6A Writing and Vocabulary A restaurant review

• I can write a restaurant review.

Review A: a restaurant review that informs

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?

Which advice is right for a review?

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.

Casual words and their formal partners

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

The Writing box: how a good review is built

• Use nominalisation (verb becomes a noun) to avoid wordiness
• The designers have cleverly used various shades of blue to create a beautifully relaxing eating area = 1 ___
• Use synonyms to avoid repetition
• stunning = amazing
• duck = 2 ___
• Use words and phrases of comparison and contrast
• In common with ...
• As many other restaurants have done ...
• Other restaurants have done likewise/ similarly …
• By way of contrast …
• Use phrases of recommendation
• 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.

The designers have cleverly used various shades of blue to create a beautifully relaxing eating area = 1 ___

duck = 2 ___

I cannot praise it 3 ___ .

If 4 ___ somewhere new and exciting then …

Nominalisation: turn the verb into a noun

1 Fusion food has risen in popularity in recent years and this has influenced many restaurant menus.

2 The restaurant is easily accessed from a rear car park, which has contributed to its success.

3 Experts have advised people to eat more healthily and this is beginning to affect the number of fast food outlets.

Now rewrite review B

Review A: the décor

Next, how the reviewer describes the room.

Review A: the food

Now the dish that made the biggest impression.

Review A: the recommendation

Finally, the recommendation.

Review B: the same restaurant, a different voice

Now the second reviewer, who visited the same restaurant.