How to Write a Review (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)

Revision Note

Deb Orrock

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

Question 6 or 7 will ask you to write for a specific purpose and in a specific format. It is important to use the correct conventions of the format and directly focus your writing to its purpose, as the mark scheme rewards adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. 

This means: 

  • The tone (the sound of the writer’s “voice”) is appropriate and convincing 

  • The register (vocabulary and phrasing) is appropriately formal or informal, and suitable for the purpose

  • The style of the writing (sentence structure and overall structure) is dynamic and effective 

The following guide will detail how to structure your response in the style of a review. It is divided into:

  • Key features of a review

  • Review structure

Key features of a review

A review is a format of writing in which you consider an event, experience, service or something watched or read, describe it and provide opinions or judgements about it. A critic might write reviews for a living, and we may decide to watch or read something because they persuade us to do so.

A review has different purposes, but its primary aim is to inform and describe. It may also:

  • Entertain, in that it provides opinion in a way the reader enjoys

  • Analyse, weighing up whether the thing being reviewed is good or bad

  • Advise, recommending to the reader whether or not they should view, read or experience the subject of the review for themselves

Some of the key features of a review include:

Review

In a review you should:

  • Use a clear, informative heading:

    • This could be as simple as the name of the thing being reviewed, such as the name of a film or book

  • Include an introduction that summarises what the review is about, including a brief description

  • State your opinions with supporting reasons:

    • Consider if it was effective - did you love it or hate it? Why?

    • You may use sub-headings in order to structure this part of your response

    • Use the bullet points in the task to guide you

  • Address your audience directly throughout:

    • Make it clear to the examiner that you have understood who your intended audience is

    • You can also do this by suggesting whether or not the intended reader would appreciate or like it

  • Be light-hearted and entertaining

  • Use topic sentences to begin each paragraph, and then develop that point appropriately and in detail

  • Ensure that each paragraph makes sense on its own - do not repeat points you have already made

  • Avoid beginning your review with “I’m writing this because...” or “In this review I shall be discussing…”

  • Make sure your review explains how you feel and why, not just what it is about:

    • A good review should clearly express your opinion

Because a review is intended for publication, it is important to use Standard English and to vary your sentence and paragraph lengths to keep your audience engaged.

Review structure

As this is a longer writing question, and you should allocate 45 minutes to complete it. Spend about 5 minutes planning your answer, 35 minutes writing and 5 minutes at the end to re-read to check for any obvious errors.

To plan a range of points, you can:

  • Mind-map or write a list of points and techniques to use:

    • It can also be helpful to number your ideas to structure your answer in a specific order

    • It is important to use the bullet points given to you in the task to structure your response

  • Mention the name of the author/director (if a film, TV programme or book) or anything specific, and clearly name the thing being reviewed in the title and first paragraph

  • Ensure you have conveyed the main theme or idea of the thing you are reviewing in your introduction:

    • Your reader should immediately know what it is about

  • Consider the wider aspects of what you are reviewing:

    • Consider things such as actors, sequels, music or similarities to other things

  • Include what you like or dislike about it

  • Try to use a few short “quotes” or examples to illustrate your points

  • Justify your views

  • Organise your response into clear paragraphs

  • Finish with a conclusion, suggesting whether or not your intended audience will like the thing you are reviewing

Rеmеmbеr that to produce an effective response, you should aim to develop your points carefully in each paragraph, using language features and techniques to highlight ideas and emphasise your points. 

You can find a full worked example on our Review Model Answer page.

Examiner Tip

A review should offer some kind of judgement and informed opinion. Weaker responses tend to be narrative and spend too long on background information or just describing the thing being reviewed, and not enough time on giving justified opinions. You can also include suggestions or advice about how the thing being reviewed could be made better.

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Deb Orrock

Author: Deb Orrock

Expertise: English Content Creator

Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

Kate Lee

Author: Kate Lee

Expertise: English and Languages Lead

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.