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08.05.2024
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Talking about a book.
Keep it simple
A  book can have a long, complex story. If you have to talk about the story, try to keep it simple. Try not to include too many details. Practise summarizing your favourite  book in under 1-2 minutes.
Use the present simple
When we talk about what happens in a book, we often use the present simple. The use of the present simple makes the story more ‘alive’. The book might be written in the past, but we still use the present simple to retell the story.
Examples:

• In the book, Gatsby falls in love with a woman called Daisy.
• At the beginning of the book a big spaceship comes to Earth and lands in LA. Then the aliens eat all the people.

Learn some vocabulary for describing a book.
You should be ready to give your opinion about a book. Did you enjoy it? Was it captivating? Below are some links to help you:
99 Adjectives to describe any book

The main purpose (главная цель) of your talk about the book you’re reading is to retell it analyzing and expressing your own opinion. You may either recommend it to your peers (friends) or warn them against choosing it.   The following questions can help you structure your text. Prepare a 2- 5 min talk.

1. What is the book’s title? Who is the author? What kind of book is this?

To introduce a book · The book I’m reading now is entitled … · The book’s written by a well known … · It’s a detective story / love story / adventure book / historic novel / science fiction book…. · The book under discussion is taken from a collection of short stories written by English / American writers of the … century…

To speak about the title · The title is suggestive (we can guess what the book is going to be about) · The title is misleading (we can not guess what the book is going to be about) · The title is a metaphor

 

2.  What is the book about? Who are the characters of the book? Who tells the story? What is the structure of the text?

To speak about the subject matter and characters · The author describes / depicts / dwells upon / touches upon / analyzes / comments on / reveals … · The story / narration is focused on / deals with … · The story is told by the author / the main character / a secondary character / an observer / a child … · All the events are presented from the narrator’s point of view … · The author hides behind the figure of … · The main character is portrayed / depicted / described as quick-tempered / outspoken / reserved / witty / aggressive / cruel / happy / miserable / sentimental, etc. · The author selects / singles out / picks out the most characteristic features of … · The writer indirectly suggests the image of …

To speak about the structure · The story begins / opens with the description of sb’s recollections of / straight with an action… · The beginning scene is laid in / is set in … · The scene of … is followed by … · After that the author passes over to / goes on from sth to sth / gives a detailed description of / supplies the reader with direct information about … · The action develops dramatically … · All the described events lead to… · In conclusion, the author explains / makes a few critical remarks on / expresses / blames / praises … · The story ends in… · To finish with, the author raises the question of / shows / conveys the message … · At the end of the story, the author comes to the conclusion that … · The main message of the book is …

 

3.  Is there anything in the text that strikes you as unusual? What do you like / dislike most of all about the book?

To express personal opinion In my opinion, … To my way of thinking, … Personally I believe … It strikes me that … It looks to me as if … I’d like to point out … I’d like to call /draw your attention to the fact that … I feel very strongly that … It’s clear to me that … It seems to me that … As far as I am concerned, … If you ask me,*… Frankly speaking,*…

To recommend For those of you who like …, I would highly recommend reading this novel. It will appeal to everyone who … You should definitely read it as… Don’t miss it, it will change the way you see … This is the book that you should not miss. It is a classic / masterpiece of its kind; I would advise anyone to … If you have a chance, make sure you read it. This book is well worth reading. I would strongly recommend it. · The book is not worth reading as… This is the book to avoid … because Unfortunately, this book fails to live up to expectations … Don’t bother to read it because …

 
Talk about a book
Describe a book you are reading.
You should say:

• what the book is about
• when you read it
• how long you have been reading it for
• explain what you like or dislike about the book