Cambridge English: First

Writing Task (go to Checklist)

Writing Paper Part 2. Task Type: Review

Question
You have seen the following message on the college noticeboard:

Write a review of a book of your choice for the college magazine (around 140-190 words).

What you need to do to pass
Read our checklist first to understand what the examiner is looking for in a good answer.

Ideas for writing
Ask yourself the following questions to help you get started:

• First, introduce the book:
  "... is a science-fiction/crime/detective thriller with plenty of scary moments..."
  "I enjoy a book with terrifying moments, and this has plenty of them."
• Now begin to note down some of the frightening events in the book. Don't worry if you have lots - you can choose the most frightening ones later.
• For each of the above events try to explain why it is so frightening:
• Write down some synonyms for 'frightening' so you can vary your vocabulary in your composition:
  e.g. scary, distressing, alarming, terrifying, shocking, horrifying, chilling
• Remember that the task is a review, so what is the best style to use?
• Think of a good way to round off your review.
  "This book will make you ....."
  or
  "This book lingers in the mind long after you've finished it, making you wonder 'what if...?'."

Drafting and proofreading your work

You should look at your first draft of the task and decide:

• Have you answered the question?
• Is the review organised in a clear and logical way?
• Is the language accurate with a good range of structures?
• Is the style OK?
• Will it have a positive effect on the reader?

If the answer is 'no' to any of these questions then you will need to do some more drafting!