Writing a review

It also shows the difference between a real review and a plot summary with a rating added.

What a review is

A review gives a considered judgement of something, such as a film, book, restaurant, concert or product. It helps a reader decide whether it is worth their time or money.

In IGCSE English it appears as a directed-writing task. You get a subject and a readership, and you write a lively review with a clear opinion and reasons.

A review is close to an article in tone, but its job is sharper: it must judge, not just describe.

The balance is what trips students up. You must tell the reader enough about the subject to understand your view. But the real purpose is evaluation.

With too much summary, you have a description with a verdict added at the end. With too little, the reader cannot follow your judgement.

Judgement, evidence and voice

The tone is usually semi-formal and lively. A personal voice is welcome, because readers trust a reviewer who sounds like a real person with taste. You can be witty or even sharp, but your opinions need specific evidence: the scene that did not work, the dish that surprised you, the chapter that dragged.

A usual structure is:

1. Introduce the subject and hint at your verdict.
2. Give specific points of praise and criticism.
3. End with a clear recommendation.

Be honest about both good and bad points. Do not gush or dismiss. Task wording differs by board, so check our qualification pages.

A worked example, written by our teachers

This is our own original writing, made for teaching.

The new night market on Jalan Melur promises “a taste of everywhere”. For the most part it delivers, though not always in the way it intends.

The star is a tiny stall near the back that sells grilled corn brushed with chilli butter. It was so good that I queued twice and thought about a third time. Around it, however, the market can be a lesson in disappointment.

A much-hyped noodle stall served me a bowl with more broth than noodles and more salt than either. The lighting is warm and the music is cheerful, but half the tables wobble, and the queue system is a rumour, not a reality.

Would I go back? Yes, but I would go hungry, skip the noodles and head straight for that corn.

The review judges through specific detail. It balances praise and criticism.

It ends with a verdict the reader can act on. Every opinion is supported by an example.

What a strong review includes

• A clear overall verdict, hinted early and confirmed at the end.
• Light summary: enough to orient the reader, never a full retelling.
• Specific evidence behind each point of praise or criticism.
• An honest balance of strengths and weaknesses.
• A lively, trustworthy voice with personality.
• A recommendation that says who the subject is for, and who it is not for.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is a review that is really a summary: pages of what happens, and an opinion at the end. The second is judgement with no reason, such as “it was amazing”. The third is a voice with no personality, which reads like a brochure.

The fourth is imbalance: constant praise or total rejection. Readers trust neither. Underline every opinion in your review and check that each one has a reason next to it.

How this helps your other writing

Reviewing trains you to judge with evidence. A literature essay needs the same move when you decide how well a writer achieves an effect.

It also builds the lively voice you use in articles and speeches, and the skill of choosing what to include, as in summary work. See our skills guides, our annotated model responses and our practice tasks.

Next steps

Compare your review with the annotated model responses, then try the practice tasks. A review often ends by persuading the reader, so you may also like our guide to the argumentative essay.

Students usually get stuck after the first paragraph. They run out of opinions and fall back on retelling the story.

In 1-to-1 lessons, our teachers ask the student for three specific things that worked and three that did not before writing, then build the review from that list. This is part of our First Language English tuition, from RM70/hr.

Bring a recent review to a paid one-hour trial lesson, and the teacher who would continue will mark it with you.

Next, visit our original practice tasks to write this form to a real brief. Our IGCSE English tuition page explains how lessons run. When you are ready, the paid one-hour trial is the first step.