Teacher notes – Unit 9
Learning aim: Students write two short reviews using sense verbs + adjectives to express a personal opinion.
Before writing: Remind students: sense verbs are followed by an ADJECTIVE, not an adverb. Write on the board ‘It sounds amazing.’ (correct) vs ‘It sounds amazingly.’ (wrong). Drill quickly: ‘This soup — smell — delicious.’ → ‘This soup smells delicious.’ Check students understand: the star rating must match the opinion in the text.
During writing: Students write two different reviews (for example, one positive and one mixed). Encourage different sense verbs — not only looks. Check: no adverb after a sense verb.
Common errors: (1) Using an adverb: ‘It sounds beautifully.’ → ‘It sounds beautiful.’ (2) Using only ‘looks’ for both reviews. (3) Star rating does not match the text (e.g. 5 stars but only negative comments).
After writing: Students underline every sense verb + adjective pair. Are the adjectives interesting? Could any be replaced with a more precise word?
Model reviews
Read and analyseFind the sense verbs
Read the two model reviews. Click every sense verb (look, feel, sound, taste, smell), then check.
★★★★★ Album — ‘Midnight Rain’
This album sounds absolutely incredible. The melodies feel warm and emotional. I love listening to it on rainy evenings. The last song sounds very beautiful. Highly recommended!
★★★ New restaurant — ‘The Garden Bistro’
The restaurant looks beautiful from the outside, but the food is disappointing. My pasta tastes bland, and the soup smells a little strange. The dessert looks lovely, and it tastes quite sweet. The service is friendly. OK, but not the best.
Find the adjectives
Now click the adjective that comes after each sense verb. Do not click absolutely, very, a little or quite — they make the adjective stronger or weaker.
★★★★★ Album — ‘Midnight Rain’
This album sounds absolutely incredible. The melodies feel warm and emotional. I love listening to it on rainy evenings. The last song sounds very beautiful. Highly recommended!
★★★ New restaurant — ‘The Garden Bistro’
The restaurant looks beautiful from the outside, but the food is disappointing. My pasta tastes bland, and the soup smells a little strange. The dessert looks lovely, and it tastes quite sweet. The service is friendly. OK, but not the best.
Sense verb + adjective: sounds incredible / feel warm and emotional / sounds beautiful / looks beautiful / tastes bland / smells strange / looks lovely / tastes sweet.
After a sense verb, use an ADJECTIVE — not an adverb. ‘It sounds amazing’ ✓ ‘It sounds amazingly’ ✗
Extra practice
Build the skillChoose the correct word
Choose the correct word. Remember: after a sense verb, use an ADJECTIVE — not an adverb.
Complete the sentence
Complete each sentence. Use a sense verb and an adjective from the boxes. Change the form of the verb if necessary. Write the whole sentence.
Sense verbs: look / sound / taste / smell · Adjectives: fresh / amazing / boring / strange / delicious
Other sensible pairs are also correct.
Also accepted: The flowers smell really fresh. / The flowers look really amazing. / The flowers look really fresh.
Also accepted: This soup smells delicious. I love it! / This soup tastes amazing. I love it! / This soup smells amazing. I love it!
Also accepted: This purple drink tastes really strange, but it is OK! / This purple drink smells really strange, but it is OK!
Assignment A
Two reviews · min. 80 words in totalWrite two short reviews for an entertainment website. Choose one film or TV show AND one song or album. Use at least one sense verb + adjective in each review. Add a star rating (1–5 stars).
Minimum 80 words in total.
Nothing is saved automatically. Copy or save your text before you close this tab — only your own writing is saved, not the exercises.
Sample answer · 87 words
★★★★ Film — ‘Past Lives’
This film feels very emotional and beautiful. The story looks simple at first, but it is very powerful. The acting feels natural and real, and the city scenes look wonderful. The music feels calm and gentle. I cried at the end! Recommended.
★★ Album — ‘Summer Nights’ by The Blue Lines
This album sounds quite repetitive. All the songs feel similar and a little slow. Nothing sounds exciting or energetic, and the singer’s voice sounds tired. It is good for studying, but not for a party.
Assignment B
Minimum 60 wordsWrite a review of a restaurant, café, or street food stall. Describe the food, the atmosphere, and the service. Use at least two different sense verbs. Add a star rating.
Minimum 60 words.
Nothing is saved automatically. Copy or save your text before you close this tab — only your own writing is saved, not the exercises.
Sample answer · 65 words
★★★★★ Street food — ‘Mama Rosa’s Tacos’
This is the best street food in the city. The tacos taste incredible — spicy, juicy and fresh. The salsa smells amazing. The tortillas feel soft and warm in your hands. The stall is small and always busy — a very good sign! The service is fast, and Mama Rosa is always friendly and smiling. I go there every Friday. Absolutely delicious!
Answer key at a glance
Prints with the page| Step 1 — Words | sounds, feel, sounds, looks, tastes, smells, looks, tastes |
| Step 2 — Words | incredible, warm, emotional, beautiful, beautiful, bland, strange, lovely, sweet |
| Exercise 1 — Answers | 1 wonderful · 2 beautiful · 3 terrible · 4 boring · 5 strong |
| Exercise 2 — 1 | The flowers smell really amazing. |
| Exercise 2 — 2 | This soup tastes delicious. I love it! |
| Exercise 2 — 3 | This song is very slow. It sounds boring. |
| Exercise 2 — 4 | This purple drink looks really strange, but it is OK! |