a great deal about how to
write your own review – about what kind of ingredients you might include in your own.

You could turn this into a recipe for your own review:

 use Standard English and mainly formal language, with some informal choices (to suit your reader)
 sound lively by using a mix of sentence lengths and types
 engage the reader by using 'you' or asking questions
 use a generally straightforward everyday vocabulary with some specialist words (jargon)
 give your view immediately, directly and passionately
 use writing techniques such as alliteration to add emphasis
 refer to other major works by the writer, producer or director to sound knowledgeable as well as
help the reader
 use writing techniques such as figurative language
(eg metaphors, similes, personification and hyperbole or exaggeration; these help engage the reader
by creating imagery that emphasises your opinion

Planning what to write

When you plan to write a review or commentary, you cannot start until you have worked out
beforehand exactly what overall view or opinion you want to communicate.

You need to use language in ways that make you sound confident and authoritative.

It can help to research what others think of the topic and use their opinions to help support your own
views.

1. The tone is mainly formal with a few informal choices; the writer uses Standard English.

2. The writer uses the direct address pronoun 'you' to help engage the reader.

3. The vocabulary is straightforward and everyday. A use of some technical language (jargon) such as 'scripts' and 'screenplay' add a sense
of education and authority.

4. The writer uses a variety of sentences in both length and type. This helps to create a lively engaging tone but also allows sufficient
information and detail to be given.
Writing to review and comment - Quiz
1
If you are asked to write a review of a book that you have recently read, which of the following should your review focus on?

The strengths and weaknesses of the book

The weaknesses of the book cover and the blurb

Only the strengths of the book

2
Should you use evidence in a review? And why?

No, because evidence is just for essays

Yes, absolutely, because I should state where my opinion is coming from

Yes, because evidence is part of the genre conventions for review writing

3
Should a review writer draw a conclusion? For example, saying whether something will be useful for, or interesting to, its audience and
purpose?

No. It is up to the reader to draw their own conclusion

No. Reviews are not supposed to come to a conclusion. They just stop when they feel they have said enough

Yes. Reviewers should offer their own conclusions and findings and then the reader can decided if they agree or not

4
Should a review writer offer their own opinion?

Yes. The whole point of a review is to offer a biased opinion

No. Reviews are not supposed to give opinions at all

Yes. Reviewers should be well informed so that they can review with confidence and authority

Imagine that you have been set the task of writing a review of your favourite music artist’s new album for the school magazine. Look carefully at
the choices below and select which you think would be the most appropriate for each category:

5
The context of this piece of writing is a school magazine and the audience is the parents, pupils and teachers who might read the magazine.
What is the purpose of this piece of writing?

To convince people to watch your favourite television programme

To explain the merits of the album and get people to understand why it is so good

To get people to buy the album

 6
When thinking about how formal should your writing be, should you:

Use Standard English and mainly formal language, with some informal choices (to suit your reader)

Write formally as teachers and parents will be reading this too

Write informally throughout the review as the audience are pupils

7
In your review, what kind of sentences should you be using?

There will be an element of informing and explaining so there will only be complex and compound sentences

There will be an element of informing and explaining so there will be a lot of complex and compound sentences. However, they will also need to
sound lively so there will be simple sentences too

The article will need to sound lively for the pupils, so there will be just simple sentences so that it is easy to follow

8
Would you be addressing the reader in your review writing?

Yes. It's important to engage the reader by using the personal pronoun 'you' or asking rhetorical questions

No. The reader is not important, it is what is being reviewed that is important

Yes. It's important to persuade the reader and use lots of persuasive techniques

9
What would your vocabulary choices be like when writing the review?

Use very complicated vocabulary to impress your reader with lots of specialist words (i.e. jargon)

Use simple vocabulary for pupils with some specialist words (i.e. jargon) for teachers and parents so that they are impressed

Use straightforward or 'everyday' vocabulary with some specialist words (i.e. jargon) that relate to the music artist and their style of music

10
What type of language techniques might you use and why?

Figurative language techniques because these help engage the reader by creating imagery that emphasise my opinion

Persuasive language techniques because these help engage the reader by persuading them that I am right

Descriptive language techniques because these help engage the reader by creating movement, sound and feeling
 1
The strengths and weaknesses of the book

Any review should be balanced and it should include the strengths and the weaknesses - not just one area. In this case, the task set is to write a
review of the book - not the cover and the blurb, so this is the correct answer.

2
Yes, absolutely, because I should state where my opinion is coming from

Review writing tends to be the style of writing where you offer your personal opinion, so you should back up that opinion and state where it comes
from. Evidence allows you to make your opinion more convincing and your writing more credible.

3
Yes. Reviewers should offer their own conclusions and findings and then the reader can decided if they agree or not

The reader of a review will draw their own conclusion and it it is the writer that helps them to do that by offering their suggestions in their conclusions.

4
Yes. Reviewers should be well informed so that they can review with confidence and authority

It is important that any reviewer knows what they are writing about so that they can write with confidence and from a position of authority.

Imagine that you have been set the task of writing a review of your favourite music artist’s new album for the school magazine. Look carefully at
the choices below and select which you think would be the most appropriate for each category:

5
To explain the merits of the album and get people to understand why it is so good

The role of the review writer is to inform people of all of the good or bad things about what it is that they are reviewing. In this example, you have been
asked to review all of the reasons why this is your favourite album, so this is the right answer.

6
Use Standard English and mainly formal language, with some informal choices (to suit your reader)

The audience is wide for this review as it will be parents, pupils and teachers that might read it, so it is best to stick to Standard English. However, as
this is a review, it is likely that you will also address the reader at times so, there will be some informal choices too.

7
There will be an element of informing and explaining so there will be a lot of complex and compound sentences. However, they will also
need to sound lively so there will be simple sentences too

The audience of the school magazine is quite wide and they may not know your chosen music artist so you may will to explain a little about them using
complex and compound sentences. You will also need to sound lively to keep your reader interested and so that they believe that you really like the
artist. You might do this using simple sentences, therefore the correct answer is 'B'.

8
Yes. It's important to engage the reader by using the personal pronoun 'you' or asking rhetorical questions

Talking to the reader when you are writing a review is important, as it will engage them with what you have to say.

9
Use straightforward or 'everyday' vocabulary with some specialist words (i.e. jargon) that relate to the music artist and their style of music

The vocabulary is not designed to impress anyone; it is used to make sure that you are understood. You would use starightforward or 'everyday'
vocabulary and you will need to use some jargon and music terminology as this relates to the topic.

10
Figurative language techniques because these help engage the reader by creating imagery that emphasise my opinion

As it is your opinion that you are trying to get across in review writing, anything that helps you to do this is essential. Figurative language techniques
such as metaphors, similes, personification and hyperbole or exaggeration help engage the reader by creating imagery that emphasises your opinion.
What do you plan to write about?
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What is your general opinion of this place/product/thing?

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What evidence do you have to support your opinion?

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Who is the audience going to be? (This will help you decide the tone of the piece.)
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What facts can you include about it so that you sound knowledgeable on the subject?
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What do other people tend to feel about this subject?

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What ‘jargon’ will help you in talking about this subject?

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Come up with an example of alliteration which could work in relation to this subject.
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Now think of some figurative or metaphorical language which could help you get your
point across.
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Writing a book/film review
Follow these steps to write a book or film review.

Pre writing

Remember and take notes of the plot of the story. What impression did it produce on you?

Writing

 Introduction: give the title and author of the book. If you're reviewing a film mention the director or
actors.
 Body:
1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
3. Say something about the main characters.
4. Say something about the content.
 Conclusion:
1. Comment on the book or film.
2. Let others know whether or not you liked the book/film.
3. Why do you like it? Why don't you like it?
4. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book / film interesting or boring etc.
5. Do you want to recommend the book/film?

Post writing

Edit your writing.

Useful Expressions:

Title, Author / Director, Actors

The film is directed by

The film is produced by..
It is starred by...
The book is written by ...

Setting

The action takes place in ... (setting)

The action of the film is set in ...
The story takes place in...

Characters and Plot

The main characters are ...

The story is about ....
The novel tells the story of ...
In the course of the novel the action develops dramatically.
The novel / film begins with...
The novel has an unexpected ending.
The end of ... is ...

Reaction

I am impressed by
I think ....
The book is terribly / beautifully written
The film is terrible / exciting.
What surprised me is ...
What I liked is...
What I didn't like is...
I liked/didn't like the film / novel because ...