Oxford Dictionary Notes on ' WRITE A REVIEW OF A BOOK OR FILM/MOVIE

 WRITE A REVIEW OF A BOOK OR FILM/MOVIE

The main purpose of a book review is to give information to a potential reader so that they can decide whether or not they want to read the book. A review of a film/movie has the same purpose. You can approach it in the same way as a book review.

ASKING A QUESTION 

It is one way to engage the reader. Or you could start with a personal opinion. 

~ The TITLE and AUTHOR's name should appear in the introductory paragraph.

~ Information about the setting and era can be useful.

~ COLLOCATIONS Of adverb + adjective show your vocabulary knowledge. Look up hurt adjective. 

~ Including information on the STYLE OF WRITING can be useful.

~ CONCLUSION. Restate your opinion of the book as a recommendation to read it or not to read it. 

WRITING YOUR REVIEW 

Your notes should try to answer the questions a reader might have:

1. What kind of book is it? 

2. What happens in the story?

3. Who are the main character?

4. What is main theme of the book?

5. Is it well written?

6. Would you recommend this book? 

ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES 

You can use the same plan as the model review (see below). A successful review will contain these elements, but the order can be changed.

~ PARAGRAPH 1 - INTRODUCTION 

General comments about the book.

~ PARAGRAPH 2 - PLOT 

A brief summary of what happens.

~ PARAGRAPH 3 - CHARACTERS 

Briefly describe and comment on the main characters. 

~ PARAGRAPH 4 - OTHER INFORMATION 

Anything else important that you want to say about the book.

~ PARAGRAPH 5 - CONCLUSION 

Include your personal recommendation here. 

WRITE YOUR REVIEW 

Remember not to include too many details and don't give away the ending of the book. 

The reviewer recommends this book but the review also contains some criticisms.

It is a good idea to try to write about both positive and negative aspects of the book. 

TIPS 

1. Remember at all times that the person who reads your review has NOT read the book! 

2. Use your dictionary to help you find synonyms of words such as book or story.

3. Find a range of adjectives to use to describe the book, plot and characters.

Reviews Of Non-Fiction Books 

The purpose of a non-fiction book review is basically the same as fiction but the potential reader will have different questions: 

1. What is the author's reason for writing the book?

2. Is it well organized? Can you follow the argument easily and find the important information?

3. Does the author support his/her findings well?

4. How does it compare to other books on the same subject? 

LANGUAGE BOOK 

-- BEGINNINGS 

    It is a fascinating tale of...(e.g. rural life)

    This movie account of...(e.g. a young man's experiences)

     I found this story far-fetched and unconvincing.

-- DETAILS/PLOT 

    Written in..., the story begins with...

    The events unfold in...

    The tale is set in...

-- CHARACTERS 

    The writer introduces us to...

    The principal characters are...

    My favourite character is undoubtedly... 

    The story focuses on...

    We experience all this through the eyes of...

-- GIVING YOUR OPINION 

    The writer excels at...(e.g. describing)

     I was impressed by...

     One aspect I found a little disappointing was...

     One possible flaw is that...

-- CONCLUSIONS 

    I would highly recommend this rewarding book.

     I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact I couldn't put it down!

    By the end of this book, you fell...

    I was left unmoved by this story.

    I would strongly advise against reading this book.