What a review actually is
The review appears among the Writing Part 2 choices, usually inviting you to review something for a college magazine or an English-language website. Its centre of gravity is opinion with evidence: not “the film was great” but why it works, for whom, with one or two concrete moments to prove you were paying attention. The reader imagined by the task is deciding whether to watch, read or visit — your job is to make that decision easy.
Choose the review when you have something you genuinely know well. Invented experiences read as thin; the series you actually binged gives you details no invention can fake.
Review vs article: cousins, not twins
| Review | Article | |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | One specific thing you experienced | A topic or idea |
| Backbone | Describe → evaluate → recommend | Hook → develop two ideas → send-off |
| Opinion | The whole point — with evidence | Present, but sharing the stage with ideas |
| Verdict | Required — the reader wants a yes or no | Optional |
Both take a title and an engaging register — if you have read the article guide, the voice will feel familiar; the review just aims it at one target.
The describe–evaluate–recommend structure
- Title + opening (2–3 sentences): name what you are reviewing and hook the reader — a question or a bold verdict works (“I did not expect a documentary about fonts to keep me up past midnight.”).
- Describe (one paragraph): what it is, what happens — without spoilers, and without retelling the whole plot. Two or three sentences of orientation.
- Evaluate (one paragraph): the heart of the review. What works, what does not, with a concrete example of each. Balanced reviews (“the acting shines, the pacing drags”) read as more credible than pure praise — and show more language range.
- Recommend (2–3 sentences): the verdict, aimed at a reader: who should see it, who should skip it.
Opinion language that earns Language marks
| Instead of… | Try |
|---|---|
| It was really good. | What impressed me most was… · It exceeded my expectations. |
| It was boring. | The middle section drags · It struggles to hold your attention. |
| The actors were good. | The lead gives a genuinely moving performance. |
| I recommend it. | Well worth an evening · Don't miss it if you enjoy… · I'd think twice before… |
C
Content
Did you do everything the task asked?
CA
Communicative Achievement
The right register and effect for the reader
O
Organisation
Paragraphs, linking, a logical shape
L
Language
Range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar
A full worked example
Task: “Your college website wants reviews of TV series students would recommend to English learners. Write your review (140–190 words).” A strong answer (176 words):
The Detective Show That Teaches You English
Can a crime series count as studying? After two seasons of Harbour Lane, I would argue it can.
The series follows a small-town detective solving one case per season, and its greatest strength for learners is the dialogue: clear, everyday English, spoken at a natural pace by characters who repeat key facts as the plot develops — accidental revision, built into the story.
Is it perfect? Not quite. The first two episodes are slow, and one subplot disappears without explanation. But the mystery itself is genuinely clever, and I found myself pausing not because I was lost, but to write down phrases I wanted to keep.
If you are preparing for an English exam and want your practice to feel like a reward, start Harbour Lane tonight — with the subtitles on for episode one, and off by episode three.
Count the task boxes: a title, a hooking question, description without spoilers, an evaluation with one praise and one criticism (each with evidence), and a verdict aimed at a specific reader — inside the word count.
The pitfalls specific to reviews
- All plot, no opinion — a summary is not a review; the evaluate paragraph is where the marks live.
- No recommendation — the reader came for a verdict; the task asked for one.
- Praise with no evidence — “amazing, fantastic, great” three times caps your Language score; specifics raise it.
- Reviewing something you barely know — thin details show. Pick your favourite anything and the words come by themselves.
Put a verdict on paper
The B2 review tasks give you real prompts, and Felix, the AI examiner, marks your answer on the four Cambridge scales — including whether you actually evaluated and recommended, not just described. Both come with the Exam Prep pass — €12 for three months, nothing renews.
The rest of the Part 2 menu: the email and letter, the report and the article — and the compulsory Part 1 essay. The whole exam: the complete B2 First preparation guide.