Above all, you need to feel prepared. That means understanding a task, planning effectively and having some CPE secret weapons at your disposal<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. By the end of this blog, you\u2019ll know what a typical Cambridge C2 review question looks like, what to include in your plan, what grammar and vocabulary you could incorporate and how you can prepare for this part of the C2 Proficiency writing exam. Let\u2019s start with the basics!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency exam page<\/a>:<\/p>\n The review is one of six options you can choose from in the C2 Proficiency Writing paper Part 2, along with the mandatory essay that you\u2019ll complete in Part 1, which we covered in our Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam \u2013 Part 1: Essay<\/a> blog post. Don\u2019t forget to revisit our Guide to the Cambridge C2 Proficiency Writing Exam \u2013 Part 2: Report<\/a> too! Keep your eyes peeled for blogs about the rest!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the main reasons a lot of students feel comfortable writing reviews is because we use them so often in everyday life. That is to say, we prefer to check opinions before committing to a product or an event. <\/p>\n However, it\u2019s not as simple as giving stars! We need to make sure our writing is upgraded to C2 level. Check out<\/strong><\/span><\/em> the table below for examples of upgraded language. We\u2019ve used four different review topics. <\/p>\n We\u2019ve used two techniques here: In red<\/strong><\/span>, you can see examples of pseudo-cleft sentences<\/span>. In blue<\/strong><\/span>, you can see examples of negative inversions<\/span>. We\u2019ve highlighted a nice phrasal verb<\/span> in pink<\/strong><\/span>, and you can see lots of underlined examples of descriptive language<\/u>. <\/p>\n However, it\u2019s important to use these sparingly<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. In other words, use your planning stage to decide where you\u2019re going to use them or your writing can seem too formal. Remember, you\u2019re writing to convince someone, so you want to communicate on their level. Don\u2019t go overboard<\/strong><\/span><\/em>!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, let\u2019s look at a review task. <\/p>\n As the task asks you to do three things: describe the book you enjoyed, talk about the attractions it had for you as a child and explain why it\u2019s relevant today, you\u2019d probably want three paragraphs. Add a fourth for a short conclusion and you have your general structure. Your title can be the name of the book. <\/p>\n You should allocate<\/strong><\/span><\/em> at least 15 minutes to your plan. Think carefully about what you want to write about and how you can explain your ideas. Make a list of useful collocations connected to the topic. Then, think about how you can use excellent examples of C2 grammar. Plan how you\u2019re going to connect your ideas with linkers. Vary your sentence structure and occasionally add a much shorter sentence in order to add emphasis. It really works!<\/p>\n Remember, your writing needs to have cohesion. The more time you spend planning, the more you can work on the structure. Try to visualise your paragraphs as rectangles. Within these rectangles there are smaller rectangles that vary in size and shape. Imagine that you have to decide on the perfect order and distribution. As a result, your paragraph will be stronger. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n First, the writer introduces the topic of the review. This helps the reader know what he\/she is about to<\/strong><\/span><\/em> read. Next, the writer gives a brief description of the story. No spoilers please! In the third paragraph, the writer comments on how the story is relevant today. To conclude, he\/she links back to the original introduction and summarises the entire review in one neat<\/strong><\/span><\/em> little paragraph. Beautiful! <\/p>\n We\u2019ve also highlighted some lovely collocations which are appropriate for this task about children’s books. You\u2019ll find lots more inspiration for your reviews on sites like Goodreads<\/a>, Metacritic<\/a>, The Guardian<\/a> and Rolling Stone<\/a>. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced<\/a><\/p>\n 6 Tools To Take Your Writing To The Next Level<\/a> \u2013 general writing tips<\/p>\n Our Year In Review: Top 10 Blog Posts Of 2019<\/a> \u2013 a different example of a review! <\/p>\nWhat is a review? <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"C2](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/C2-Proficiency-exam-page.png\")
<\/p>\nReview format<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
Why choose the review task?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Review](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Review-task.png\")
<\/p>\nHow can I structure a review?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-can-I-structure-a-review.png\")
<\/p>\nWhat does a review look like?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/What-does-a-review-look-like.png\")
<\/p>\nWhat else can I do?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n