We explain how to write a review, step by step.
Do you know what a review is? Have you ever written one? Basically, it’s constructive criticism of a work, which could be a book, a movie, a video game… But what are the parts of a review?
In this article, in addition to explaining what a review is, we explain its parts and what each consists of . Finally, we offer a series of guidelines for writing a good review.
What is a review?
Before explaining the parts of a review and the characteristics of each, let’s explain what a review consists of.
A review is a written or informative text about a literary or cinematographic work … It is a constructive criticism of the work, a type of evaluation, which can be positive or negative (depending on the author).
Its length is rather short. It contains various elements of the work: summary, ideas, concepts, relevant aspects, comments, analysis, and more. It also includes the personal opinion of the author of the review.
Reviews can vary greatly from one author to another, depending on the type of review and the work being analyzed. However, the components of a review are generally the same (although there may be slight variations from one review to another).
Parts of a review
Now, let’s look at the parts of a review, as well as its key characteristics.
1. Title
The first part of the review is the title . The title usually includes a short sentence that summarizes the work being reviewed; ideally, it shouldn’t be too long, it should have some impact on the reader, and it should spark curiosity to read the review.
On the other hand, it is advisable that the title not simply be the title of the work being discussed, but that it be accompanied by other words (we should also avoid simply using “review” as the title).
2. Header or technical sheet
The second part of a review is the heading or technical information (also called the bibliographic reference). Here we find the title of the reviewed work, as well as relevant information about it, such as:
Author
Producer
Qualification
Publisher/Record Company…
Number of pages
Place and year of publication/production
Price
Etc.
The data in the technical sheet will be organized according to the citation standards for bibliographic references specific to each sector.
3. Summary of the work to be reviewed (comment)
The third part of the review consists of a kind of “synopsis” of the work or film in question. It provides a concise species of the original work. It includes information such as: the author’s background, the work’s objectives, sources, structure, content, techniques used, etc. The order in which these unit are presented may vary from author to author.
Let’s see, in summary, what each of these elements included in the summary consists of:
3.1. Background
The background includes relevant information about the author of the reviewed work, such as topics typically covered, languages spoken, previous works, professional career, etc.
3.2. Strategies
Strategies are the methods and techniques used by the author to create the work. These include the research conducted, the stages of information gathering, etc.
3.3. Sources
Much of the information that the author compiled to create his or her work comes from them.
3.4. Objective
The objective is the purpose of the work, its goal. What did the author intend to achieve with his or her work?
3.5. Content
Here the author of the review explains the theme of the work, its plot, the events that occurred in it, etc.
3. 6. Organization / structure
Finally, in the organization or structure we find the order of the events of the work (chapters, scenes, maps, etc.).
4. Critical commentary on the work
The next part of a review is the critical commentary on the work; it consists of a series of explanations and arguments to “defend” or “praise” the original work, or, conversely, to “lambast” it.
This is a type of argumentative text, and it constitutes the most important part of the review.This is a type of argumentative text, and it constitutes the most important part of the review. Here, the author critically analyzes the work (both positively and negatively) and presents their arguments or ideas to do so. Therefore, in this section, the arguments carry a very important weight (they must be solid).
Thus, the critical commentary highlights the work’s weaknesses as well as its strengths .
5. Conclusions
The conclusions section, another part of a review, includes the above information, but in a summarized form, and with a series of comments or added ideas that the author logically draws from their arguments and from the work itself.
That is, the author’s opinion and judgment are included, alluding above all to the aforementioned weak and strong points of the work.
6. Recommendations
In this section, the reviewer includes their opinion on whether or not they should recommend the work . They can also recommend their own review and explain why. Regarding the work itself, in this section, the author includes their reasons for watching/reading/listening to it, or their reasons for not doing so. It’s a very personal section.
7. Identification of the reviewer
The last part of a review is the author’s ID . This displays relevant information about the author, including their professional career, other reviews, etc.
Their contact information (email, social media, online profile, etc.) is also included, depending on the author’s choice. Including their contact information makes it easier for readers to comment or respond to their review.
How to write a good review?
We’ve learned the different parts of a review, but would you dare to write one?
Are you thinking about writing a review, or simply want to improve the reviews you already write? We offer some tips and steps that can help you write a good review (ideally, follow them in order) :
Choose a work and a theme that motivates you.
Look carefully at how the work is structured.
Determine which elements are key in the work.
Research the author.
Investigate what strategies the author has used to create his or her work.
Watch (or read, listen to…) the work carefully.
Write down the most relevant information, as well as any ideas that may come to mind.
Organize your notes.
Write a short outline of the points you want to cover in your review.
Start writing the draft.
Use correct language and well-founded arguments.
Please correct the review and proofread it carefully.
Make the changes you consider necessary, don’t rush.
You can now submit your review!
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