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The Critical Review

CPE review writing · sustained evaluation · precise vocabulary · semi-formal

About this worksheet
Two language exercises (10 points) followed by a full writing task.
Complete the exercises, then write your answer and save it below.
Exercise 1
Identify the function of each review extract
4 points
1
“Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists, derived from her widely viewed TED talk, makes its central argument through personal anecdote and cultural observation rather than academic theory.”
2
“Adichie’s refusal of theoretical abstraction is the source of both her argument’s strength and its limitations. The personal register achieves an accessibility that academic discourse rarely attains, yet leaves certain structural questions unaddressed.”
3
“Unlike the systematic scholarship of bell hooks, to which it is inevitably compared, Adichie’s essay operates closer to the personal manifesto than the academic argument — a deliberate choice that is a feature, not a flaw.”
4
“For readers seeking an accessible introduction to contemporary feminist thought, this comes unreservedly recommended. Specialists already familiar with the field will find it rewarding primarily as a case study in public intellectual writing.”
Exercise 2
Choose the precise evaluative expression
6 points
1
The prose is ______ controlled, achieving an intensity that never tips into excess.
2
The central argument, ______ in its logic, is not without merit.
3
What ______ as a structural weakness is in fact a deliberate artistic choice.
4
The documentary offers an ______ portrait of urban poverty that avoids simple moralising.
5
The collection’s greatest ______ is its willingness to leave certain tensions unresolved.
6
The film’s final act, whilst cinematically striking, somewhat ______ the emotional groundwork of the earlier scenes.

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Writing Task

Write a critical review of a book, article, film, cultural event, or academic work:

Your review must provide context, develop a sustained critical evaluation supported by specific examples, and give a nuanced recommendation. Avoid unsupported generalisation.

Write 180–220 words. Fully formal or semi-formal register as appropriate.

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