How To Write A Review In English?

Writing a review can be a great way to share your experiences and opinions with others, whether you’re reviewing a product, service, restaurant, movie, or book. Reviews can also be a valuable resource for people trying to make purchasing or entertainment decisions. However, it can be challenging, especially if English is not your first language. This article will tell you how to write a review and provide helpful tips, including valuable vocabulary and phrases for positive and negative reviews.

Types of Reviews: 4 Main Categories to Write About

In the modern world of the Internet, we can hardly do anything without reading other people’s opinions. So we visit websites like the well-known TrustPilot to find companies and products we can trust. And you don’t have to be a critic to write a good review. It is enough to share your honest opinion about what you want to discuss. But before doing it, let’s see the main types of reviews you can write. 

1. Product reviews. It includes every physical item you can buy, use, and review afterward – for example, clothes, make-up products, electronics, household appliances, etc. 
2. Service reviews. This category includes different services – hotels, restaurants, airlines, beauty salons, cars and apartment rentals, etc. 
3. Entertainment reviews. You can share your thoughts about concerts, festivals, galleries, museums, movies, games, etc. 
4. App and program reviews. As you can guess from its name, you can review online applications, video games, software, etc. 

We can continue this list indefinitely, but you have already got the point. You can share your thoughts about anything. But today, we want to tell you how to write a great review. And we will start with some general tips that can help you be honest and respectful when sharing your opinion about things you like or dislike. So keep reading to find out more.

Practical Tips for Writing a Good Review

Even if you don’t like the product you will review, you still need to be respectful and polite. To achieve this, we’ve prepared a list of useful tips that will help you master any review, regardless of your proficiency level or attitude toward the things you discuss. Here are some of them.

1. Be honest. Your review should be a fair reflection of your experience, whether it was positive or negative. Avoid exaggerating or downplaying it, and try to provide an objective assessment of the product or service.
2. Use specific examples and details to support your opinion. It will make your review more informative and credible.
3. Avoid being too vague or too specific. Be descriptive enough to give readers an idea of what to expect, but avoid going into unnecessary detail.
4. Write for your audience. Consider your audience and what they might be looking for in a review. For example, if you’re leaving a comment on a restaurant, your audience might be interested in the food, atmosphere, and service.
5. Edit and proofread your review. Check for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure your text is easy to read.

Now that you know how to write great reviews and remain polite and respectful, it is time to discuss some grammar. And the first thing we will explore is the general structure of any review. It will simplify your life and help you easily share your thoughts about anything.

The General Structure for Writing a Review

So, you’ve decided to write a review, but you have no idea where to start and how to end it. If it’s familiar to you, keep reading. Below, you will find an indicative structure suitable for different types of reviews. 

1. Start with an introduction that gives an overview of what you’re talking about and sets the stage for your review. You can provide some background information and context if necessary.
2. Describe the product, service, or experience that you’re reviewing. This is where you can submit more detailed information about the features, benefits, and drawbacks.
3. Share your opinion about the product or service. Here you can honestly assess what you liked and disliked and why.
4. Wrap up your review with a conclusion, summarizing your main points and providing a final recommendation. You can also suggest who might benefit from the product or service, or who might want to avoid it.

These are some general tips on how to give a review. And now, it is time to be more specific. We’ve already mentioned that reviews can be positive or negative. But what is the difference between them? Let’s find out together.

All You Need to Know About Positive and Negative Reviews

Positive reviews are generally written when you got some good experience with the product or service you are discussing. The tone of such a review is primarily upbeat and enthusiastic, and the purpose of it is to share the positive aspects of the product or service with others. 

On the other hand, we write negative reviews to discuss a bad experience with something. These reviews sound more critical and sometimes frustrating or angry. They are usually made to warn others about the adverse aspects of the product or service. Negative thoughts often highlight the product or service’s flaws, poor quality, or lack of value for money.

When writing a review, it’s essential to remember that both positive and negative reviews can be helpful to others, as long as they are honest and informative. So, whether you like or dislike the product, focus on providing specific examples and details to support your opinion, and be respectful and fair in your assessment.

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How To Write Good Reviews: Useful Phrases

To make this article even more valuable, we’ve provided you with some common phrases you can use for writing reviews. Here are the expressions and sentences suitable for introductions, descriptions, and sharing a personal opinion. 

• I recently tried out… 

This phrase is an excellent way to start a review, whether it is positive or negative. As we said, it is always better to start with the introduction, and this sentence will immediately show your readers what product you’re talking about. For example: 

I recently tried out the new Maybelline mascara and was surprised by its quality. 

I recently tried this overhyped application, which wasn’t as good as I expected. 

• I had high hopes for this product, and I was/wasn’t disappointed. 

This phrase is another excellent choice if you still don’t know how to write review introductions. You can use it for both good and bad experiences. For example:

I had high hopes for this serum, and I wasn’t disappointed. My skin has never been clearer. 

I had high hopes for the new season of Game of Thrones, and honestly, I was slightly disappointed. 

• The quality of the product/service is exceptional. 

Now it is time to move to the next stage of our review – description. This phrase suits positive experiences when complimenting a product or service. For example:

I visited the Boho restaurant yesterday, and I was impressed. The quality of the service and food is exceptional. 

We stayed at this hotel years ago, but I still remember that the quality of service was exceptional.

• I was impressed by the attention to detail. 

This phrase is also suitable for the description part of the structure. And, as you can guess, it is ideal for positive reviews on physical products, apps, or entertainment. For example:

I’ve recently visited a new gallery in New York and was impressed by the attention to detail. 

I’ve installed this app recently and was impressed by the attention to detail.

• In my opinion, this product/service is… 

How do I write a review based on my personal experience? Start with this phrase! It will show the readers that you only share your thoughts and don’t try to impose your opinion on someone. For example:

In my opinion, this restaurant is terrible. I was shocked by the rude service and tasteless food.

In my opinion, this app is perfect for those who are trying to learn English. 

Best Ways to Respond to the Review

Now you know how to write reviews about anything. But what if you are the person who receives these opinions? Of course, we can’t forget about business owners or product creators. Here is a list of useful phrases you can use to respond to both positive and negative reviews. 

• Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
• We appreciate your feedback.
• Thank you for choosing our business.
• We’re sorry you had a negative experience with our service. We want to learn more about what happened so that we can improve.
• We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed our product. We take pride in providing high-quality products to our customers.
• We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused during your visit. We strive to provide a positive experience for all of our customers.
• We’d like to make things right. Please contact us directly to discuss how we can make this up to you.
• We’re currently working on improving the issue you’ve mentioned. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
• We’d like to offer you a discount or free service to make up for any inconvenience caused.
• We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
• Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us improve our business.
• We appreciate your patronage and look forward to seeing you again soon.

These simple sentences show that you care about your business, whether you provide travel services or create mobile software. People always like companies that listen to different opinions and try their best to meet customers’ needs. 

Learn the Best Review Writing Tips with Promova

One of the most important things about writing reviews in English is to make them grammatically correct and easy to read. In addition, you must have strong writing skills in order to effectively express your ideas and avoid misunderstandings. So how do you write a review if you are not yet fluent in English? In this case, you might need some professional help.

If you still struggle to find the best language learning platform to practice your English level, we are happy to help you. With Promova, you can find many solutions depending on your studying goals, fluency level, and other factors. Let’s see some of the most valuable things on the Promova website.

1. Personal and group lessons. Our team of professional tutors is happy to help you master English and enjoy your studying process at the same time. All you need to do is pass a fluency test to determine your English level and start learning immediately. 
2. Promova app. If you want to study alone, you can install a modern application available for iOS and Android devices. It is the best solution for learning on the go and practicing anywhere and anytime you want. 
3. Conversation Club. Promova offers a free Conversation Club for those who aim to practice speaking. Here, you can discuss interesting topics and master your communication skills with exciting people worldwide. 
4. Promova blog. And, of course, don’t forget to check our blog! It is where you can find dozens of articles on various topics that will be helpful in your studying journey. 

As you can see, there are many things to choose from. Hence, don’t waste any more minutes! Instead, go to the official Promova website now, and find the best language-learning solutions. 

Conclusion

All in all, writing reviews is a great way to share your thoughts and learn about other people’s experiences. We hope this article helped you find out how to do a review, the main types of them, and the most common phrases you can use in further discussions. And to help you with some practice, we want to ask you to do one thing. Please write a short review of your favorite restaurant or any other place you’ve visited recently. We will be happy to read it (and, who knows, maybe even see the area after it).