B2 First review: Part 2 practice and useful language

• Balancing description and evaluation, with evaluation taking the larger share.
• Precise evaluative adjectives: gripping, predictable, overpriced, sensitive, sluggish.
• Recommending clearly, and saying who the recommendation is for.
• Covering the specific questions in the task, such as what was good and what could be improved.
• Semi-formal register aimed at a general readership.
• Organising into description, strengths, weaknesses and verdict.
• Using past tenses for the experience and present tenses for general judgements.
• Giving reasons for every judgement rather than listing opinions.
• Avoiding spoilers or excessive plot detail in a film or book review.
• Ending with a recommendation that the reader can act on.

1. Step 1: 1

   Pick something you can describe concretely

   Choose the film, restaurant or course you can name details about: a scene, a dish, a teacher. Specific detail is what makes a review sound real.

2. Step 2: 2

   Read the task for the questions hidden in it

   Review tasks usually ask two things, for example what you liked and whether you would recommend it. Those two questions are your two central paragraphs.

3. Step 3: 3

   Limit the description to one short paragraph

   Two or three sentences of what it was and where. Candidates who retell the whole plot run out of words before they judge anything, and the judgement is what is marked.

4. Step 4: 4

   Make each judgement carry a reason

   ‘The acting was excellent’ is worth little; ‘The lead actress made a thin script believable’ shows the same opinion with evidence.

5. Step 5: 5

   Include one criticism even if you loved it

   A balanced review reads as more credible and gives you a natural paragraph. The task often asks for it explicitly.

6. Step 6: 6

   Name the audience in your recommendation

   ‘Worth seeing if you enjoy slow, character-driven films; anyone hoping for action should look elsewhere.’ This is the sentence that separates a B2 review from a list of adjectives.

7. Step 7: 7

   Keep your tenses under control

   Use past tenses for your visit or viewing, present tenses for what the film or restaurant is generally like. Slipping between the two is a frequent language loss.

8. Step 8: 8

   Use a title if it helps

   A short title such as ‘A quiet film worth your evening’ signals the genre. It is optional and should not swallow words you need.

9. Step 9: 9

   Vary your adjectives deliberately

   Write down three strong adjectives before you start and make sure they appear. Repeating ‘nice’, ‘good’ and ‘interesting’ holds the language score down more than a grammar slip.

10. Step 10: 10

    Check the last line is a verdict

    In the final three minutes, confirm that a reader who reads only your last sentence knows whether to go. If not, rewrite that sentence.

• Not thisFirst the detective finds a letter, then he goes to Paris, then he meets ...

  ThisThe plot turns on a letter found in the first ten minutes, and the film never quite recovers from explaining it.

  A review is not a summary. Plot retelling uses the whole word count and shows no evaluation, which is the main content requirement.

• Not thisThe food was nice and the place was nice too.

  ThisThe food was generous and well seasoned, although the dining room was uncomfortably loud.

  Vague adjectives cost language marks. Reviews are the task where precise evaluative vocabulary is most visible.

• Not thisI recommend it to everybody.

  ThisI would recommend it to anyone who enjoys slow, character-driven stories.

  A recommendation is only useful when it names the reader it is for, and the task usually asks who would enjoy it.

• Not thisThe main actor was starring very good.

  ThisThe lead actor was outstanding.

  Adverb and adjective confusion after be. Reviews are full of evaluative complements, so this error appears often.

• Not thisWriting only positive comments about a restaurant you loved.

  ThisAdding one genuine reservation, such as the waiting time.

  The task frequently asks what could be improved, and a review with no criticism sounds like an advertisement.

• Not thisIn conclusion, this essay has shown that the restaurant is good.

  ThisIn short, it is worth the trip if you book early and avoid Fridays.

  Essay conclusions signal the wrong genre. A review ends with a verdict and a practical detail.

gripping

so exciting that you cannot stop watching or reading

predictable

easy to guess and therefore disappointing

overpriced

costing more than it is worth

value for money

worth what you paid

well worth a visit

deserves the time and money

let down by

spoiled by one weak element

the highlight

the best part of an experience

fall flat

fail to have the intended effect

stunning

extremely impressive to look at

atmosphere

the feeling a place gives you

portion

the amount of food served to one person

pace

the speed at which a story or course moves

on the downside

introduces the negative point

I would not hesitate to recommend

strong positive recommendation

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