B1 · Unit 12
Writing a review
You’ll write a useful review with facts, an evaluation and specific advice.
New words
critical comment
cleanliness
location
ratio
warning
to exaggerate
misleading
well maintained
value for money
from personal experience
review
mark
objective
reliable
advantage
disadvantage
impression
"Правя впечатление"
= to impress, to stand out.
to recommend
Perfective: "препоръчам"
— "Може ли да ми препоръчаш…?"
(Can you recommend…?)
noisy
strength
"Силната ми страна е, че…"
— a typical way to start your answer.
weakness
constructive
star rating
supported by reasons
Before you send the review
Vera, a friend
Чета отзива ти: «Винаги е шумно». Всяка нощ ли беше така?
Your review says: "It’s always noisy." Was it like that every night?
Не, само първата. Ще го поправя, за да не преувеличавам.
No, only the first night. I’ll correct it so I don’t exaggerate.
Vera, a friend
Бяха ли ви предупредили за ремонта преди пристигането?
Had they warned you about the building work before you arrived?
Не бяха. Но след оплакването ни преместиха в тиха стая.
They hadn’t. But after our complaint they moved us to a quiet room.
Vera, a friend
Това също е важно. А какъв съвет ще дадеш на следващия гост?
That matters too. What advice will you give the next guest?
Да попита дали ремонтът е приключил и да поиска тиха стая.
Ask whether the building work has finished and request a quiet room.
Vera, a friend
Ето, сега отзивът е и честен, и полезен.
There, now the review is both honest and useful.
Grammar
In a review, connect what had been promised to what happened: "Бяхме резервирали тиха стая, но ни настаниха до паркинга"
. Do not turn every past action into "бях"
+ -л: use "попитах"
, "преместиха ни"
for successive events.
Преди да напиша отзива, бях прочела отговора на хотела.
Before writing the review, I had read the hotel’s response.
Служителите ни преместиха и това промени впечатлението ми.
The staff moved us to another room, and that changed my impression.
Examples
Чистотата и местоположението са силните страни на хотела.
Cleanliness and location are the hotel’s strong points.
Основната ми забележка е за шума през нощта.
My main criticism concerns the noise at night.
Не искам да преувеличавам: проблемът беше само през първата нощ.
I don’t want to exaggerate: the problem occurred only on the first night.
За шестдесет евро на нощ съотношението цена–качество е добро.
At sixty euros a night, it is good value for money.
Коя подробност би помогнала на следващия гост?
Which detail would help the next guest?
Снимката беше подвеждаща: показваше басейн, който не работеше.
The photo was misleading: it showed a swimming pool that was not open.
Въпреки този недостатък стаята беше добре поддържана.
Despite this drawback, the room was well maintained.
Препоръчвам да попитате за ремонта преди резервацията.
I recommend asking about the building work before booking.
Останахме три нощи в малък хотел в Бургас през юни; пътувахме за почивка край морето, а центърът беше на пет минути пеш.
We spent three nights at a small hotel in Burgas in June; we were on a seaside holiday, and the centre was five minutes away on foot.
Бяхме поискали тиха стая още при резервацията, но първата ни стая беше до паркинга, където имаше ремонт; на следващия ден на рецепцията спокойно обяснихме проблема и поискахме друга.
We had requested a quiet room when booking, but our first room was by the car park, where building work was taking place; the next day we calmly explained the problem at reception and asked for another room.
Independent practice
Write an 80–120-word review of a real or imagined hotel. State when you stayed, one advantage, one problem and how it was resolved. Add specific advice. Use "бях"
and an -л form for at least one earlier action and the aorist for events. Read it aloud. The model is only an example; adapt the gender to yourself.
- I gave specific facts about the stay.
- I distinguished the earlier action from successive events.
- I described both the problem and the hotel’s response.
- I gave useful advice without exaggerating and checked my text.
Останахме три нощи в малък хотел в Бургас през юни; пътувахме за почивка край морето, а центърът беше на пет минути пеш.
We spent three nights at a small hotel in Burgas in June; we were on a seaside holiday, and the centre was five minutes away on foot.
Чистотата и местоположението са силните страни на хотела.
Cleanliness and location are the hotel’s strong points.
Бяхме поискали тиха стая още при резервацията, но първата ни стая беше до паркинга, където имаше ремонт; на следващия ден на рецепцията спокойно обяснихме проблема и поискахме друга.
We had requested a quiet room when booking, but our first room was by the car park, where building work was taking place; the next day we calmly explained the problem at reception and asked for another room.
Основната ми забележка е за шума през нощта.
My main criticism concerns the noise at night.
Служителите ни преместиха и това промени впечатлението ми.
The staff moved us to another room, and that changed my impression.
Препоръчвам да попитате за ремонта преди резервацията.
I recommend asking about the building work before booking.