Writing Review

FCE Course

The Southern Cross School

English Department

Remember

Use a variety of linking expressions

Dont repeat vocabulary words; think of
synonyms
Use a good range of grammatical structures
Avoid addressing the reader as you (unless
you are writing a letter or email)
Dont forget the word limit

Writing review

Texts that need

indentation
Story
Essay

Texts that do not

need indentation
Letter/email
Report
Article
Review

Letters and Emails

Remember!
Include the four points you are asked to deal
with
Organize your answer in a logical way
Use formal/informal style depending on who
your readers are

Phrase Bank
Opening letter
If you know the
persons name:
Dear Barbara,
Dear Mr. Jones,

If you dont know the

persons name:
Dear Sir or Madam,

Opening email
To someone you know
well:
Dear Barbara,
Hello Maria,
John,
To someone you dont
know well:
Dear Barbara,
Dear Mrs. Jones,

Ways of starting the first paragraph

Thanks/Thank you for your letter/email
I am writing to request information about /
complain about / apologize for / explain / etc
Ways of referring to something
sounds an excellent idea
As for
With reference to
You mentioned / asked about

Ways of making suggestions

How about / what about + verb + -ing ?
It might also be a good idea to
Can I suggest that?
I suggest + verb + -ing
Ways of asking for information
Could you tell me?
I would / Id like to know
I would / Id like information on
Do you know if / whether / when / what, etc.

Ways of apologizing
Sorry about + noun / verb + -ing
I would like to apologize for + noun / verb + -ing
Useful phrases at the end of the letter or
email
(Im) looking forward to seeing you / hearing
from you.
I look forward to seeing you / hearing from you /
meeting you.

Closing letter
If you know the
persons name:
Best wishes /Warm
regards,
Love /With love,
Yours sincerely
/Yours,

Closing email
To someone you know
well:
Best wishes,
All the best,
Best,

If you dont know the

persons name:
Yours faithfully,

To someone you dont

know well:
Best wishes,
Kind regards,

Informal Letter
Hi Connor,
Its good to hear from you again, but Im sorry youve been having
problems
about getting a laptop to use.
Like you, I share a laptop with my older brother, although luckily he doesnt
take it out with him, and hes also quite generous about letting me use it.
The
only difficulty is that I can be in the middle of doing my homework or
playing
a game, and then he comes home and needs to use it urgently. So thats
Inconvenient.
My parents have said that if I save some of the cost of a laptop from my
birthday money and things, theyll pay the rest for me.
Why dont you suggest that to your parents? And if they know that you
need
it for your schoolwork, Im sure theyll agree!
What do you think?
Write soon and let me know how you get on!
Best wishes,

Formal Letter

Dear Mr Davidson,
I think its great that were having a day at the city sports center
soon, and all the students are looking forward to it.
Personally, I really like playing badminton. Ive had lessons after
school for two years and Im in a local youth team. I also like
running. Im not very good at it, but Id enjoy taking part in
some
races.
The two activities you suggest sound good fun. I think most
students would like to have the chance to go windsurfing if
possible, but perhaps it depends on the weather.
I would like to come on Thursday as Id like to hear more about
the arrangements, but unfortunately I have a dentists
appointment
then.
With best wishes,

Letter of application
PURPOSE Apply for a job that you saw advertised
REGISTER Formal
LAYOUT Opening
1st par: what job you are applying for and where
you saw it advertised
2nd par: describe yourself / qualifications
3rd par: explain why you want the job
(4th par: ask for any relevant info)
Closing
No indentation needed

Phrase Bank
Reasons for writing
I am writing with
regard to/in response
to which I saw
Describing your
character
I am generally
considered to be
outgoing/sociable/har
d-working/etc.
I would say I am

Presenting
qualifications
I passed with an A
I also hold/have a
qualification in
Describing experience
I have some experience
of this work because
Although I have no
direct experience, I
have

Requesting information
I wonder if you could tell
me
Do you think you could
let me know?
Offering further
information
If you require further
information, please do
not hesitate to contact
me.

Referring to interview
I am available for
interview any time/at
your convenience.

Ending the letter

I look forward to
hearing from you.
Yours
faithfully/sincerely,

Article
PURPOSE Articles are usually read for pleasure or for
information. The main purpose is to interest and
engage the reader, so there should be some
opinion or comment.
They need to be interesting to read.
An unusual title leading on to a good opening
paragraph encourages the reader to continue.
REGISTER
Semiformal
LAYOUT
Title + four paragraphs:
1. Introduction (involve the reader)
2-3. Body (ideas and examples)
4. Conclusion (summary and personal opinion if
appropriate)
No indentation needed

Phrase Bank
Involving the reader
Have you ever ?
What would you do/think if ?
Can you imagine ?
You might think that , but

Giving opinions
In my opinion/view,
I think/believe that
As far as Im concerned,
To my mind,

Youve seen this announcement in an international

magazine for young people.
ARTICLES WANTED!
We are looking for articles about favourite lessons at
school!
What are your favourite lessons at school? Why do
you enjoy them?
Is there anything you dont enjoy about the lessons,
even though theyre your favourite?
We will publish the best article next month.
Write your article in 120-180 words.

GEOGRAPHY IS COOL!
Believe it or not, the lessons I always used to hate at school
were geography but now theyre my favourite!
Ive no idea exactly how it happened, but all I can say is that I
ve got a new teacher and suddenly everything makes sense. I
m not saying my other teachers were bad in fact, theyve
been excellent. But this teacher immediately seemed very
friendly. Shes always ready to give advice, and never makes
negative comments about my work, which has given me more
confidence.
What makes the lessons even more enjoyable is that we have
them in a really comfortable room. Its airy and light in there,
and the bright colours on the walls always make me feel
cheerful and ready to concentrate.
The only thing I dont enjoy so much is that theyre sometimes
at the end of the day, when Im rather tired. However, I really
feel Ill be able to use what Im learning in a future job. I might
even become a geography teacher!

Report
PURPOSE To provide information on a certain subject.
To give your personal opinion or
recommendation, based on the information
provided.
REGISTER
Formal
LAYOUT
The report has a title.
It is divided into sections.
Each section has a heading.
No indentation needed

Phrase Bank
Starting
The aim/purpose of this report is + infinitive
Making suggestions/recommendations
I recommend/suggest that
I (would) recommend + gerund
I suggest + gerund
It would be a good idea (for somebody) +
infinitive

The college where you study wants to raise

some money to buy new books and DVDs for
the library. The principal has asked you to
write a report recommending the best way to
raise the money.

Report on ways to raise money for the school

library

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to consider different ways of raising money to

pay for new books and DVDs for the school library, and to recommend the
best course of action.
Prize draw
One idea is to sell numbered tickets and offer prized. Students and teachers
could be asked to bring in unwanted items that would be suitable as prizes,
and the school could also approach local shops and restaurants who might be
willing to contribute prizes.
Sponsored run
Another possibility would be to organize a sponsored run around the local
park. Students could ask their friends and family to give a certain amount for
every mile they complete.
My recommendation
I recommend that we organize a sponsored run. Although the advantage of
offering prized is that it would be easier to organize, the plan might come to
nothing of we are unable to find enough suitable prizes or sell enough tickets.
A sponsored run, on the other hand, is likely to raise more money and would
have the added benefit of involving more of the students and staff.

Review
PURPOSE To give your personal opinion about
something, for example, a book, a film, a
music album, a restaurant, etc.
Use plenty of adjectives and phrases to
REGISTER describe.

LAYOUT Semi-formal

Title + three or four paragraphs

First you give information about what you are
reviewing in about 2 paragraphs.
In the last paragraph(s) you give your
personal opinion or recommendation.
No indentation needed

Phrase bank

Giving background information

Describing a story

I recently saw/read
One of my favorite films/books is
Its set in
It tells the story of
The main character is
Theres a twist at the end.

Giving a recommendation

I can thoroughly recommend this book/film.

Go and see this film/read this book. You wont be
disappointed.
Dont bother reading/going to see. It isnt worth it.

BOOK REVIEWS
Have you read any books recently? If so,
please write and tell us about one of them.
Say what you liked or didnt like about the
story and the characters.

The Phantom of the Opera

I recently read The Phantom of the Opera, a novel written in 1910
by Gaston Leroux. It has been adapted a number of times for the
cinema and also made into an immensely successful musical.
Its set in Paris and is the story of Erik (the phantom), a menacing
figure who lives hidden away in the basement of the opera house.
He is in love with Christine, an opera singer, but she in turn loves a
young aristocrat called Raoul. The plot is very intricate with lots of
twists and turns, which keep the reader turning the pages.
My main criticism of the book is the characterization. The characters
are unmemorable and rather shallow. It is often difficult to
understand why they do certain things, for example, when Christine
chooses to have a conversation with Raoul on the roof of the opera
house.
To sum up, I enjoyed this gothic horror story despite the
weaknesses in the characterization. However, Id only recommend it
to people who really enjoy horror or ghost stories.

Essay
PURPOSE To give your opinion on a controversial
subject.
REGISTER
Formal
LAYOUT
Par 1: Introduction (the situation now)
Par 2: Points in favor
Par 3: Points against
Par 4: Personal opinion
Indentation needed

Phrase Bank
Expressing your opinions
In my view/opinion,
I firmly believe that
It seems to me that
Expressing other peoples views
Some people claim/believe that
It is sometimes said that
It could be argued that

Making additional
points
Furthermore,
In addition,
What is more,
Expressing contrast
While that might be
true,
On the other hand,
However,
Having said that,

Summing up
To sum up,
In conclusion,
On balance, I feel that

You have had a discussion in you English class

about how people spend their free time. Now
your English teacher has asked you to write
an essay, giving your opinion on the following
statement:
Teenagers should spend their free time
studying, rather than waste it doing sports or
other leisure activities.

What we should be doing with our spare time is something we often

argue about with our parents. Personally, I believe that spending all
our free time studying is not the best way to use it.
First of all, I should say that I agree that students do have to do some
work after school and at the weekends. Researching topics for essays
and projects, as well as other homework, is definitely important.
Some people believe that if we spend all our leisure time working
hard, then we will be successful and happy in the future.
Nevertheless, there are other activities which are also vital for our
well-being, and not a waste of time. One of these might not even be
considered an activity: it is doing nothing at all, or just spending time
relaxing with friends. Sport is something else which many people feel
is essential, and music often plays a major part in teenagers lives.
On balance, I feel that we all need to devote some time to other
aspects of life which help us to develop and contribute to our
happiness.

Story
PURPOSE Write a short story that starts/ends with the
words given.
This task tests your ability to structure your
writing and use a variety of tenses,
structures and vocabulary.
REGISTER
Informal
LAYOUT
Title + three or four indented paragraphs
Remember to use:
-Variety of past tenses
-Variety of time and sequence words
-Variety of adjectives and adverbs
-Direct/indirect speech

Phrase Bank
Start of the story
At first,
In the beginning,
The first thing that happened was
Sequencing events in the story
Then
(Minutes) later
After that

Things that happen fast/slowly

Suddenly,
All at once,
Gradually,

Slowly,
The end of the story
In the end,
Eventually,
At last,

Write a story beginning with these words:

Simon woke up suddenly. What was that
noise he had just heard?

Simon woke up suddenly. What was that noise he had just heard?
He listened carefully. After a while, he heard the noise again. It
sounded like there was someone downstairs in the kitchen!
He wasnt sure what to do, so first, he looked around for some
sort of weapon, and found his tennis racket. Then he went
quietly out onto the landing and looked down the stairs. He
couldnt see anything, so he crept slowly down the stairs,
stopping every so often to listen again. Suddenly there was a
crashing sound. What on earth was that? he thought worriedly.
He started to run down the stairs. Meanwhile, the crashing
started again. He threw open the kitchen door and shouted,
Stop! Nobody was there. But there was that terrible noise
again! Eventually, he opened a cupboard and out jumped the
cat! It had got shut inside, and had been knocking over packets
and tins of food trying to get out. Silly cat! said Simon, feeling
very relieved.