Reviews / Features / Samples

                                              Reviews

STRATEGY POINT

Reviews are usually written for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc. Their style (formal or semi-formal) depends on how serious the publication is. The purpose of a review is to tell the public about a new book/film/play/etc. It is important to remember that a review is expected to make use of appropriate vocabulary. A film or theatre review, for example, cannot do a good job without referring to such things as acting, cinematography, production or direction. Reviews frequently include all three main types of writing. These are:

Descriptive writing

to describe characters, acting, settings, scenery, special effects, style of writing, direction, etc

Narrative writing

to tell the story, summarize the plot, (usually present tenses), lo describe a live performance, relate a personal account (usually past tenses), etc

Discursive writing

to analyse the theme, expalin the meaning, compare two or more things, offer your opinion,  evaluate sth_.,  make recommendation, etc.

A review should contain:

•   An introduction in which the min details ( names of film/ book, writer, director, main stars/characters, etc.)

•   A main body which focuses on the details.

•   A conclusion which can contain a summary of the main body and/ or a positive or negative opinion. The conclusion often contains a recommendation.

We normally use present tenses in such types of writing.

TYPES OF WRITING

Read the three extracts below and say:

• Whether they describe a book or film
• What aspects are being described
• What type(s) of writing are used