Review

The review (la critique): A review (une critique) is part of the theme Text Types (Media texts). You describe a work — a film, a series, a book, a restaurant, an event — give your opinion with reasons, and end with a recommendation. It is personal but polished: you are writing for a general reader, not a close friend.

Why this matters: On Paper 1 you may be asked to write a review for a school magazine, a blog or a website. Knowing its conventions — describe → judge → recommend, an enthusiastic first-person voice, no spoilers — is exactly what scores Criterion C (Conceptual understanding).

Semi-formal and evaluative: A review is written in the first person with a semi-formal, evaluative tone. It is warmer than a report but more careful than a message to a friend — you address a general reader, so no slang and no emojis, but plenty of opinion.

First person, all the way through: Stay in the first person from start to finish — a review is YOUR opinion. Mixing in a formal-letter opening (« Cher Monsieur ») or a chatty sign-off (« Bisous ») breaks the register and costs you Criterion C marks.

Four moves, in order: A review follows a clear shape. Learn the four moves below as a sequence — that order (title → summary → opinion → recommendation) is what an examiner looks for.

Always give both sides: A real review gives a strength AND a weakness, each with a reason. An all-positive (or all-negative) review sounds like an advert and caps your Criterion B (Message) — the balanced judgement is what develops it.

Read a real review: Here is a short review of a series. Read it once, tap 🔊 to hear it, or Voir la traduction if you get stuck. Notice how each part does its job — title, summary, opinion, recommendation. Then we'll analyse one feature together.

Critique : « Brume sur la côte »: « Une série qui vous accroche dès la première minute »

Je viens de terminer « Brume sur la côte », une série policière réalisée par Lucie Ferrand. Sans rien dévoiler, elle raconte l'histoire d'une journaliste qui revient dans son village pour enquêter sur une disparition. Le meilleur, c'est l'atmosphère et le rythme ; le seul défaut, c'est que certains personnages secondaires manquent un peu de profondeur. En somme, je la recommande surtout à celles et ceux qui aiment les histoires de mystère bien racontées.

« Une série qui vous accroche… »

the catchy TITLE — it already hints at the verdict, instead of a greeting

« Je viens de terminer …, qui raconte … »

the brief SUMMARY — names the work, no spoilers (« sans rien dévoiler »)

« Le meilleur, c'est … ; le seul défaut, c'est … »

the OPINION — one strength and one weakness, each with a reason

« En somme, je la recommande surtout à … »

the RECOMMENDATION — directed at a kind of reader

Spot the four moves: When you analyse a model review, look for the title, the opinion verbs (« le meilleur, c'est… »), and the final recommendation — they reveal the purpose (to evaluate and recommend) and the register (semi-formal, first person).

Phrase bank for a review: These are the ready-made frames that make a review sound authentic. Group them by move — opening, summary, opinion, recommendation — and reuse them in the writing tasks. Accurate reuse scores Criterion A (Language).

Pick one frame per move: You don't need every phrase — choose one good frame for each move (open · summary · opinion · recommend) and link them with two or three connectors. That gives a complete, well-shaped review.