by Team AllYourVideogames | Oct 7, 2022 | News |
The review is something more common than it seems and knowing how to do a review can help both in academia and in conversation circles.
To help you better understand what it is and how to make a good review, we have organized information and tips that will help you in this process.
But before getting your hands dirty to make your reviews, it's important to know some important points.
What is a review?
The review is a way used by people to convey their opinion on a particular topic or object through a more analytical approach.
Today we can find reviews in text and video format, and the most common and perhaps least noticed of all, the one that happens in conversation circles. That's why we often hear people say things like "after football, there was an amazing review" or "the afternoon was a lot of review among the girls".
What characterizes a review are the author's personal opinions, the way it is written – often using the first person plural (we) and a variety of adjectives – and a very objective description of what is being analyzed.
You might think that there are only reviews of books or academic articles, but there is a lot more reviews spread across the internet than we can imagine, especially on Youtube.
In addition to book reviews and academic articles, you can also create reviews for products, services, games, and anything else that might give rise to some kind of opinion.
Learn more: How to write an essay: 6 sites to practice
Types of review
There are several types of reviews and each one has its particularities, being useful to express an opinion on the most varied subjects and objects.
And since our goal here is to show you how to write a review, we can't help but talk about each type of review, so that you can take advantage of the tips that we are going to give you below.
Descriptive Review
It is one that aims to describe a theme or object and present its structure and characteristics through a descriptive analysis.
In this type of review, the author's opinion and criticism are left out, since its objective is to describe the theme or object.
It should be more objective and present the most relevant details about the topic or object.
Critical Reviews
It is the type of review where the author exposes his opinions and makes criticisms, positive or negative, about the topic or object being reviewed.
For this type of review, the author must synthesize the ideas and expose their opinions to the point of influencing the reader, through a more interpretive analysis.
Thematic Review
It is the type of review where the author talks about themes and objects that have something in common.
You can find thematic reviews in texts and videos that compare texts and objects, exposing opinions, characteristics and the author's view on them.
Literary Review
This type of review is specific to books. It combines characteristics of the descriptive review and the critical review, creating a wider universe about the works.
Widely used for the dissemination of literary works, as it helps the reader to get to know the book better and make the decision to read it or not.
It can also be used for academic articles and films.
How to do a review (of any kind)
Before you start writing a review, you need to be aware of the following:
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know what you're going to review (if it's a book, read it and reread it; if it's a movie or series, watch it more than once; if it's a product or service, use it several times)
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take notes while reading the book, watching the movie, or using the product or service
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stop and think for a while about what you are going to review
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reread the notes
Only after you've done that should you start the review writing process.
Regardless of the type of review you are going to write, these points presented are essential for you to create something of quality and useful.
In general, a review is composed of 3 parts: introduction, development and conclusion.
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Introduction
The introduction is where you will introduce the topic or object you are reviewing.
You must introduce the author or creator, talk about what it is about, in short, create a context so that the reader can better absorb the information that you will share in the second part.
Development
This is where most of the content of the review will be, where you will argue, express your opinion – if the type of review is suitable for that – present the ideas that emerged from the initial analysis.
The most important thing is that everything is very well explained, and that doesn't mean you need difficult words or many lines of text.
Be objective and consistent when conveying the message, write only what is necessary to help the reader and help him make a decision.
When writing a critical review, the more persuasive the content of this second part, the better, as this type of review is intended to influence the reader in some way.
Conclusion
This is where you will close your ideas and opinions. So focus on summarizing in a few lines and words everything that was said and leaving your opinion in print for the audience.
Remember: conclusion is to close and help in decision making and not to repeat the information that has already been passed, but in a summarized way.
What has been presented here is the basis for any type of review you decide to write. But since our goal is to help you as much as possible, here are some specific guidelines for each type of review.
How to write a descriptive review
In the descriptive review you should focus on the description of what is being reviewed. It does not contain opinions or criticisms, only a very concise approach to the subject of the review.
How to do a critical review
In the critical review you can and should explore your opinions about the subject of the review, but always remember to be truthful.
How to write a thematic review
In the thematic review, you will group books, movies, products, services or anything else that you are going to review based on something in common. For example, a thematic review on Literature our country, where you talk about several works but the object of the review is the theme Literature our country.
How to do a book review
In the literary review the focus will be on the work to be reviewed. Explore the entire universe of her and the author, talk about the publisher who published. Enrich the review not only with your opinions and ideas, but with information that can help the reader feel inside the work even without having read it.
Infallible tips for writing a review
Below you will check out a series of tips for you to create quality reviews.
What can't be missing in a good review
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sincere opinion
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freedom of expression and creative writing
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a good summary of what is being reviewed
Key features of a good review
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objectivity
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impartiality (you can be partial, but honestly)
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impersonality
When reviewing books, try to answer these questions.
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What does the author stand for in the book?
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How does the author develop his idea and line of thought within the book?
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Does the way the author wrote make the topic easier to understand or is it complex and requires a certain level of knowledge from the reader?
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How nice is the book?
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How was the book organized?
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Who is the author? What are its origins and history?
What you can't forget when writing your review
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define the type of review you will write
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make it clear to the reader what is being reviewed (book, film, article, product, service…)
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give due credit when quoting from the book, character, creator or service provider
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explore only what is essential, after all, size is not a document
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avoid writing in first person, this will reinforce impersonality (writing in third person makes you more serious)
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review
Now that you know how to write a review and you have infallible tips, what do you think about starting to write your first review?
