Course Content All Lessons
A1
Beginner
39 lessons
Common Greetings Present Simple Tense Listening Skills: Tips and Strategies Telephone and Video Call English Articles: A, An and The Numbers, Dates and Time Asking Simple Questions The Verb To Be Classroom and School Vocabulary Personal Pronouns: I, You, He, She Plurals: Regular and Irregular Nouns Possessives: My, Your, His, Her Family Members and Relationships Food and Drink Basics Days, Months and Seasons Reading: A Short Email to a Friend Colours, Shapes and Sizes Reading: Short Personal Profiles Reading: Signs and Notices Reading: Product Labels Using Capital Letters and Full Stops Reading: A Simple Menu Reading: A Basic Timetable Writing Your First Email in English Writing About Yourself Writing a Simple Message Writing a Shopping List Writing Numbers and Dates Correctly Listening: Numbers and Prices Listening: Greetings and Introductions Listening: Simple Instructions Listening: Spelling Names and Words Greeting People and Saying Goodbye Listening: Days and Times Listening: Short Conversations at a Shop Asking for Directions Introducing Yourself in English Ordering Food and Drinks Talking About Your Daily Routine
A2
Elementary
33 lessons
Past Simple Tense Reading: A Day in London Writing Paragraphs Food and Drink Vocabulary The Present Continuous Tense Describing People: Appearance and Personality At the Airport Reading: A Famous City Writing Simple Sentences Comparatives and Superlatives Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs Can and Can't: Ability and Permission How Much and How Many Work and Jobs Vocabulary Transport and Travel Vocabulary Sports and Hobbies Health and Body Parts Shopping and Money Vocabulary Reading: A Short News Story Reading: A Holiday Postcard Reading: A Job Advertisement Reading: A Simple Recipe Reading: A Hotel Review Writing About Your Weekend Writing a Postcard Writing a Short Biography Using Connectors: And, But, Because Writing a To-Do List and Notes Listening: At the Airport Listening: A Phone Conversation Listening: Weather Forecasts Listening: Announcements
B1
Intermediate
27 lessons
Reading: The Future of Work Understanding Accents and Dialects Countable and Uncountable Nouns The Present Perfect Tense Phrasal Verbs: Top 30 Health and Medicine Vocabulary Listening Strategies for Podcasts Job Interview English Writing a Formal Letter First and Second Conditional Modal Verbs: Should, Must, Might Environment and Nature Vocabulary Passive Voice in Present and Past Gerunds and Infinitives Reading: Understanding Charts and Graphs Business and Work Vocabulary Technology and the Internet Feelings and Emotions Vocabulary Reading: A Newspaper Article Reading: A Book Review Reading: An Informal Blog Post Reading: A Travel Guide Extract Reading: A Science Article Writing a Complaint Email Listening: A Job Interview Writing a Book or Film Review Writing an Informal Email to a Friend
B2
Upper Intermediate
24 lessons
Business Email Writing Reading: The Art of Listening Passive Voice Discourse Markers and Linking Words Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Essays Debate and Discussion Language Reading: Understanding Opinion Pieces Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining Third Conditional and Mixed Conditionals Academic Vocabulary: Word Families Inversion for Emphasis Cleft Sentences for Emphasis Reading: Academic Journal Extracts Environment and Climate Change Vocabulary Idioms and Fixed Expressions Politics and Society Vocabulary Collocations: Common Verb-Noun Pairs Prefixes and Suffixes for Word Building Reading: A Research Summary Reading: A Financial News Article Reading: Identifying Bias in Media Reading: Literary Prose Extracts Summarising and Paraphrasing Writing an Argumentative Essay
C1
Advanced
16 lessons
Nominalisation in Academic English Advanced English Idioms Hedging Language in Formal Writing Advanced Collocations and Word Partnerships Reported Speech Critical Listening: Analysing Arguments Persuasive Speaking and Rhetoric Reading: Literary and Cultural Texts Advanced Passive Structures Subjunctive Mood in Formal English Advanced Conditionals and Wishes Concession and Contrast Structures Formal and Informal Register False Friends and Confusing Words Idioms in Professional Contexts Reading: Philosophical Arguments
Lessons Writing
📺

Writing a Book or Film Review

Writing Intermediate ~2 min

Write clear, engaging reviews of books or films that persuade readers with specific examples and honest opinions.

📖 Lesson

What You Will Learn

You'll learn how to structure a review, use persuasive language, support your opinions with evidence, and avoid the common traps that make reviews sound boring or unconvincing.

Explanation (with real-life context)

Reviews are everywhere — on Amazon, Netflix, Goodreads, TikTok. People read them to decide what to watch or read next. A good review does three things: it entertains the reader, it explains what you think and why, and it helps them decide if it's worth their time.

The key difference from just saying "I liked it" is that you need to show, not tell. Instead of "The movie was amazing," you explain which scenes made it amazing and why they worked.

Examples (natural sentences from daily life)

Weak: "The book was great. I really enjoyed it."
Strong: "The author's descriptions of 1920s Paris made me feel like I was actually walking through those streets. I found myself reading chapters at midnight because I couldn't put it down."

Weak: "The acting was bad."
Strong: "The lead actor struggled with the emotional scenes, delivering lines that felt rehearsed rather than genuine."

Weak: "I didn't like the ending."
Strong: "The twist in the final chapter contradicted character development from earlier in the story, which felt like cheating rather than a clever plot turn."

Common Mistakes

• Spoilers without warning — Always write "SPOILER ALERT" before revealing plot details
• Being too harsh or too nice — Balance criticism with what worked well
• Vague language — "It was good" tells nobody anything. Use specific adjectives: gripping, predictable, slow-paced, witty
• Forgetting your audience — Write for people who haven't seen it yet, not just yourself
• One huge paragraph — Break your review into introduction, body (with examples), and conclusion

Quick Tips

• Start with a clear recommendation (★★★★☆ or "Worth watching")
• Give context: genre, main characters, basic premise (no major spoilers)
• Use one or two strong examples from the story to support your opinion
• Mention who would enjoy this most ("Perfect for fans of mystery thrillers")
• End with a memorable final sentence that summarizes your feeling

Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting. Hover underlined words for quick definitions.

🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip

6 words
derivative
/dɪˈrɪvətɪv/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Copied or imitated from something else; not original or creative
"The film felt derivative of similar superhero movies I've already seen multiple times."
Tap to flip back
dialogue
/ˈdaɪəlɒg/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Conversation between characters in a book, film, or play
"The sharp dialogue between the two main characters made their relationship feel authentic and funny."
Tap to flip back
sentiment
/ˈsentɪmənt/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A feeling or emotional reaction; an opinion or attitude
"The book captures the sentiment of loss and grief in a way that feels real."
Tap to flip back
critique
/krɪˈtik/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A detailed evaluation or judgment, often identifying both strengths and weaknesses
"Her critique of the film was fair — she praised the acting but criticized the weak dialogue."
Tap to flip back
underdeveloped
/ˌʌndərdɪˈveləpt/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Not given enough detail, attention, or growth (especially characters)
"The villain was underdeveloped — we never learned why he actually cared about revenge."
Tap to flip back
cinematography
/ˌsɪnəmətˈɒɡrəfi/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
The art of filming and using cameras, lighting, and visuals in a movie
"The cinematography was beautiful, especially the sunset scenes over the ocean."
Tap to flip back

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Type the missing word to complete each sentence.

The film felt ___ of similar superhero movies I've already seen multiple times.
The sharp ___ between the two main characters made their relationship feel authentic and funny.
The book captures the ___ of loss and grief in a way that feels real.
Her ___ of the film was fair — she praised the acting but criticized the weak dialogue.
The villain was ___ — we never learned why he actually cared about revenge.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Quick Check
3 questions · no login needed

1. Which of the following is the BEST way to write a book or film review according to the lesson?

2. What is the main purpose of writing a book or film review?

3. Which review excerpt follows the lesson's advice on being specific rather than vague?

🧠 Practice Quizzes

Test Your Knowledge: Writing a Book or Film Review
5 questions · 10 min
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