UNIT 2

TELEVISION AND RADIO

This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that
humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is nothing but wires and lights in a box.
Edward R. Murrow
INTRODUCTION
1. Discuss these questions:
 Which do you prefer: TV or radio? Explain why.
 Are you or any of your classmates TV-addicts?
 How many hours per week do you watch TV?
 How often do you listen to the radio?
 How many different channels do you receive?
 Which radio stations are the most popular in your country?
 Which channels do you watch most?
 Do you watch any foreign channels? Which one (ones)?
 What is your favourite TV programme? Why?

VOCABULARY
Kinds of TV programmes
Quiz shows (game shows) weather forecasts music programme
Reality shows cartoons travel programme
Comedy shows documentaries arts programme
Chat shows drama series educational programme
Soap operas films wildlife programme
The news sitcom sports programme
Commercials series
A serial - a story that continues from one programme or episode to the next.
A series - the same characters or has the same format each week but each programme is complete in itself.
Talking about films and TV programmes
It is a blockbuster. It is beautifully filmed.
It is a low-budget film. It is quite moving.
It is a classic It is very funny.
It is based on a book. It is a nonsense.
It is subtitled. The story is ridiculous.
It is dubbed.
I missed last night episode of…..
It is at 8.30 on BBC.
What is it about?
Who is in it?
When is the new Star Wars film coming out?
The acting is marvellous.
2. Match these kinds of TV programmes (1-6) with their descriptions (a-f):
a. 30 minutes of topical reporting from around
1. Soap operas
the world
2. Quiz game
b. more drama and emotions as deserted Iulia
3. Documentary
seeks revenge on her lover…
4. News
c. the host meets famous people, among them the
5. Chat show
famous singer…
 6. Sitcom (situation d. more questions to test the memory as four
comedy) semi-finalists chase the Trivia Prize
e. laugh galore as Johnny gets into trouble
decorating Julia's flat
f. fascinating programme about the blue whale,
which is threatened with extinction.
Think of some local TV programmes and give examples.
3. Look at the TV schedule for this week in a newspaper. Find an example of each type of programme,
write its name and when it is on.
TYPE NAME OF PROGRAMME TIME
Documentary The Hunger Business Friday 7.30 pm
Game show
Comedy series
Talk show
Drama
Natural history
programme
4. Imagine you had a 15-minute slot on a national radio station. What genre would it be? What music
would you include? How would you introduce it? Write the script for your plot. Use the following
phrases:
Introducing the show/presenter Introducing guests/news
You are listening to the..... In this programme, we will be
talking to....
I'm....and welcome to .... Let's talk to ... , our football
correspondent
And now it is time for....with .... Coming up, the news with......
It is 8 o'clock and you are having This week, ......., presents a
programme about... breakfast with
me,
5. Now either record your broadcast and play it back to the class, or read the broadcast „live” to the class.
As you listen to different broadcasts, decide who do you think would make the best DJ/radio presenter.

6. Complete the following sentences that a radio DJ or presenter might say, using the phrasal verbs in the
box.
coming up go over lined up moving on run out of wind up
1.1 _______________ to our next story...
1.2 __________later, all the showbiz gossip, but first, let's _______ to the newsroom for...
1.3 What do we have _________ on the show today?
1.4 I'm afraid we are going to have to ________ the interview there, as we've ___________ time.
READING 1
1. Read the following text and answer the questions.

THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION

Few inventions have had such an effect on contemporary society as television. The birth of the electronic
television age is almost impossible to pinpoint exactly. Due to the numerous contributors that helped to develop
this new medium, it is even more difficult to acknowledge any one person for its invention. Unlike many other
inventions throughout history, the history of the television credits many inventors instead of just one. In this
case, there were many inventors working on the idea of watching pictures on a screen.
Inventors from all over the world had been working on transmitting pictures or objects onto a screen since
the 1830’s, but the first physical television didn’t evolve until the 1900’s. Five men became the most popular
and prestigious inventors of what we know today as television, giving the history of TV a rich beginning.
A German inventor named Paul Nipkow invented the first rotating
disk that would allow pictures to transmit over wire in 1884. His commercial television station
discovery was the first electromechanical television scanning system in a television station that depends
the world. This rotating disk would rotate at a fast pace, while light on advertising to provide its
passed through the holes to create a picture on a screen. income
John Baird became famous when he invented the first pictures in
motion that were commercial televised in Europe in 1924. He later public television station
transmitted the human face onto a screen, and during World War II
a television station that relies on
invented the first color picture tube. While it would be some time before
grants and contributions to pay its
color TV became a staple in American households, his contribution to
operating costs
the history of TV was enormous.
Charles Jenkins invented a mechanical television that he called
“radiovision,” which was said to have transmitted one of the first moving syndicated programming
images in 1923. This American inventor went on to promote his theories original television shows
in the technology of the television along with other inventors when they produced by independent
transmitted the first live pictures onto a screen. This pilgrim in the history companies. Local stations
of the television is also famous for creating the first television station in purchase this programming to use
North America. during non-network
Vladimir Zworykin invented a tube, which he named the
hours
Kinescope and started a new era in the history of TV. Before the
Kinescope, televisions in the 1920’s were mechanical. The Cathode Ray
tube was not only needed for transmission, this device transformed the television into an electronic device.
Finally, an American farmer named Philo Farnsworth made a breakthrough in the history of TV at the
age of 13, when he discovered a way to transmit images onto a screen by the use of 60 horizontal lines, which
made the picture clearer. Farnsworth also invented over 165 devices, including the dissector tube, which became
the groundwork for televisions we use today.
All early television was broadcast in black and white. Color television was possible, but it was too
expensive and of very poor quality until the middle of the 1950s. Color television broadcasts began in the United
States in 1954, in Japan in 1960 and in Europe in 1967.
The first landing on the moon was broadcast live on television in 1969 and now television programs are
sent all over the world immediately through the use of satellites that transmit the signals from the earth, through
space and back to earth.
1. What inventions were necessary before television could be developed?
2. What could Vladimir Zworykin's invention do?
3. Why were televisions limited to black and white?
2. Read the article again. Then cover the text and say what the following numbers refer to.
1924 1969 13 1954 1960 1967
3. Fill in using the following words:
game show, documentary, spin-off, coverage, sketch, repeat, newsflash, dubbed, presenting, edited, televised,
commentating, interviewing, broadcasting.
‘Is it a new series?’ ‘No, it’s a _____’. The TV series is a _____ of the original movie. The top prize in the _____
is 1 million dollars. We interrupt this program to bring you an important _____.They’re showing a _____ about
the life of Nikola Telsa. The funniest _____ was the one about the dead parrot. We now return to today’s live
_____ from Wimbledon. Who will be _____ on the game? The speech will be _____ live. Next week, I will be
_____ Brad Pitt about his latest movie. It’s an American movie _____ into Italian. The station began _____ in
1982.They’re showing the _____ highlights of last’s night’s match. She got a job _____ a current affairs program
on local TV.
4. Match the words with their definitions:
broadcast, schedule, studio, adapt, airtime, channel, present.
 The amount of time that is given to a particular subject on radio or television - _____
 A room where television programs are recorded and broadcast from - _____
 To send out programs on television - _____
 To appear in a television program and introduce the different items in it - _____
 A list of the television programs that are on a particular channel and the times that they start - _____
 To change a book or play so that it can be made into a television program - _____
 A television station - _____
5. For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below:
1. I love TV. I can watch it all day sometimes. If I get bored watching something on one channel, I just ______
over to another channel.
A jump B switch C hop D move
2. My friend is a real TV addict. You can't talk to her sometimes because she's just _____ to the box.
A glued B stuck C riveted D frozen
3. In the UK, what we can watch on TV is much more liberal than in the past, but even now some things are
still ________ .
A outcast B censored C outlawed D no-show
4. I hate being in a room with somebody who is channel _______ . I just want to watch one programme from
beginning to end.
A jumping B leaping C swapping D hopping
5. Last night, I watched a fascinating fly-on-the-wall ___________ about people coping with disability.
A soap B drama C documentary D broadcast
6. Tonight's concert of Mozart and Handel is being broadcast ____ from the Royal Albert Hall.
A in the flesh B fresh C live D currently
7. The picture on the TV is awfully dark. Would anybody mind if I turned up the __________ ?
A lightness B brightness C brilliance D luminance
8. People are always writing letters of complaint about the number of _______ on TV but I miss so many
programmes that I like it when they show things again.
A reviews B second showings C re-broadcasts D repeats
9. I've decided to get a satellite dish because some of the satellite channels offer exclusive ________ of
important sporting events like boxing and European football matches.
A portrayal B broadcasting C coverage D viewing
10. Nowadays, many people complain about the ____________ of television but I think modern programmes are
just as intelligent as programmes twenty years ago.
A lowering IQ B brain-drain C de-braining D dumbing down
11. My cousin is a real _____ potato. The only exercise he ever gets is picking up the remote control to change
channels.
A sitting B lazy C couch D permanent
6. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.
There is an example at the beginning.
Mini Televisions
Scott Newman wouldn't be without his pocket-size TV, which he mainly watches in bed. “ I only watch
programmes which last about ………hour, as any longer strains my eyes. I use the TV for general entertainment,
though it is also really good for keeping………..with current affairs. The main problem with the set is that it's
not loud ………, even when you use headphones. The reception is all right……….long as nothing moves in
front of the aerial.” Scott admits that he is a bit of a gadget man, but doesn't regret buying the set since he
uses…….nearly every day.
Retired engineer Paul Hardcastle……..owned a pocket TV for a number ……years. “ I use it mostly in
the bathroom. I wanted to use it outdoors, ……the trouble is that in bright light you ……see the picture. I use
rechargeable batteries as ordinary ones would cost such a lot. Paul believes that this sort of TV could be improved
……the screen was slightly bigger and it didn't use up batteries……quickly: he can only get half an hour's
viewing…….the batteries run out.

READING 2
1. What would be life without TV? During an experiment last year, the Albert family's TV was taken
away from them. Fifteen-year-old Albert wrote an article about Life without TV for his school
magazine. Read Chris's article and answer these questions.
1. How did Chris spend his spare time during the experiment?
2. How did he feel at the beginning?
3. Was it a really big problem for him not having a TV?
4. Why did he give up the idea of going to his friend's house?
5. Has the experiment changed his attitude to TV?
6. How was it good for him and his family?
LIFE WITHOUT TV
By Chris Albert
When our TV was first taken away, I felt quite confused. I really didn't know what to do. I tried to keep
busy, to stop myself thinking about TV, but my sister kept coming into my room and asking me stupid questions.
I ended up getting angry and shouting at her. The evenings were the worst because we usually watch TV from
about seven until we go to bed.
Then I started going to my friend Mark's house in the evenings. We spent most of our time watching TV.
However, after about a week, I felt awkward about spending so much time in someone else's house, so I decided
that I had to think of something else to occupy my time.
It was not easy at first, because I didn't really have any hobbies. I listened to all my CDs and I played all
my computer games, but I soon got bored and wanted other things to do. I spoke to my Mum about it and she
suggested that I should go to the library. I thought it was a really boring idea, but I went anyway.
I found some books on computer programming at the library and took them home with me. The more I
read, the more I could do with my computer, and the more interested I became. My sister even started to join in!
One of the main problems I found with not having a TV was that all my friends talked about the
programmes that I couldn't watch, I felt lonely and left out, because I didn't have anything to say. However,
when I told my friends about computer programming, they were very impressed. They started coming to my
house in the evenings so that I could show them things on my computer. It felt good to know something that
they didn't.
When our TV was returned to us, I was very pleased and I started watching it again, but I don't watch it
as often as I did before. Nowadays I spend more and more time working on my computer.
2. Here are some adjectives that describe people's feelings.

bored pleased angry interested

impressed confused lonely awkward

Find these words in Chris's article. Put them in the same order in which they appear in the article and
explain what they describe.
1. confused- Chris felt confused when the TV was first taken away.
3. As a part of the same experiment, the Alberts' TV was given to another family, the McDonalds. The
McDonalds were chosen for the experiment because they were a very unusual family- they have never
had a TV before! Read what their sixteen-year-old daughter Rosa says about the experience. Then say
if these statements are true or false.
 Rosa started watching the TV when it first arrived.
 Rosa's parents have always wanted a TV.
 Rosa had a busy life before the family had a TV.
 Rosa's friends thought Rosa was very strange.
 Rosa's family found the TV guide very useful.
 Rosa watches some TV programmes now.
 Rosa's father wants to buy a TV.
 Rosa thinks TV is boring.
When we first had the TV, nobody was interested in it. You see we had never had a TV before. We live
on a farm and my mum and dad thought it would be better if we did not watch it. We did lots of other things
instead. I went horse riding two or three evenings a week, played tennis once a week and basketball twice a
week. I also went swimming and spent a lot of time reading. My friends sometimes laughed at me because they
thought it was strange that we did not have a TV.
Anyway, after a couple of days of just watching anything, my dad bought a TV guide magazine. We used
the guide to try to choose the programmes we wanted to watch, but it caused a lot of arguments because we each
wanted to watch something different. Often we could not decide what to watch, so we ended up not watching
anything at all!
I wasn't very happy when the TV was taken away again after a month, but now life is just as it was before.
My father still thinks it is better not to have a TV. He says that when we had one, I watched too many stupid
programmes. I thought it was quite good, but perhaps after more than a month I would become bored with it.
CRITICAL WRITING
Choose one of the tasks below. Do you agree or disagree with it? Write a 4 or 5 paragraph essay providing
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
 The artist Andy Warhol once said that everyone in America will be famous, but only for 15 minutes. What
do you think he meant? What role has television played in creating celebrities?
 Should television stations be allowed to broadcast shocking events such as execution?
 “So many people have the TV or radio constantly turned on "for company," or spend their time reading trashy
novels, aimlessly surfing the Net, and so on. Then suddenly one day you are old or sick and you realize you
have done nothing with your life. All your thoughts are other people's thoughts and you have no idea who
you really are or what the purpose of your life might be.” ― Karen Kingston,
UNDERSTANDING THE PRE-PRODUCTION PROCESS
1. In pairs, discuss the following questions:
1. Do you work, or do you know anybody who works in the TV industry? Describe what they/you do.
2. How many jobs do you know related to the film industry?
3. Would you like to work in the TV industry? Explain why/why not.
4. Look at some of the job titles used in the British TV industry: director of news and current affairs, editor,
social affairs correspondent, reporter, researcher. Do the same jobs exist in your country? What are their
responsibilities?
5. What differences do you think there are between being a newspaper journalist and being a TV journalist?
2. Read the following pieces of information about programmes and people, news programmes and the TV
diet. Remember the words and phrases in bold type.
Programmes on radio and television may referred to formally as broadcasts, and they may be referred to
informally as shows, especially in American English. Programmes or shows on radio and television are often
presented or hosted by a programme host. Popular music programmes are presented by Djs.
News programmes may be hosted, fronted or anchored by anchors famous in their own rights, sometimes
more famous than the people in the news. Variations of the noun anchor are the following: anchorman,
anchorwoman and anchorperson. In more traditional news programmes, the news is read by a newsreader.
Reporters and correspondents, or television journalists, make reports. They and the camera operators who
go with them are news gatherers. Together they form TV crews.
Broadcasters are TV and radio organizations, the people for them, or, more specifically, the professional
media people who actually participate in programmes.
A panelist - a person who is a member of a panel answering questions during a discussion on television.
A guest - a famous person or performer who takes part in a television show or concert.
A weatherman - a person on television whose job is telling people what the weather is going to be like.
An actor - a person who performs on television as a profession.
A scriptwriter - a person who writes the words for television shows.
A reporter - a person who collects and reports news for television.
A floor manager - the person responsible for the lighting and other technical arrangements for a television
production.
A couch potato- a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television.
Reception- the quality of radio and television signals that are broadcast.
Contrast- the amount of difference between light and dark in a picture on a television screen.
Plasma screen - a type of television screen that is large and thin and produces a very clear image.
Remote control - a device that allows you to operate a television, etc. from a distance.
Aerial - a piece of equipment made of wire for receiving television signals.
Channel-hop - to repeatedly switch from one television channel to another.
3. Circle the word that does not collocate in each group.
1. live a footage b show c crew
2. TV a programme b live c channel
3. exclusive a director b story c footage
4. camera a work b crew c broadcast
5. editing a team b show c room
6. news a story b programme c top
7. running a order b commentary c crew
8. live a camera b coverage c broadcast
4. Complete these sentences with the correct words from the list.
acting animated cast ending plot script
soundtrack special effects stars subtitles
1. The film was in French, but it had ………… in English so we were able to understand it.
2. The ……….. was unconvincing. The performances were very amateurish.
3. I always find the……. of spy films complicated. I'm never sure what is going on.
4. The film ………….. is available on CD from all good record stores.
5. The ……….. used in science fiction films have improved because of the new technology.
6. Why do almost all Hollywood films have a happy …………..?
7. …………… films like Walt Disney 's Snow White are still popular with children today.
8. Epic films like Ben Hur required a ……………. of thousands. Nowadays, because of computer graphics,
they don’t need so many actors.
9. What the actors say is very important. It is essential to have a good……………
10. The Lord of Rings trilogy …………….. Orlando Bloom in the role of Legolas.
5. In pairs, discuss the following questions.
- Which of the following people are members of the production team?
• Editor • newsreader • reporter • researcher
• camera-operator • film director
- What is the role of the production team?
- Have you ever worked in a production team? If so, describe what you did.
READING 3
Read this article about the advantages and disadvantages of living without a TV and answer the questions
:
 What are the advantages of life without a TV?
 What are the disadvantages?
 Does it have, in your opinion, more positive or negative effects?

THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF TELEVISION

On September 30th it will be 85 years since the world's first television broadcast. Television, named after
Latin and Greek words meaning “far sight”, is arguably one of the most influential technologies ever invented.
Since the 1950s it has been the main medium for melting public opinion and now an incredible 78 percent of the
world's households own at least one TV set. Yet throughout its long and illustrious history it has been the subject
of much criticism.
Critics blame television for everything from obesity to the murder rate. While TV is easy to criticize, and
much of the criticism is justified, we also need to keep in mind that television benefits society in many important
ways. There's the information we gain from TV. We first realized the impact of TV during the mid-1900s. U.S.
citizens had been reading about the civil rights struggle for decades. But, it was only when TV came along in
the 50s and 60s and viewers saw in TV news footage what was really happening, that the country amassed
political pressure to take action to change things.
U.S. citizens had also read about war for decades. But when they started seeing newsreel footage of dead,
maimed, and wounded American soldiers every night on TV as a result of the Vietnam war, the majority of the
country soon tuned against the war.
Before television, children had no idea what most foreign countries or their peoples looked like, or how
they lived. Most exotic animals and fish were only names in books. Letters, numbers, and words were things
that you started learning when you got to first grade. However, because of television, most children are now
familiar with these things even before they start school.
Today, the average American watches close to four hours of TV each day.
Based on this, by age 65, the average U.S. citizen will have spent nearly 9, nonstop,
24 hour-a-day, years glued to "the tube."
The following provides even more insight into the power of television — and
suggests some sobering things to think about.

98. 5 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set

90% of U.S. households have two or more TV sets

87% of U.S. households have at least one DVD or PVR player

 The average U.S. home has the TV on more than 51 hours a week. (Obviously, the TV is on many more
hours a week than each family member spends watching it.)
TV and Children

81% of children aged 2-7 watch TV alone and unsupervised

70% of day care centers use TV during a typical day
54% of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching
TV and spending time with their fathers, said they would prefer to watch
television
It has been shown that children who watch TV more than 10 hours
a week suffer negative academic effects
The average American child aged 2-11 watches television 20 hours a week
TV and Violence

By age 18, the average American child sees 200,000 violent acts on TV.
By age 18, children witness almost 20,000 murders on TV — most by handguns.
73% of the time the people in TV dramas who commit violent acts go unpunished.
47% per cent of violent situations show no real harm to the victims, and 58 percent
show no real pain.
Only 4 percent of violent programs show
nonviolent alternatives to solve programs.
80% of Hollywood executives think there is a link between TV violence and
real-life violence.
TV and Obesity
During Saturday morning cartoons there are typically more than 200 "junk-
food" commercials.
At least 12 medical studies link excessive television watching to increasing rates of obesity.
In 1963, 4.5% of children aged 6 to 11 were seriously overweight; by 2009, this percentage had more than
tripled.
TV and Commercials
Before finishing high school, the average U.S. child will see 360,000
commercials.
By age 65, this number will expand to two-million commercials.
The number of commercials in TV programs per hour has been increasing each
year.
Although these figures are for U.S. audiences and involve U.S. programming, Canada and most European
countries are not too far behind in many of these statistics.
It has been found that most viewers do not turn on television to watch a specific
program. They simply decide to "watch television" and then find a program
that looks interesting.
We also know that most children and adults watch TV in a kind of relaxed, transfixed
state of awareness. In the view of some psychologists the fact that people
aren't critically thinking about what they are seeing while in this state means
that situations (and commercials) are passively accepted on somewhat of an
unconscious level. Some go so far as to say that because of this, TV has a kind of
hypnotic influence.
Read the article again and decide which are the three biggest advantages and number them 1-3 (1=the
biggest). Do the same with the disadvantages.
WRITING A FILM REVIEW
a. In pairs, discuss the following questions.
1 How many different stages are there from the initial idea for a film to the film being shown to a paying
audience?
2 Who do you consider has the most important role in the success of a film: the creative people or the
investors, promoters and distributors?
b. Put the following stages in the journey from film concept to cinema/DVD screen in the correct order.
1. Copies are sent to the cinemas a few days before they start showing the film.
2. The studio or producer decides the number of prints of the film to make.
3. The buyers make an agreement with the distribution company about which films they wish to lease
and fix the term of the lease agreement (i.e. % of the box office).
4. A studio or pruducer buys the rights to the film.
5. The film is shot, and when complete, is sent to the studio.
6. When the film run ends, the film is returned to the distribution company which pays the amount due.
7. The studio signs a licensing agreement with a distribution company.
8. At screenings, the film is shown to potential buyers representing the cinema chains.
9. A producer, director, cast and camera/sound crew are hired to make the film.
10. A screen writer has an idea for a film, which is pitched to potential investors.
c. Complete the following definitions using the underlined words from exercise b.
1 Legal authority over who you may use a film rights.
2 Place where films are edited and produced…………….
3 Contract giving someone the right to use a film………..
4 Copies of the film……………
5 Rent……………..
6 Ticket sales, literally, the place where people buy tickets at a cinema………….
7 Period in which a film is shown…………….
8 Showings of the film………………….
d. In pairs, try to describe the stages of a film from concept to screening, without looking back at exercise
c. Correct any mistakes in your partner's description.
e. In groups, discuss the following questions.
 Do you ever read film reviews? Explain why/why not.
 How much influence do you think critics have on the amount of money a film makes?
 Do you think film reviews should be written by people who have been involved in the film industry,
by reviewers specialising in film, or by ordinary journalists?
f. Read the film review. Would you like to see the film? Explain why/why not.
The Killing of John Lennon Cosmo Landesman
1 This is a well-researched, fact-based drama about Mark Chapman, the man who, in December 1980,
murdered Lennon. Since we know what happened, all that is left for the writer and director, Andrew
Piddington, to explore, is the mysterious: Why? And this he does with great enthusiasm, going deep
into Chapman's dark, mad mind.
2 The challenge for Piddington is to make the narcissistic nobody Chapman an interesting character,
which is a result he definitely achieves.
3 But the best thing about the film is that it successfully challenges Chapman story as it is conventionally
told. First of all, we see he was not your typical isolated, rootless young man. He was not abused as a
child or tormented as an adult. Secondly, since killing Lennon he has come to symbolise the dark side
of modern celebrity: the fan who becomes the fanatic, who will kill for his own 15 minutes of fame. Yet
 though Chapman came to enjoy his notoriety, that was not his prime motive; he killed Lennon because
he thought he was a hypocrite.
4 What's missing, however, is a sense of the private Chapman. Although we hear a voice-over of his
actual words, we never really get a sense of him off camera, as it were. So we never really get to
understand him.
5 The film ends with a curious irony. Chapman must remain in solitary imprisonment forever, to protect
him from the peace-loving Lennon fans who want him dead.
g. Read the review again and answer the following questions.
1 Is the review positive or negative?
2 What do you think about the review?
3 Have you seen other films about Lennon?
h. Complete the following definitions using the words in bold from the review.
1 Based on authentic information......................
2 Not being filmed......................
3 Carefully investigated......................
4 Comments of an unseen speaker..................
5 A person in a film..........................
i. Does the review meet the following requirements of a good film review? Explain why/why not.
1 It is written using mostly the present tense.
2 It gives a brief outline of the plot and character without revealing everything, so that the readers will
want to see the film to know how it develops and ends.
3 It avoids using over-emphatic language such as the best film ever and superb acting.
4 It provides a critical assessment of the successes /failures of the film, based on a specific example from
the film.
5 It highlights features, when relevant, which make the film worth seeing.
j. Match the paragraph numbers in the film review ( 1-5 ) to their functions ( a-e ).
a) Tells us what is bad about the film
b) Introduces the film: genre, director, basic plot
c) Concludes the review in an interesting way
d) Tells us what is difficult for the film to do and whether it achieves it
e) Tells us what is good about the film
k. Match the phrases ( 1-5 ) to the functions in exercise i.
1 The best thing about the film is..........................
2 The film ends with...........................
3 This is a well-researched, fact-based drama about............
4 What is missing, however, is...............................
5 The challenge for the director is.....................
l. Think of a film you have recently seen. In pairs, take turns to say what you thought about the film, using
the phrases from the previous exercise.
EVALUATIVE ADJECTIVES
1. Reviews always contain a number of descriptive and evaluative adjectives.
2. Underline any negative evaluative adjectives and circle any positive evaluative adjectives in the review.
Then put these adjectives into two groups, positive and negative.
amateurish clever disappointing dull entertaining exciting fake funny witty hilarious
original over-complicated over-long predictable spectacular stunning tedious
unconvincing wonderful
3. Choose an appropriate adjective from the list to complete the gaps.
entertaining amateurish over-complicated predictable spectacular unconvincing
a. The ending of the film was very……………….. It is obvious that Meg and Drew would get married
after the first five minutes.
b. The photography was………….. The aerial shots of the Niagara Falls in particular were out of this
world.
c. The acting was extremely……………I have seen more convincing performances from children in a
school play.
d. The show was hugely………………We enjoyed it from start to finish.
e. I thought the plot was……………..I had to read the resume in the interval to find out what was going
on.
WRITING TASK
You are going to write a review of the film you talked about in exercise l. Before you write your review,
answer the following questions.
 Is the film a novel/play adaptation? How close is it to the original? Is it its cinematographic version
better or worse than the novel itself?
 Alternatively, is the film based on an original screenplay? Is it new and fresh?
 Are the characters convincing?
 Is the casting up to your expectations?
 Is the theme of the film successfully conveyed to the audience?
 Is the setting appropriate and effective?
 Are camera effects and the sound track effective and functional? Do they enhance the mood, setting
and the theme of the film?
Follow these steps to write the review:
 Introduction: mention the director or actors.
 Body:
1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences ( in the present tense).
2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
3. Say something about the main characters.
4. Say something about the content.
 Conclusion:
1. Comment on the film.
2. Let others know whether or not you liked the film.
3. Why do you like it? Why don't you like it?
4. Is the author's style good or bad, is the film interesting or boring?
5. Do you want to recommend the film?
Useful Expressions:
Director, Actors
The film is directed by…. It stars …in the title role
The film is produced by… It tells the story of
 It is starred by... It is based on real life/the author's
experience….
Setting
The action takes place in ... (setting)
The action of the film is set in ...
The story takes place in...
Characters and Plot
The main characters are ... The film has an unexpected ending.
The story is about .... The end of …is….
The film begins with...
Reaction
I am impressed by…. What I liked is...
I liked/ didn't like the film because… I think ....
What surprised me is ... The film is terrible / exciting.
What I didn't like is...
 While writing your review do not forget to add connectors to make it clearer to read. When you have
finished, read it again and correct any mistakes.