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CAE Review

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Cristian Colucci
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16 views4 pages

CAE Review

Uploaded by

Cristian Colucci
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CAE Review – Useful Language

Seldom do I find the time to…, however when I do take time out of my hectic schedule, I like
nothing more than…

Being a bit of a film buff/book worm/foody, the news that … had opened a new
restaurant/released a new film/book had me itching to try/see/read it. So last week I popped
down with a friend to check it out.

Having never seen/read/tried… before I approached … with a sense of trepidation, not


knowing what to expect. Soon however, all my fears were allayed.

Book reviews:
Vocab to describe the book in general

a page-turner / a white-knuckle ride / a tearjerker / a laugh a minute / I couldn’t put it down.

Vocab to describe specific parts

a slow start / a gentle introduction /gripping climax / nail-biting conclusion / cliff-hanger ending/
a shocking twist in the tail

Setting

The book is set in _______(place/time)

The action takes place in ______ (place/time)

Plot

The plot centres around / focuses on (the adventures / lives of _________)

The plot follows the adventures/life of _________(character name)

Characters

Villain / hero / heroine / anti-hero / main character / protagonist

The characters are believable / well-crafted / a bit 2 dimensional.


Film/TV reviews:

General

An all-star cast/heavily influenced by the films of…/glowing reviews/startling


originality/suspense builds up/a polished performance/a bold experiment/an accomplished actor

Quality

an unmitigated disaster (bad film)/a dazzling display of his/her talents/made a lasting impression
on me./Brought a tear to my eye/Like watching paint dry (boring)/I was on the edge of my seat
(exciting)/A blockbuster (big commercial film eg Superman)/… sets off an amazing chain of
events/Gripping film (exciting)

Effect on the audience

The director/author evoked a magical atmosphere/… awakened my interest in…/Hold my


attention/Capture the audience’s imagination.

Spectacular set-pieces (main action scenes)/… is cast in the role of…/… is miscast in the role
of…/…gives a(n) (un)convincing performance as…/The film is let down by a clichéd script.

Restaurant review:

Hungry/starving/ravenous/famished

Bustling eatery(restaurant)

Lively atmosphere

Service with a smile

Cheap – economical/reasonably-priced

Expensive – pricey/costs an arm and a leg


Event review
A (unique) selling point of… is…/ A strong point of… is…
I couldn’t get enough of… – I had (more than) enough of…
I had mixed feelings about…
I have (generally) found … to be…
I think… would (only/ mainly) suit…/… would be a (less than) perfect match for…
I was looking forward to…, but…– I was dreading…, but…
If I were you, I’d rush (right) out and…– I’d be in (absolutely) no hurry to…
Whatever you do, don’t miss…/ You shouldn’t miss…
… is only suitable for (hardcore/ dedicated/ obsessive) fans of…
… isn’t (quite) up the standards of…
… met/ exceeded my (high) expectations. – … didn’t meet my (high) expectations
.… really stands out (from the crowd/ from…/ for…)

Killer Lines:
Were I to sum up … in one word, it would be…

… left a lot to be desired (wasn’t good enough)

…more than lives up to the hype (is as good as everyone says it is)

… is by far and away the best … you’re likely to … this year

… really raises the bar (sets a higher standard)

… sets the benchmark for other (others will be judges against how good it is)

… ticks all the right boxes

… holds up well in comparison with …

…comes off badly in comparison with …


Grammar check list:
Have you included?

· Inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)

· An inverted conditional (Were we to…)

· A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)

· A double comparative (The more we… the more)

· A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)

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