how to write a book review cambridge

• How To Write A Review: Cambridge B2 First

• Posted on 24/07/2019
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: B2 First , Cambridge Exams , FCE , First Certificate , Resources to learn English , Writing

Students who are taking their B2 First Certificate exam (FCE) will be asked to do two pieces of writing within an 80 minute time limit. Part 1 is always an essay . Part 2 is where you can get a bit more creative. You might, for example, be asked to write a letter, a report or a review, all of which have their own style and set guidelines.

When writing a review it can be difficult to know where to start. But don’t be afraid! We are here to help you every step of the way.

Remember a review could be for a book, a film, a magazine, a restaurant or even a product .

Three steps to writing a great review

Let’s start with something simple. Imagine. You turn over the page to your writing part 2 and you see this question:

Question taken from Cambridge Assessment English website . (Feb 2018)

Step One: Make a plan

The first thing to do is to make a plan, just like we did in our B2 First essay guidelines .

Think of a book you read in which the main character behaved in a surprising way. This could be surprising in a good way, where the character does something amazing and helps somebody. Or maybe there’s a twist at the end and the character does something really shocking. Either way take some time to really think about your choice.

E.g. I’m going to choose The Great Gatsby, because I had to read the book 3 times when I was at school and I’ve seen the film so I feel like I know it really well .

The structure

Next, think of the structure. Consider all the parts of the question and use that to help organise your review. Make notes about the following:

• An interesting title
• A catchy introduction
• A summary of the plot
• A surprising moment
• Your recommendation

Remember you’re going to want to separate these with clear paragraphs that are going to help the examiner read to the end without getting a headache.

You also need to consider the tone and how the review should sound to the reader. Remember this is for a magazine. Think about all the magazines you like to read. You want to sound chatty and grab the reader’s attention, but not bore them to sleep. Think semi-formal but friendly!

Useful Vocabulary

Now brainstorm some useful vocabulary for your chosen book, including lots of adjectives. Avoid using boring adjectives like good or bad . It’s much more exciting to say ‘amazing’ and ‘disappointing’ or ‘ terrific ’ and ‘terrible’ .

Here’s some more useful vocabulary to get you started:

superficial / deceptive / fascinating / unbelievable / rich / lonely / kind / reserved/ to be set in / to be written by / prosperity / characters / jazz age / protagonist / atmosphere / author / chapter / ending / fictional towns / prohibition / novel / on the outskirts / sad story.

Your next step is to think of some linking phrases. These are going to help tie together your thoughts and bring your review to life!

• Overall if you like…
• I was pleasantly surprised by…
• In fact…
• What I disliked the most was…
• The book contains…
• As well as…
• This well-written book…
• Unbelievably…

Step Two: Write it

Once you have a solid plan, writing your review should be easy!

First start with an interesting title. E.g. The Unexpected Anti-Hero. It relates to both the book that’s being reviewed and the question. It’s also short and snappy .

Next write an engaging introduction. Maybe start with a rhetorical question, for example:

Are you a fan of the Jazz Age? Then this is the book for you!

Or a general statement about the book that will hook the reader:

The Great Gatsby is a classic, with many twists and turns.

You could also give some background information. Here we use the past simple:

The Great Gatsby was written by F.S.Fitzgerald and is set in prosperous Long Island in 1922.

The second paragraph should summarise the plot (note – we usually describe a story in present tense ):

Gatsby is a mysterious character, he has big extravagant parties, and we never know if we can trust him.

The third paragraph is where we introduce the surprising moment and reveal what the main character did and why it was surprising:

• The most shocking part is when…
• I couldn’t believe it when…
• It was so surprising when…

In the fourth paragraph, give a recommendation! Here the examiner wants to hear your overall opinion. It can be something simple:

• I strongly recommend..

Or something more inventive:

• I wouldn’t read the novel again because…
• Everyone should read this immediately!

But don’t forget to say why!

Step Three: Check it

Now you have your winning book review it’s time to check for all those little (and big) mistakes.

Make sure you check:

• You’ve answered all parts of the question.
• It is easy to read.
• Your spelling is correct.
• You’ve used the 3rd person(s).
• You have used punctuation.
• There’s a variety of nouns and adjectives.
• Pick a book you know quite well! Whether it’s Harry Potter or The Hunger Games , make sure you have lots to say about it!
• Don’t be afraid to give both negative and positive opinions!
• Experiment with using first person and try addressing the reader with ‘you’.
• Read lots of real authentic reviews online, anything from holidays to music concerts, exhibitions to video games!
• Remember to put some of your own personality into your review. Have some fun with it and good luck!

Follow the links for some excellent phrases and vocabulary for other types of reviews.

Restaurant Reviews

Film Reviews

TV / Theatre Reviews

Exhibition & Concert Reviews

Here are some more sample questions for you to practice on your own:

Choose one and post your reviews in the comments section.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Twist (n): : a sudden change in a story that you do not expect..

Chatty (adj): having a friendly style.

Avoid doing something (v): to intentionally not do something.

Terrific (adj): excellent.

Snappy (adj): concise.

Hook (v): to catch.

adj = adjective

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• By: oxfordadmin
• Posted on 17/07/2019

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Cambridge C2 Proficiciency (CPE): How to Write a Review

• Mandatory task: no
• Word count: 280-320
• Main characteristics: descriptive, narrative, evaluative, recommendations/suggestions
• Register: depends on the task

Introduction

A review may be about a book, magazine, film, play, or concert, but it may also be about, for example, an exhibition. The target reader is specified in the question, so the candidate knows not only what register is appropriate, but also has an idea about the kind of information to include. A review does not merely require a general description of, for example, an event or publication, but it specifies the particular aspects to be considered. For example, the review may employ narrative, as well as descriptive and evaluative language, and a range of vocabulary relating, for example, to literature and the media such as cinema or TV. Source: Cambridge English Assessment: C2 Proficiency Handbook for teachers

Reviews are one type of text in Cambridge C2 Advanced that you don’t have to do but you can choose to do it together with articles , reports and formal/informal letters while essays are the only mandatory task in the writing test.

One of the easier tasks

I find reviews to be quite popular among my students because they are very common and really part of our everyday lives. Whenever we try to check out a new restaurant, film, book or experience when we are on holiday, we have a look at what other people think, who have already bought or done it.

That’s why writing reviews comes fairly naturally to many people simply because we see them all the time. We know that a good review is interesting, informative and persuasive and if you can do these things in the exam, you are good to go.

Of course, there are always certain criteria you need to keep in mind, but that’s what I’m here for, so let’s get into it.

What a typical review task looks like

First of all, it is a good idea to have a look at a task and get as much information from it as possible.

We usually want to find out three things that help us prepare for writing a great review:

• What is the topic of the task?
• What exactly do I have to include in the review?
• Who is going to read the review?

The topic of the review is children’s books and you have to talk about one that you enjoyed as child and would recommend even today. To be more specific, you have to say what you liked about it and why you think children today would still get something out of it .

Last but not least, you are writing for the readers of a literary magazine, which tells us that we shouldn’t write in a style that it too informal, but I also wouldn’t write as formally as in an essay . So, we ought to keep the style of language neutral , meaning that we can include some phrasal verbs and other smaller informal features like contractions (e.g. I’m or don’t), but I recommend not using any colloquial expressions that we typically use in spoken English.

How to organise your review

Reviews in C2 Proficiency can normally be structured in a similar way because the different elements we need to include are always the same: a descriptive part, something we need to discuss in a bit more detail, and a recommendation.

Title & introduction

Description, recommendation.

This commonly works very well. You can, of course split up the descriptive part or the discussion part in several paragraphs if it makes sense and at this level, you should definitely be able to make any task work for you, but this is a good basic scaffold that you can utilise in your writing.

Don’t forget to plan your review

Creating a plan before you start writing is an essential element of a good strategy in C2 Proficiency and I strongly suggest not skipping this step. It helps you to put your thoughts in order, which, in turn, can save you a lot of time when you are bringing them to paper.

The easiest way to create a plan is to take the paragraph structure you want to apply and to make some notes for each part:

• Title & introduction : Pippi Longstocking; Astrid Lindgren; 1945; childhood memories
• Description : young girl living by herself with her horse and monkey; super strength; Tommy and Annika; brave; adventures
• Discussion : I love her fearlessness, adventures and colourful world; children nowadays overprotected –> can benefit from a strong character like Pippi
• Recommendation : strongly recommend it; good entry to literature; good example of badass girl

Making the plan was a 4-minute effort and now I’m set and ready for my awesome review. The plan will keep me on track and I won’t have to think about the content anymore. All I have to do is turn my notes into full sentences and focus on good language.

The different parts of a review

Everything I’ve told you up to this point has been about getting yourself ready for the actual writing. We have a paragraph structure we can trust as well as an outline of our ideas. Now, we are going to look at an example and I will explain to you what my thought process looks like.

The introduction in a review has a very straightforward purpose: engage the reader and make interesting from the beginning. I like doing that by asking a question , which involves the reader immediately, including some kind of personal anecdote as well as some very basic facts about the topic of the review , in this case the name of the book and the author.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Do you still know your favourite story from your childhood? I remember listening to my dad reading stories to me and my sister after lunch every day and my most treasured book was about a brave little girl called Pippi Longstocking written by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in 1945.

Every review gets a title, which doesn’t have to be anything spectacular but make sure that your text has one. Then, you can see that I basically just included the different things I mentioned earlier: a question (“Do you still know …?”), a personal anecdote (“I remember listening …”) and some factual info about the book itself. Mission accomplished. The reader is hooked and we can move on to the next part.

The second paragraph is there to talk a little bit more about the subject of your review . In the case of a book you want to give more information, for example, who the main characters are, where and when the story is set, etc. For a review of a restaurant you might mention the location and the cuisine they serve there or why you went there in the first place. I guess you get the idea. Describe what the task wants you to describe and make sure that your language is on point .

Pippi is a nine-year-old girl who lives in her own house called Villa Villekulla together with her meerkat, Mr. Nillson, and a horse. Not only is she an exceptionally brave girl that goes on many adventures with her best friends Annika and Tommy, but she also possesses superhuman strength, which she often shows off throughout the story, for example, by lifting the horse in the air with her friends sitting on it.

Here you can see that I give a breakdown of the main characters as well as the general setting of the story. You don’t want to give too many spoilers because no one likes that, right?

Thanks to my plan I didn’t have to worry about the content, but I was able to focus on the language. I’ve included some nice vocabulary and grammar (not only, but also; exceptionally brave; superhuman strength; which; shows off) to keep the reader engaged .

The discussion portion of a review always asks you to give your opinion on some aspect of the experience . In our example task, we have to say what we enjoyed about the book when we read it and why we think children today might still like it.

We could definitely split this part into two paragraphs, but I made it work in just one.

The excitement I felt back then is still very vivid in my memories. I loved Pippi’s fearlessness and her constant appetite for adventure as well as the colourful world with all its odd characters Astrid Lindgren brings to life. I’m sure that I would still enjoy the book if I ever decided to pick it up again and its timeless character makes Pippi Longstocking a great choice even for children today. In a world where many parents try to bubble wrap their kids and control every aspect of their lives, a rebel like Pippi can be the perfect antidote to that. Young people can learn what it means to confront and even thrive in the face of a challenge instead of avoiding it, which I believe is a very useful quality to have in life.

First, I give reasons for why I liked the story (fearlessness, appetite for adventure, colourful world) and then I project those aspects onto children’s lives today with their very scheduled weeks and little room for creativity and enjoyment while being encapsulated by their helicopter parents (Google it, it’s a real expression.).

With the first sentence I link this paragraph to the introduction and the different aspects in this section are all well connected using different cohesive devices (as well as, I would still enjoy; a great choice even for children today). Use the freedom you have in a review to link everything well and make it as easy as possible for the reader to follow your logical arguments.

The last part of a review should always be a final recommendation. This doesn’t have to be anything special, but this is why we read a review in the first place. We want to know if the writer thinks we should consume or experience the same thing or not.

Long story short, I would highly recommend the story to parents who want to offer their children an entry point into literature and a world full of wonder and excitement that they can share with Pippi Longstocking in a time when their daughters and sons need it more than ever.

Once again, I didn’t reinvent the wheel here. I make my recommendation and try to connect this paragraph to the previous one (“… in a time when their daughters and sons need it more than ever”). With a sprinkle of interesting language (long story short; a world full of wonder and excitement) we bring our review to a close.

Feeling ready for a review now?

By now, you probably can’t wait to start practising. Reviews in Cambridge C2 Proficiency are really not that difficult, especially if you know what you’re doing. Keep in mind the different typical aspects of a review (paragraph structure, planning, interesting and engaging language) and I don’t see how you can ever write a bad review ever again.

If you are interested, I can also help you with some writing feedback or even private classes . Until then, all the best.

Lots of love,

Teacher Phill 🙂

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Blog – Posted on Wednesday, Apr 03

How to write a book review in 3 steps.

If the idea of reading for free — or even getting paid to read — sounds like a dream come true, remember that it isn’t a pipe dream. There are many places aspiring book reviewers can read books for free, such as Reedsy Discovery — a new platform for reviewing indie books. Of course, if you’re giving serious thought to becoming a book reviewer, your first step should be learning how to write a book review. To that end, this post covers all the basics of literary criticism. Let’s get started!

The three main steps of writing a book review are simple:

• Provide a summary: What is story about? Who are the main characters and what is the main conflict? 
• Present your evaluation: What did you think of the book? What elements worked well, and which ones didn’t? 
• Give your recommendation: Would you recommend this book to others? If so, what kinds of readers will enjoy it?

You can also download our free book review templates and use it as a guide! Otherwise, let’s take a closer look at each element.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

How to write a review of a book

Step 1. provide a summary.

Have you ever watched a movie only to realize that all the good bits were already in the trailer? Well, you don’t want the review to do that. What you do want the summary to do is reveal the genre, theme, main conflict, and main characters in the story — without giving away spoilers or revealing how the story ends.

A good rule of thumb is not to mention anything that happens beyond the midpoint. Set the stage and give readers a sense of the book without explaining how the central issue is resolved.

Emily W. Thompson's review of The Crossing :

In [Michael] Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl. Read more...

Here are a few more reviews with well-written summaries for you to check out. The summary tend to be the longest part of the book review, so we won’t turn this post into a novel itself by pasting them all here: Le Cirque Navire reviewed by Anna Brill, The Heart of Stone reviewed by Kevin R. Dickinson, Fitting Out: The Friendship Experiment reviewed by Lianna Albrizio.

Non-fiction summary tip: The primary goal of a non-fiction summary is to provide context: what problems or issues has the book spotted, and how does it go about addressing them? Be sure to mention the authors of the title and what experience or expertise they bring to the title. Check Stefan Kløvning’s review of Creativity Cycling for an example of a summary that establishes the framework of the book within the context of its field.

Step 2. Present your evaluation

While you should absolutely weave your own personal take of a book into the review, your evaluation shouldn’t only be based on your subjective opinion. Along with presenting how you reacted to the story and how it affected you, you should also try to objectively critique the stronger and weaker elements of the story, and provide examples from the text to back up your points.

To help you write your evaluation, you should record your reactions and thoughts as you work your way through a novel you’re planning on reviewing. Here are some aspects of the book to keep in mind as you do.

Your evaluation might focus heartily on the book’s prose:

Donald Barker's review of Mercenary : 

Such are the bones of the story. But, of course, it is the manner in which Mr Gaughran puts the bones back together and fills them with life that makes “Mercenary” such a great read. The author’s style seems plain; it seems straightforward and even simple. But an attempt at imitation or emulation quickly proves that simple it is not. He employs short, punchy sentences that generate excellent dialogue dripping with irony, deadpan humour and wit. This, mixed with good descriptive prose, draws the characters – and what characters they are – along with the tumultuous events in which they participated amidst the stinking, steaming heat of the South American jungle, out from the past to the present; alive, scheming, drinking, womanising and fighting, onto the written page.

You can give readers a sense of the book by drawing comparisons to other well-known titles or authors:

Laura Hartman's review of The Mystery of Ruby's Mistletoe :

Reading Ms. Donovan’s book is reminiscent to one of my favorite authors, Dame Agatha Christie. Setting up the suspects in a snowbound house, asking them to meet in the drawing room and the cleverly satisfying conclusion was extremely gratifying. I can picture Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot nodding at Ms. Donovan saying “Well done!”

Not everyone’s tastes are the same, and you can always acknowledge this by calling out specific story elements in your evaluation: 

Kevin R. Dickinson's review of The Heart of Stone :

Whether you enjoy Galley’s worldbuilding will depend heavily on preference. Galley delivers information piecemeal, letting the characters, not the author, navigate the reader through Hartlund. A notable example is the magic system, an enigmatic force that lacks the ridge structures of, say, a Brandon Sanderson novel. While the world’s magical workings are explained, you only learn what the characters know and many mysteries remain by the end. Similar choices throughout make the world feel expansive and authentic.

Non-fiction evaluation tip: A book’s topic is only as compelling as its supporting arguments. Your evaluation of a nonfiction book should address that: how clearly and effectively are the points communicated? Turn back to Stefan’s critique for an example of a non-fiction critique that covers key takeaways and readability, without giving away any “big reveals.”

Step 3. Give your recommendation 

At the end of the day, your critique needs to answer this question: is this a book you would (or wouldn’t) recommend to other readers? You might wrap up by comparing it to other books in the same genre, or authors with similar styles, such as: “Fans of so-and-so will enjoy this book.” 

Let’s take a look at a few more tips:

You don’t need to write, “I recommend this book” — you can make it clear by highlighting your favorable opinion:

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

Add more punch to your rating by mentioning what kind of audience will or won’t enjoy the book:

Charleigh Aleyna Reid's review of The King of FU :

I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up in the 90’s and would like to reminisce about the time, someone who is interested to see what it was like to be a 90’s kid, or perhaps anyone who is looking for a unique, funny story about someone’s life.

Unless you found the title absolutely abhorrent, a good way to balance out a less favorable book review it to share what you did like about the book — before ultimately stating why you wouldn’t recommend the novel:

Nicola O's review of Secrets of the Sea Lord :

Overall, there are plenty of enjoyable elements in this story and fans of Atlantis and mer mythology should give it a try. Despite this, it does not rise above a three-star rating, and while I had some difficulty pinning down why this is, I concluded that it comes from a surprisingly unsophisticated vocabulary. There are a couple of graphic sex scenes, which is absolutely fine in a paranormal romance, but if they were removed, I could easily imagine this as an appealing story for middle-schoolers.

Non-fiction recommendation tip: As with fiction book reviews, share why you did or didn’t enjoy the title. However, in one of the starkest divergences from fiction book reviews it’s more important than ever that you mention your expectations coming into the non-fiction book. For instance, if you’re a cow farmer who’s reading a book on the benefits of becoming a vegetarian, you’re coming in with a large and inherent bias that the book will struggle to alter. So your recommendation should cover your thoughts about the book, while clearly taking account your perspective before you started reading. Let’s look once more at Stefan’s review for an example of a rating that includes an explanation of the reviewer’s own bias.

Bonus tips for writing a book review

Let’s wrap up with a few final tips for writing a compelling review.

• Remember, this isn’t a book report. If someone wants the summary of a book, they can read the synopsis. People turn to book reviews for a fellow reader’s take on the book. And for that reason...
• Have an opinion. Even if your opinion is totally middle-of-the-line — you didn’t hate the book but you didn’t love it either — state that clearly, and explain why.
• Make your stance clear from the outset. Don’t save your opinion just for the evaluation/recommendation. Weave your thoughts about the book into your summary as well, so that readers have an idea of your opinion from the outset.
• Back up your points. Instead of just saying, “the prose was evocative” — show readers by providing an actual passage that displays this. Same goes for negative points — don’t simply tell readers you found a character unbelievable, reference a certain (non-spoiler) scene that backs this up.
• Provide the details. Don’t forget to weave the book’s information into the review: is this a debut author? Is this one installment of a series? What types of books has the author written before? What is their background? How many pages does the book have? Who published the book? What is the book’s price?
• Follow guidelines. Is the review you’re writing for Goodreads? For The New York Times ? The content and tone of your review will vary a good deal from publication to publication.
• Learn from others. One of the best ways to learn how to write a great review is to read other reviews! To help you out with that, we’ve published a post all about book review examples .

Writing book reviews can be a rewarding experience! As a book-lover yourself, it’s a great opportunity to help guide readers to their next favorite title. If you’re just getting started as a reviewer and could use a couple more tips and nudges in the right direction, check out our comprehensive blog post on how to become a book reviewer . And if you want to find out which review community is the right fit for you, we recommend taking this quick quiz:

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Finally, if you feel you've nailed the basics of how to write a book review, we recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can review books for free and are guaranteed people will read them. To register as a book reviewer, simply go here !

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Review – examples & model answers | C2 Proficient (CPE)

Fce, cae, cpe, practice, write & improve, cpe example review: book.

A literary magazine is running a series of reviews of books that people enjoyed reading as a child and would recommend for children today. You decide to send in a review in which you describe a book you enjoyed and the attractions it had for you as a child. You should also explain why you feel it remains relevant for children today.

Write your review

CPE Review: Example Answer (Grade: 4)

Childhood Book

One of my favourite childhood books is the ‘Six Bullerby Children’ written by Astrid Lindergren, a famous Swedish author. The story is set in a three-farm remote village of Bullerby in Sweden.

The narrator is a seven-year-old girl, Lisa who, with her parents and two older brothers – Lasse and Bosse, lives in one of the houses. Lisa describes the daily life of the children in Bullerby which – contrary to what one might think when imagining life in a small, remote village – is far from boring. The children have plenty of funny ideas, which often lead to amusing adventures.

Although the book was included in the compulsory school literature when I was a child (which often meant long, boring reads), I have truly enjoyed the adventures of Lisa and her friends. Despite very limited resources (the story is set in 1930s when children did not have many toys, not to mention a TV or video games!) the children always come up with exciting games or things to play with. This is something I admired and wished I could do when reading the book.

Another thing which appealed to me as a child was the natural childlike way in which Lisa (or Astrid Lindgren, the author) could tell the story connecting effortlessly with the young readers.

Despite the environment in which the children live nowadays has changed considerably since 1930s, children will always be children and if the book has appealed to so many young generations since it was published, I believe it will retain its impact. It can be more, even more relevant today, when children are presented with things to play, instead of inventing games themselves. Reading the book could definitely wake up their innate creativity.

‘Six Bullerby Children’ could, however, also be more relavent to adults who would like to either ‘return’ to their childhood for a little while, or be able to connect with their own children a bit better.

Get Your (CPE) Review Checked!

Cpe example review: old film.

The magazine Big Screen has invited its readers to review old films. You have recently watched a film which was made a number of years ago. You decide to write a review of the film you saw, explaining why it might appeal to a new audience and saying whether any aspects of the film now seem old-fashioned or out-of-date.

Grease n’ Beats

A teenage love, the eternal rivalry between delinquents and gooks, some romance drama and John Travolta working his little dance magic make the perfect musical, certain to be enjoyed by all ages.

Set in the 1950s, although filmed 20 years later, the story revolves around a group of boys end girls and, more specifically, Sandy and Danny. The couple met in the summer and immediately fell in love, but unfortunately, the little lady has to return to Australia when the new semester begins. Heart-broken, they part ways, but wait! Sandy’s family has a change of plans and they decide to stay in America. Unbeknown to both, they are going to be in the same high school. And here’s where the real plot begins — Danny isn’t quite who his beloved thinks. Tough-guy, a show-off, with a leather jacket and a cigarette, his outer character shocks poor, naive Sandy. Fighting, jealousy, strugle, proms and more twists meet the young pair, as they stave not only to prove their love but also themselves to a not-so-understanding, fake society.

Rings a bell? Romeo and Juliet? Pride and Prejudice? Grease deals with people. Throughout the centuries, pretending to be someone you are not has been a key to surviving. Why can’t we be accepted for who we are? Why do we need a mask to hide our true feelings, thoughts, worries? The eternal problem, the fear of being the outcasts, is seen in everyone, especially adolescents.

When entering puberty, you are not a kid, neither an adult You can’t be childish but also don’t have the experience to act maturely. What’s a teen to do? Frustration, sadness and anger built up, as we search for our true selves. Cliche? Not quite. Everyone can sympathise with the characters in Grease since they are dealing with everyday problems. Problems which, unfortunately, haven’t disappeared in the past 50 years.

Should one forget about the fashion-gap, which is quite big, they will see themselves in Sandy and Danny. And, even it they don’t, there’s still lots of singing and dancing to lift the mood! Definitely worth your time!

CPE Example Review: Amusement Park

A tourist magazine is publishing a series of reviews of amusements parks. You decide to send in a review of an amusement park you have visited which included interactive displays, rides, electronic games, a 3-D cinema and a boating lake. You should briefly describe two or three of the attractions and evaluate the contribution that amusement parks can make to the quality of life for local residents.

CPE Review: Example Answer (Grade: 3)

Amusement Park

I have recently visited an amusement park while on holiday. It had many exciting features including a 3-D cinema, boating lake, electronic video games and rides of all sizes ranging from simple ones for children to much larger rides for thrill-seekers. The 3-D cinema is exciting as it is a relatively new technology and unavailable near me. A documentary about sharks was showing when I visited. The 3-D experience is amazing, and when things come out at you from the screen they look very realistic. When this happens it makes people scream, like they were on a rollercoaster. There are more rides than anything else at the park as this is the reason many people go – for the exhilarating experiences. The larger rides have long queues and can take up to an hour to reach the front. The one that stood out for me was ‘The Extreme Drop’, which shoots you up a steep track at about 100kph before pausing at the top where you look down for a few seconds at the antlike people on the ground before hurtling towards them at an even greater speed. This ride has an incredible exhilarating rush and provides the loudest screams of any of the rides. There is a second queue for this ride which takes a little longer than the main one, but you get a seat right at the front of the carriage. I would recommend joining this queue for any ride available as you get the best views and biggest adrenalin rush.

Amusement parks make a huge contribution to the quality of life for local residents. They not only provide entertainment for the local residents, especially for young families during school holidays, they also bring jobs and money into the area. As well as jobs within the actual park, amusement parks help increase local tourism, which can provide a vast amount of jobs in a variety of different areas for the local residents. This will then provide a lower rate of unemployment in the area and a higher standard of living for the local residents.

CPE Model Review: Television Series

A TV listings magazine has invited readers to contribute a review of a television series that is particularly popular at the moment. Write a review, explaining why this programme is so popular in your opinion and commenting on whether you believe it deserves such popularity.

CPE Review: Model Answer (Grade: 5)

I bet a couple of years ago, the producers wouldn’t have expected and dreamt that their new ‘attempt to amuse’ bored viewers- and with totally unknown actors ‘from nowhere’ – would earn such a great success. After many years of living a daily life with characters from Dallas, Baywatch, Dynasty, a new wave of funny, clever and witty entertainment struck people in. And obviously, people welcomed the change very warmly.

‘Friends’ is full of diversity. Each of the main five characters is completely different and brings to the series something new. Despite their differences, they create a perfect working jigsaw. They live, laugh, cry and share their fate together. You can feel some kind of oneness there; and that is a vital thing in every friendship. Chandler – a sexist who can’t live without women – with his ironic and sharp, witty humour, contrasts with naive, a  little bit dumb but cute Joey, who has a vanity and irresistible smile in the role of an unsuccessful actor. Monica is a nagging perfectionist who often quarrels with frivolous and untidy Rachel. Ross is a worried palaeontologist who tries to come to terms that his wife left him. Poor guy! And at last weird Pheobe, who refreshes almost every episode with her ‘fabulous’ music which nobody can get. Oh yeah, she’s quite odd but everybody loves her.

‘Friends’ is a great refreshment after a long, exhausting day at work. It is no wonder that it is so popular. People just love it – from children to adults and older people as well. We need to laugh and relax. The actors, producers and creators deserve appreciation and admiration for making such a great show. People are waiting eagerly for new episodes all the time. And that’s a sign of success. Otherwise they would cease producing it, wouldn’t they? Not to mention that ‘friends’ is popular in every continent of the world. And that proves something.

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