Writing a Book or Film Review
Learn to share your opinion about a book or film clearly and convincingly — the structure the exam expects.
What the exam asks
In this task, you write about a book or film you’ve read or watched — giving the basic facts, a brief summary, and your own opinion. A good review helps the reader decide whether they’d enjoy it too, without giving away the ending.
ماذا يطلب الامتحان؟
في هذه المهمة، تكتب عن كتاب قرأته أو فيلم شاهدته — مع ذكر المعلومات الأساسية، وملخص موجز، ورأيك الشخصي. المراجعة الجيدة تساعد القارئ على تحديد ما إذا كان سيستمتع به أيضًا، دون كشف نهاية القصة.
The structure
Follow this order every time — it covers everything a good review needs.
Title, author/director, and date — the basic facts.
1) Opening — title, author, and genre
Start with the basic facts, and say what kind of story it is.
2) Characters and summary — no spoilers
Introduce the main characters, then summarise the story in a few sentences — enough to interest the reader, without revealing the ending.
3) Themes and personal evaluation
Mention the deeper ideas the story explores, then give your honest opinion — always with a reason.
A model review
Here is a short, complete example. Notice how each part matches the structure.
“The Silent Path” grabbed my interest among many other novels. It was written by Fatima Zahra Idrissi and published in 2015. This book falls into the drama genre. The main character is Amina, a young woman determined to continue her education despite her family’s objections. The story follows her journey as she balances tradition and her own ambitions. This novel explores themes of identity, family, and self-belief. In my opinion, it is a powerful and moving story, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in stories about resilience.
Title, author, date, genre.
Main character + summary (no ending revealed).
Themes + opinion + recommendation.
Common mistakes to avoid
❌ No personal opinion: a review without your evaluation is just a summary — always say what YOU thought.
❌ An opinion with no reason: “It was good.” → ✅ “It was moving because it showed real courage.” (always justify your opinion)
Your turn — test your understanding
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1. What should come FIRST in a review?
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2. A good summary should ___.
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3. Which is a genre?
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4. “In my opinion, it is a powerful story” is an example of the ___.
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5. A review should always include ___.
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6. Choose the correct sentence.
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7. Themes are ___.
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8. Which phrase introduces the characters?
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9. A review without personal opinion is just a ___.
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10. “I would recommend this to…” belongs in the ___.
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11. Choose the correct sentence.
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12. What’s the biggest mistake in reviews?
Write a short review (about 10–12 sentences) of a book or film you’ve enjoyed. Follow the structure:
- Title, author/director, date, and genre
- Main characters and a spoiler-free summary
- The themes it explores
- Your personal opinion, with a reason, and a recommendation
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