FCE (First Certificate in English) Writing- Reviews

Brainstorming language for writing Cambridge First reviews

Cambridge B2 First Writing Part Two

Work together to brainstorm words into the categories below that can be used to describe things that you might have to review in FCE Writing, writing down any which the other person didn’t know, might impress the examiner, etc.

Positive adjectives

 

 

 

 

 

 

Negative adjectives

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expressions for talking about positive things

A strong point is…

 

 

 

 

 

Expressions for talking about negative things

 

 

 

 

 

 

Types of music

 

 

 

 

 

 

Types of movies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Types of TV programme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People connected to movies

screenwriter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other nouns related to movies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verbs related to movies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nouns to describe plays and theatres

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nouns to describe aspects of a restaurant or meal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compare your answers with those below, then compare your extra ideas as a class. If you are scoring, you get a point for anything you wrote that is not below and no one else wrote.

Suggested answers

Positive adjectives

(good) value for money

action-packed

addictive

amusing/ funny

attractive

award winning

brilliant/ wonderful/ fantastic/ fabulous/ excellent/ terrific/ splendid

classic/ timeless

cosmopolitan

delightful

distinctive/ unique

dramatic

entertaining/ fun

exciting

flawless/ impeccable/ perfect

gripping

haunting

interesting/ fascinating

intriguing

lovely

memorable

moving

original

realistic

satisfying

sophisticated

spectacular

the bee’s knees

thought-provoking

topical

underrated

unforgettable

unmatched

unpredictable

uplifting

well-acted

well-directed

 

Negative adjectives

(instantly) forgettable

amateurish

annoying/ irritating

awful/ dreadful/ terrible

bland

boring/ tedious

chaotic

cheesy

childish

clichéd

commercial

confusing

dated

depressing

disappointing

dull

expensive/ overpriced/ bad value for money

gloomy

melodramatic

monotonous

notorious

odd/ strange/ weird

over the top

overpriced

overrated

pointless

predictable

pretentious

random

repetitive

sentimental

unintentionally funny

 

Expressions for talking about positive things

A (unique) selling point…

A strong point/ strength…

Don’t miss…/ You shouldn’t miss…/ You mustn’t miss…

I (highly/ thoroughly) recommend this… for…

I can’t/ couldn’t get enough of it.

If you like…, you’ll love…

It will make you feel…

It would suit…

It’s (really/ well) worth…

It’s suitable for…

My favourite…

You won’t regret…

one in a million

… stands out (from the crowd)…

 

Expressions for talking about negative things

Don’t bother…

I couldn’t (really) get into…

I wasn’t keen on…

I would only recommend…

I wouldn’t recommend…

I wouldn’t rush out and…

It wouldn’t suit…

It’s not (really) suitable for…

It’s not (really) worth…

I’d avoid…

I’d be in no hurry to…

My (main) criticism is…

My least favourite…

One of the (main) weaknesses…

 

Types of music

classic rock

classical

dance/ techno/ house

disco

easy listening

folk

funk

girl band/ boy band

hip-hop/ rap

indie/ alternative

R&B

world music

 

Types of movies

(spaghetti) western

action movie/ thriller

cartoon/ animation

crime/ cop movie

horror

musical

prequel/ sequel

remake

rom-com

sci-fi

 

Types of TV programme

adaptation

cop series

costume drama

current affairs

miniseries

murder mystery/ whodunit

news broadcast

quiz show

reality show

sit-com

soap opera

stand-up comedy

talk show

travel programme

weather forecast

wildlife documentary

 

People connected to movies

(lead/ supporting) actor

(main) character

bad guy/ antihero

cameraman

cast

director

extra

hero/ heroine

producer

screenwriter

star

 

Other nouns related to movies

(car) chase

(happy/ surprise) ending

(wide) screen

ads

CGI/ special effects

dialogue/ lines

plot

script

setting

shoot out

soundtrack

stunt

trailer

twist(s and turns) (in the plot)

 

Verbs related to movies

(re)watch

direct/ is directed by

features

is set in

perform

release

stars

 

Nouns to describe plays and theatres

(first/ second) act

(foot)lights/ lighting

audience

balcony

costume

curtain

interval

performance(s)

scenery

script

stage

stalls

 

Nouns to describe aspects of a restaurant or meal

(waiting) staff

atmosphere

décor

dessert

main course

menu/ drinks menu

reservation

service

set menu

starter

 

Practice

Read out vocabulary from one section above, starting with the most difficult, until your partner works out which section it is.

Choose words and expressions above and try to agree on real places and things which you could describe that way.