REVIEWS WRITING FOR FCE AND CAE

WRITING A FILM REVIEW CONSULT THIS LINK https://teachersidiomas.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/this-week-our-fce-students-review-their-favourite-movies/ 

 Exam Tips: 

How to Write A Film or Book Review for an English Language Test Updated on July 12, 2012 Pin It Not all English as a second language exams have the option of writing a film or book review, but the Cambridge First Certificate and Proficiency exams do, and so do some others, so it is necessary to know how to write one. 

The advantage of writing a review is that most students can draw on recent memories for the subject matter. Most of us like to read books and/or watch movies. In addition, reviews are not difficult to write if you keep a few guidelines in mind. What to Write About First of all, you have to choose which film or book you want to write about, and the main thing to keep in mind is not how much you liked it but how well you remember it and feel confident that you have the vocabulary and ideas to describe it. Of course, we usually tend to remember the movies and books we liked the most. A review can be positive, negative, or balanced; what you think of the film or book is entirely up to you and doesn't influence your grade at all – unless, of course, the question specifically asks you to write about something you liked or disliked, in which case you should do whatever the question says. 

 Introduction 

 Generally a review can be divided into four paragraphs. 

The first paragraph, of course, is the introduction. In it you give the reader some general information. For a book, this would include the title, the author, and the type – that is, novel, story collection, biography, memoir. 

For a film you would give the title, the director or producer, possibly the main actors, and again the general type – action, romance, comedy, science fiction, or whatever. Plot Summary In the second paragraph you briefly describe the plot. You can't, of course, give every detail, because you usually are writing with a word limit. Just an outline will do. 

But it is very important to remember that plot summaries are always written in present tense. 

For example: "Frodo and Sam leave the Shire and go to Mordor to destroy the ring of power." 

Another point to keep in mind is that you should not give away the ending. 

Many people read reviews before they see the film or read the book. You should just tell enough of the plot in order to give them a general idea of what to expect. Special Comments In the third paragraph you can write about anything special the book or film offers. For example, for a book you might comment on the author's style. For a film, you might mention the quality of the acting or script or photography or special effects. Recommendation In the conclusion, you would sum up your opinion of the book or film and then say whether or not you would recommend it and for whom. For example, some books or films might be inappropriate for children but great for teens and adults; others teens might like but adults might not. Try It So, as I said, a film or book review is fairly simple to write, and if you follow these guidelines it is a good choice of exam essay for all of you bookworms and film buffs. You can help the HubPages community highlight top quality content by ranking this article up or down. 

 Useful language

1. introduction: say what you are reviewing. – The (film, book…etc) I would like to review is….. – The last Film I saw / book I read was…….

2. explain: give details of what you reviewing. – It’s set in………. – The story is based on (a book..) ….. – It’s about….. – There are many memorable characters including …. – The main theme of the film is….. – What the film is saying is….. 

3. opinion: give your own opinion of what you are reviewing. – I would recommend this film to anyone. – Although I enjoyed it, I would not recommend it for…. – It’s one of the best (shows) I’ve ever seen. – Although I am not normally keen on (musicals), I am glad that I decided to go. – The (film) lifts you out of your everyday life.