REVIEW TEMPLATE

PARAGRAPH USEFUL PHRASES VOCABULARY POINTS TO CONSIDER

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:
⇒ What you are reviewing
⇒ Technical information
MAIN BODY:
⇒ Details about what you are reviewing
⇒ Plot
⇒Atmosphere
MAIN BODY:
⇒ Good and bad points + justification
CLOSING PARAGRAPH:
⇒ Opinion
⇒ Justified recommendation
➡ The film/book/series/restaurant I would like to review
is…
➡ The author is…
➡ It was directed by…
➡ It has won…(award)
➡ Released on…
➡It is located on…
➡It was recommended by…
➡ It is set in…
➡ The most memorable character is…
➡ The plot is about…
➡ The story focuses on…
➡As you enter the place you are welcomed by…
➡The menu offers a wide variety of…
➡The main course consisted of…
➡ What I liked/ disliked most is…
➡ I was disappointed with/by…
➡ I was pleasantly surprised by…
➡Personally, I feel that the best/worst was…
➡I was quite/rather/bitterly disappointed by/ with…
➡I was extremely dissatisfied with…
➡ The (film, book…) lifts you out of your everyday life.
➡ Although I am not normally keen on (musicals), I am
glad that I decided to go.
➡ Although I enjoyed it, I would not recommend it for…
➡Everyone should see/do/read this … immediately!
➡Don’t bother reading/seeing/going…
➡It’s a (film/book…) that will change the way you think
about …
BOOK: ⇨Make a plan before you start writing.
comedy, science fiction, thriller, romance, ⇨ Give your review an interesting title that
author, chapter, bestseller, engaging, dazzling,
catches the reader's attention and interest.
senseless, cliché ridden, suspenseful,
informative, interesting, well-organized, ⇨ You have to give your opinion and the
concise, up-to-date, thorough substantial reason for them.
comprehensive clear readable
⇨ You can use contractions.
FILM, TV PROGRAM, PLAY: lead role, star ⇨ Be careful not to follow a report style.
role, starring, based on a true story, true to life, ⇨ The structure should be clearly organized.
believable, unbelievable, bloody, fast-moving,
⇨ Use a neutral style, however, you must
first-rate, amusing, boring, clichéd, confusing,
entertaining, exciting, melodramatic, thrilling, keep in mind who you are writing the review
unbelievable, arouse curiosity, full of tension, for.
interlocking stories, fragmented narrative, ⇨Use precise vocabulary.
non-linear narrative, unexpected plot twists
MUSIC: The music conveys a ⇨Do not repeat the same information and the
sad/happy/melancholy atmosphere, the music same words.
underlines a mood/evokes feelings/shows a ⇨Remember to write always reasons for your
character’s emotions/connects scenes, the
recommendation and opinion.
music and the lyrics support the plot…
⇨Avoid jargon/technical language, because
HOTEL, RESTAURANT: your readers may not be as familiar with the
location, service, setting, owned by, run by,
intricacies of the topic.
staff, hotel facilities, reasonable prices, good
value for money, expensive, overpriced,
always fully booked, book in advance, a wide
variety of mouth-watering starters/ main
courses/ deserts, accompanied by, poor
quality, home-made …
WRITING ABOUT THE STAFF: attentive,
friendly, charming, helpful, caring,
forgettable, acceptable, can hardly get a
smile, inattentive, slow, disappointing
 Only Pride and Prejudice?

The book I would review is Pride and Prejudice, a novel of manners written by Jane Austen, published on the
28th of January of 1813. The book hasn’t won any awards, however, has consistently appeared near the top of
lists of "most-loved books" among literary scholars and the reading public.

The most memorable characters are Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, the protagonists, and their
characters are what give the novel its name, Darcy's pride, and Elizabeth's prejudice. The story focuses on the
development of Elizabeth's character and feelings, especially in how she changes her prejudices towards Darcy.

What I liked most was how detailed the feelings of the characters are and the realism of the novel, without
exaggerating the facts, narrating it as it is. Conversely, what I disliked most was the lack of action throughout the
story since they focus mainly on the love between the two protagonists

In my opinion, it is a novel with very well-developed and realistic characters, nonetheless with a plot that is
difficult to understand due to the way in which the sentences are organized and a very cultured vocabulary. I
wouldn’t recommend it to children under 14 because they wouldn’t be able to enjoy and understand it.

… Useful phrases (technical information) for the introduction Recommendations:

….Useful phrases (plot & characters) for the second paragraph 1. Every paragraph should have a similar length.
2. The review should have an interesting title.
…Useful phrases (good & points) for the third paragraph
3. All opinions should be justified.
…Useful phrases (opinion & recommendation) for the conclusion 4. Try to use connectors.
…Vocabulary typical from a book
…Connectors and linkers