B2 First Part 2: Review of a Local Event
Write a B2 First Part 2 review of an event in your area for an English-language website.
- Time
- 40 min
- Length
- 140-190 words
Writadia · B2 · Reviews
NameClassDate
The situation
You see this announcement on an English-language website.
Reviews wanted: Local events Have you been to a festival, concert, sports event or fair in your area recently? Write a review telling us what happened, what you enjoyed and what could be better. Would you recommend it to other people?
Your task
Write your review in 140–190 words in an appropriate style.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Name the event and give basic details (when, where).
- Describe what happened briefly.
- What you enjoyed: one or two highlights.
- What could be better.
- Clear recommendation.
Useful phrases
Introduction
Describing
Criticism
Recommending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- take place
- happenThe festival takes place in May.
- highlight
- the best partThe highlight was the final concert.
- queue
- a line of people waitingThe queues were very long.
- well worth
- definitely good enough to doIt's well worth the ticket price.
Model answer (157 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Riverside Food and Music Fair
Last month, I went to the Riverside Food and Music Fair, which takes place every September in the park next to the river.1
The fair included around forty food stalls from different countries, a stage with local bands and a corner with games for children. The highlight for me was a small stall selling Georgian bread filled with melted cheese. It was absolutely delicious, and the owners told us stories about their village while we waited.2
The music was also good, especially a jazz group made up of four teenagers who were surprisingly talented.
The only disappointment was the queues. At lunchtime, we waited almost forty minutes for food, and there were not enough places to sit. It would have been better if the organisers had added more tables.3
Overall, I would definitely recommend the fair to families and anyone who enjoys trying new food. Just go early to avoid the crowds!
- Introduction: event, time, place.
- A specific highlight, vividly described.
- Criticism + suggestion.
Teacher notes
Exam format: Part 2 offers a choice of three tasks (article, email/letter, report, review), 140–190 words.
Third conditional (It would have been better if...) is a natural B2 structure for reviews.
Extra challenge
Write the same review for a website aimed at teenagers. What would you change?
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: take place, highlight, queue, well worth.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Last month, I went to ..., which takes place every year in ...”, “The event included ...”, “The highlight for me was ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (140-190 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 5 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | All content relevant; reader fully informed. | Minor omissions or irrelevances. | Important omissions; reader partly informed. | Content irrelevant. | |
| Communicative Achievement | Genre and register fully suit the reader; holds attention. | Register mostly appropriate; ideas clear. | Inconsistent register; message sometimes unclear. | Not suited to the reader. | |
| Organisation | Well organised; varied cohesive devices. | Generally connected; limited linking. | Disjointed; basic linkers only. | No organisation. | |
| Language | Good range of vocabulary and grammar; errors do not impede. | Everyday vocabulary and structures used adequately; some errors. | Basic vocabulary and forms; errors affect meaning. | Not understandable. | |
| Total | / 20 | ||||
The four subscales are Cambridge’s official subscales, each marked 0–5 (total 20). Descriptors are classroom summaries.
Task checklist
- I described the event, what I enjoyed and what could be better.
- I recommended it clearly.
- I wrote 140–190 words.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I described the event, what I enjoyed and what could be better.
- I recommended it clearly.
- I wrote 140–190 words.
Writadia · B2 · Reviews
Assessment rubric: B2 First Part 2: Review of a Local Event
| Criterion | 5 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 0 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | All content relevant; reader fully informed. | Minor omissions or irrelevances. | Important omissions; reader partly informed. | Content irrelevant. | |
| Communicative Achievement | Genre and register fully suit the reader; holds attention. | Register mostly appropriate; ideas clear. | Inconsistent register; message sometimes unclear. | Not suited to the reader. | |
| Organisation | Well organised; varied cohesive devices. | Generally connected; limited linking. | Disjointed; basic linkers only. | No organisation. | |
| Language | Good range of vocabulary and grammar; errors do not impede. | Everyday vocabulary and structures used adequately; some errors. | Basic vocabulary and forms; errors affect meaning. | Not understandable. | |
| Total | / 20 | ||||
The four subscales are Cambridge’s official subscales, each marked 0–5 (total 20). Descriptors are classroom summaries.
Task checklist
- I described the event, what I enjoyed and what could be better.
- I recommended it clearly.
- I wrote 140–190 words.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B2 · Reviews
Peer-review sheet: B2 First Part 2: Review of a Local Event
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I described the event, what I enjoyed and what could be better. | |||
| I recommended it clearly. | |||
| I wrote 140–190 words. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · B2 · Reviews
Lesson plan: B2 First Part 2: Review of a Local Event
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: take place, highlight, queue, well worth.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Last month, I went to ..., which takes place every year in ...”, “The event included ...”, “The highlight for me was ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (140-190 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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