A product review – B1 English Writing

A product review – B1 English Writing

Why we write product reviews

Do you ever buy something online without reading what other people say about it first? Probably not! Product reviews are essential tools for consumers. They help us decide if a product is worth buying. When we write a review, we also help the seller improve the product, and we help other people make better choices.

Organisation and useful language

When writing a review, it’s important to explain what you liked, what you didn’t, and why. Below are some useful phrases and sentence frames to help you express your ideas clearly. You can follow this order when writing your review. It will help you include all the important points in a clear way.

1️⃣ What I ordered
Say what product you bought — the name, colour, size, or how many.

• I bought a set of four black dining chairs with metal legs and soft cushions.

2️⃣ My opinion in one sentence
Start with a short summary. Did you like it or not?

• I’m really happy with the set. It looks great and feels comfortable. (Feel, look, smell, taste + adjective)
• This is the best/worst coffee machine I’ve ever had. (Superlative + present perfect.)
• I found this product to be simple and reliable.
• I regret buying it.

3️⃣ What it looks like
Talk about the design. Did it match the pictures?

• The design is modern and stylish. It fits well with my living room.
• A big advantage of this flash drive is its speed.
• A negative point is that it takes too long to transfer files.
• One thing I really liked was the colour — it’s even better in real life.

4️⃣ Quality and comfort
Was it well-made? Comfortable? Say what you noticed.

• I found the chairs to be sturdy and well-made, and the cushions soft and comfortable.
• I’ve found this brand to be very reliable in general.

5️⃣ Was it easy to put together?
Say if it was easy or hard to assemble (=put together or build the product).

• It was easy/difficult to put together. The instructions were clear/confusing.
• One strong feature is how simple it was to assemble.

6️⃣ Any problems?
Be honest about anything that didn’t work well. You don’t need to complain, but it’s helpful to mention small issues or things that could be improved.

• One chair arrived with a small scratch, but everything else was perfect.
• The box was damaged when it arrived, but luckily nothing was broken.
• It might not be the best choice for someone who wants a heavy, solid chair.

7️⃣ Extra information
Mention how long you’ve used it or how easy it is to clean.

• I’ve been using the set for a few weeks and it still looks brand new.
• It’s easy to clean, and the materials feel durable.

8️⃣ Recommending it to others
Use these phrases to say who the product is good (or not good) for.

• It’s definitely worth the money if you want a modern, easy-to-clean dining set.
• It’s not worth the money if you’re expecting something higher quality.
• This would be perfect for someone looking for something simple and affordable.
• This software is only/especially suitable for advanced users with programming experience.
• The simple design is particularly suitable for modern office spaces.

Sample review

I recently bought this dining set with metal legs and wooden seats, and overall, I’m quite happy with it. The design is a mix of country and modern style, which fits well in my living room. One strong point of these chairs is that they’re soft, comfortable, and easy to clean. It was very simple to assemble the table. All the parts fit together well, and the instructions were easy to follow. I managed to put it together by myself. However, one chair arrived with a few small scratches, although you can hardly see them. Thankfully, nothing was missing, but it would’ve been nice to have a few extra screws just in case. The metal frame feels strong and well-made. The chairs a bit lighter than I expected, but they’re worth the money for the quality you get.

Using the right adjectives

Adjectives help us describe a product and explain how we feel about it. Below are some useful words you can use in your review. Don’t worry — you’ll practise these in the next section.