Review / 345Other kinds of reviews, particularly for performances, tend to follow a chronological
order.
Decide on the best means of organizing your review. Look at the list and sentence
you completed in Step 2. By putting them together, you should see which items will
logically appear first, second, and so on. Put the list in order.
STEP 4: Writing—Following the Plan
Use the list of characteristics at the beginning of this section as a guide for writing
your review. Begin with an introductory paragraph that puts the work in perspective.
Include any information about the author, such as other works or follow-up plans.
Identify the genre. And entice the reader. Somewhere in the introductory paragraph,
include the thesis sentence. In fact, you may revise the sentence you wrote in Step 2
to this end.
Use good writing techniques to develop the body of the review. Support your opin-
ions with examples drawn from the work, much as you would in an opinion paper or
literary analysis. Hold to your plan so that the reader can follow your logic. Smooth
the way with transitions. [See transitions in the Glossary.]
The conclusion gives a final evaluation of the work and either recommends or rejects
it, based on the main ideas developed in the body of the review.
STEP 5: Revising—Improving the Content
As you revise, ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I introduced the work effectively? Will my reader understand the general
idea of the work, its purpose, its message? - Have I avoided giving away the plot? Or will the reader hate me for destroying
the pleasure of discovering the outcome? - Do the body paragraphs clearly support my opinion? Or have I muddled
the supporting details with extraneous materials? [See Sample Revision for
Specific Detail in Chapter 3, Revising.] - Have I clearly conveyed my attitude toward different aspects of the novel? Do
my transitions help readers follow my thoughts? [See Sample Revision for
Transition in Chapter 3, Revising.] - Recognizing that a review is a matter of opinion, have I been fair in my
reactions? Have I been too hasty to applaud or criticize? Do I have a basis on
which to commend or condemn the work? - Have I maintained a good writing style, neither too flowery nor too blunt,
showing features or flaws, not just telling about them? Are my sentences varied
in length and structure? [See Sample Revision for Sentence Variety and Sample
Revision for Emphasis in Chapter 3, Revising.]