Cambridge English: First

Writing Task (go to Checklist)

Writing Paper Part 2. Task Type: Review

Question
You are looking at a magazine, which has the following announcement:

Write your review based on your reading of a book of your choice. (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:

• In your introduction you should mention the author, the title of the book and the type of book (the genre) it is, e.g. a love story, a ghost story, a suspense story.
• What's the basic plot? Make notes about the key events in the book but in a review you don't usually reveal the ending!
• Who are the villains, what role do they play and how would you describe them?
• What type of person would this book most appeal to?

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 correct 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!