1 Read two reviews of the same restaurant and answer the questions.
1 What facts do the reviewers agree and disagree about?
2 Do you consider both reviews informative and fair? Say why.
3 Who do you think the target audience is for the reviews? Say why.
4 Why might some people leave an inaccurate / incorrect review online?
Answers
1 agree: décor is good disagree: price/quantity of food, size of portions
2 Review B is negative and uninformative. Review A is positive with examples and details, which make it more informative.
3 A: audience more interested in detail; B: online audience who are looking for brief comments
4 They had a bad experience./They may have a competing restaurant./They didn’t intend to be inaccurate.
2 Read the reviews again and tick the pieces of advice about writing a review that are correct.
1 □ Always use a formal style.
2 □ Offer a recommendation.
3 □ Summarise your opinion in the conclusion.
4 □ Give brief background details, including the name and when you went there.
5 □ Describe the restaurant in detail.
6 □ Use direct language if you disapproved of something.
7 □ Give your personal impression.
8 □ Engage the reader from the beginning.
Answers
Students tick boxes 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8
3 Match the colloquial words and phrases from the box with their more formal synonyms.
|
give it a wide berth hype I’ll give it that a letdown made out that value for money yearn for |
1 a disappointment
2 indicated
3 avoid
4 advertising and previews
5 really desire
6 not too expensive
7 that’s one point in its favour
Answers
1 a letdown 2 made out that 3 give it a wide berth 4 hype 5 yearn for 6 value for money 7 I’ll give it that
4 Study the Writing box and complete it with examples from review A.
| WRITING | A restaurant review |
|
• Use nominalisation (verb becomes a noun) to avoid wordiness, e.g., The designers have cleverly used various shades of blue to create a beautifully relaxing eating area = 1.................... • Use synonyms to avoid repetition, e.g., stunning = amazing duck = 2.................. • Use words and phrases of comparison and contrast, e.g., In common with ... As many other restaurants have done ... Other restaurants have done likewise/ similarly ... By way of contrast ... • Use phrases of recommendation, e.g., I cannot praise it 3................. . If 4........................ somewhere new and exciting then ... This restaurant should be a first choice for a big celebration. I would have to say that the restaurant doesn’t score highly on the value for money scale. |
Answers
1 Clever use of various shades of blue has created a relaxing eating area ... 2 the meat 3 highly enough 4 you are looking for
5 Using nominalisation, rewrite the sentences starting with the words given.
1 Fusion food has risen in popularity in recent years and this has infl uenced many restaurant menus.
The ........................................
2 The restaurant is easily accessed from a rear car park, which has contributed to its success.
Easy ..................................
3 Experts have advised people to eat more healthily and this is beginning to affect the number of fast food outlets.
Expert ..............................
Answers
1 The recent rise in popularity of fusion food has influenced many restaurant menus.
2 Easy access from a rear car park has contributed to the restaurant’s success.
3 Expert advice on eating more healthily is beginning to aff ect the number of fast food outlets.
6 WRITING TASK Rewrite review B to make it less direct and better balanced. Use as many points from the Writing box as you can.
Use the Graphic Organiser to help you plan your writing
Answers
Students’ own answers
