Module 2 Continuation -

Writing a Review

1. Read the text and match the headings (1 8) with the paragraphs (A D). There are two
headings for each paragraph.
1) Summary of the plot
2) Recommendation of the book -
3) Reason why the review is written
4) Presentation of the main character (s) -
5) Answer to the reason why the review is written -
6) Presentation of the books disadvantages
7) Basic information about the book
8) Discussion of the books strong points -

2. Complete the text with the words below. narrator, strengths, comic novel, worth reading,
humour, published, moral, re issued, offer, features, hero, weakness.

3. Find words and expressions in the text which mean the same as the words below.

Paragraph A: looking for, an understanding of who you are

Paragraph B: makes up, so that its possible to, compensate for
Paragraph C: unlucky events, modern
Paragraph D: definitely, gets

A. Within the genre of the 1. _____________, the storyline often 2 __________ a young person in
search of his or her identity and place in the adult world. One of the best examples of this is the novel
Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse. Having been first 3. ______________ in 1959, the book has been
recently 4. ___________. This raises the question if a text written almost half a century ago still has
something to 5. ________ todays reader.
B. The 6. ___________ of the book, Billy Fisher, is also the 7. __________ of the story. Hes a
rebellious youth who lives with his parents in Stradhoughton, a small town in Yorkshire, and works in
a funeral parlour. However, Billy lives much of his life through his imagination: he invents identities
and experiences for himself in order to make up for the monotony of his real life, Billy is engaged to
two girls at the same time and wants to escape. After meeting another girl called Liz, he decides to go
to London with her and became a scriptwriter. However, having got on the London train, he changes
his mind and gets off again. He slowly walks back home he is happier in his dreams.
C. The books greatest 8. __________ are its humour and the personality of its narrator. Billys
adventures and mishaps are hilarious. And although he rebels against the England of the late 1950s,
the reasons for his rebellion are relevant today. The book has a strong 9. ________ message: Billy lies
and misleads people but his lies are exposed and in the end, he learns to respect the values of his
community. To a contemporary reader, this might be the books 10. _________, as nowadays many
readers dont enjoy novels with such strong moral lessons.
D. And in all, Billy Liar is certainly still 11. __________. I believe Billy Fisher gains todays readers
sympathy and understanding, and the books 12. ___________ makes it one of my favourite comic
novels.

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Writing: Write a book review. Follow the stages.

1. Decide what book you are going to write about. Here are some suggestions.
a. A book originally written in your language that you would like to recommend to an English reader.
b. A book that can teach the reader important information
2. Think about the books strong and weak points. Is it educational, entertaining, and motivating?
3. Write your review in four paragraphs.

4. Read the sentences (1 2). Then find examples in the text with these structures.
1. After getting off the train, I bought a newspaper.
2. Having got off the train, I bought a newspaper.

5. Use the structures to link these sentences.

1. finish my English homework walk to the post office to post a letter
___________________________________________________________________________.
2. post the letter meet a friend in the street and go for a coffee
___________________________________________________________________________.
3. have coffee go to the cinema together
___________________________________________________________________________.
4. watch a really bad film- go to our club to play table tennis
___________________________________________________________________________.
5. lose three games i go back home again
___________________________________________________________________________.

Continuous and Simple Tenses

This story is about a middle aged man who was feeling very down. Everything had been going wrong
for him. He had had problems at work and his wife had left him to go off with a lion tamer. He had been
feeling depressed for over a month, so he decided to go to the doctor. He had to wait for what seemed
ages in the doctors surgery. The man next to him was looking at his watch nervously, a woman was
coughing badly and a baby was screaming. Finally, after he had been waiting for about half an hour, he
was called in.
The doctor was writing a note at her desk when he came in. Just a moment, Im just finishing
something. Im afraid weve been very busy this morning. She then turned to the man. So whats the
problem?
Well, Ive been having a bit of crisis. You know, lots of problems, replied the man. The manager
hasnt been paying me.
Mmm, youre looking very pale. The doctor started to examine him. Well, everything is working OK.
She announced afterwards. You have slightly high blood pressure and you are breathing quite heavily,
but otherwise everythings fine.
So what can I do? asked the man. Im going on a trip soon. Im working in the States for three months.
This time next week, Ill be arriving in New York.
The doctor thought for a while. I think what you need is a good laugh. That would do you a lot of good.
A circus is performing in town this week. Why dont you go along to it? I hear theres an amazing clown,
wholl really make you laugh. His names Grock.
Im Grock, replied the man sadly.

1. Read the story and answer these questions.

1. What kind of problems had the man been having?
2. How had he been feeling?
3. What physical problems did the man have?
4. Why was the doctors suggestion not very helpful?

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Grammar:

1. Which sentence in each pair below describes finished action and which describes an unfinished
action?
a. The doctor was writing a note at her desk.
b. The doctor wrote a note at her desk.
2. Which sentence in each pair below suggests something permanent and which suggests
something temporary?
a. Everything is working OK.
b. Everything works OK.
3. Which sentence in each pair below describes a prolonged or repeated activity and which describes a
single event?
a. The manager hasnt been paying me.
b. The manager hasnt paid me.

Conclusion:

1. Continuous tense: temporary, unfinished repeated or prolonged event

2. Simple tenses: permanent, finished, single event

4. Which of the verbs below cannot be used in continuous tenses and which can, but with a
different meaning? know, look, like, have, see, understand, think, belong, resemble, realize, taste,
feel

PRACTICE

5. State or activity verbs - Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense, using either the simple
or the continuous form. Paraphrase the verbs and say if they are state (S) or activity (A) verbs.

1. Come on, I _____________ (look) at your boyfriend, I __________(look) at his tie. It _____ (look)
horrible.
2. You know Sarah _______________ (see) Gary! I ________ (see) them yesterday holding hands in
the park.
3. We _______ (have) dinner at a restaurant when a waiter, who ______ (have) a tray of drinks in his
hands tripped and fell to the floor.
4. Look, Peter _____________ (taste) this Australian wine. Hell tell us how it ___________ (taste).

Practice of exercises:

1. Complete the situation with a suitable word in each gap. Example: nasty terrible

I had a terrible shock the other day. I was riding my (2) _________ new motorbike and I was in a very
(3) ______ mood. The night before there had been (4) ________ rain, so the roads were slippery and I
was rather (5) ________ practice. I took a (6) ___________ turn and went down a very steep road. I very
nearly (7) ___________ into a parked car and (8) _________ a tree. Luckily, I was (9) _______ but my
bike was badly (10) _________. Unfortunately, I left my bike in the middle of the road. A van came down
the road, tried to avoid the bike and nearly went (11) _______ of control. The van driver, who was
fortyish or (12) __________, was very angry. I (13) ________ terrible. In the end, the driver (14)
________ sorry for me and took me and my bike back home.

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2. Multi Part verbs: Complete the sentences with multi - part verbs using the verbs in brackets
in the correct form.
1. I dont ______________ (get) one of the people in my class. Shes always being sarcastic and
___________ (get) me.
2. Im really _______________ (look) the end of the term party. Its going to be great and I just love
__________ (dress) in my best clothes.
3. She __________ (take) her mother. Not only do they both look very similar but they both
______________ (go) the same kind of clothes.
4. He ___________ (make) that he didnt understand what they were saying to him, but I know he
speaks French well.
5. A bomb _________ (go) in the shopping centre but luckily no one was hurt.
6. I dont know how you can _______ (put) it. I couldnt stand living on such a busy road.

3. Word families: Replace the words in brackets with a more suitable verb such as: cling to,
glance, clutch, glimpse, handle, hug, mention, mutter, shout, spot, whisper, witness
1. He glanced at his watch and left the room. (look quickly)
2. I feel sick, she said, and ___________ (hold tightly) her stomach.
3. You must _____________ (hold) it carefully; its fragile.
4. He slipped and had to ____________ (hold desperately onto) the window edge until help arrived.
5. Help! Help! He _________ (say very loudly).
6. Nobody _________________ (see) the accident.
7. I only ____________ (see for a very short time) him; I couldnt possibly describe him.
8. She _______________(say) something to herself under her breath.
9. Can you keep a secret? She ________ (say very quietly).
10. My baby sister ______ (hold) her teddy bear tightly when she goes to bed.
11. They didnt ________ (say anything about) the results.
12. Suddenly I ______ (see) my friend to the crowd.

4. Grammar: Complete the profile of Rowan Atkinson with the verbs in brackets in the correct
past tense.

Rowan (1) used to be (be) shy with a rubbery face, just like the one he has now, says his former
headmaster. The other boys (2) _______ (make) him pull funny faces. Im sure they (3) ________ (be)
imitations of me and my colleagues, adds headmaster Grove.
Rowan was born in 1955, the youngest of the three sons. By the time he was thirteen, he (4) _____ (win)
a scholarship to a private school. After he (5) __________ (study) there for a while, he got involved in
acting. By the time he was seventeen, he (6) ________ (already act) in a play at the Edinburgh Festival,
his teachers (7) ________ (predict) a future in acting, but despite this, Rowan still (8) ____________ (not
plan) a career in entertainment.
He eventually (9) _________ (go) to Oxford to do a science degree. He (10) ________ (previously study)
electronic engineering at Newcastle University and (11) __________ (believe) that was where his future
lay. But while he (12) ________ (study) at Oxford, he met a group of friends who are his partners to this
day.
A happy accident finally unlocked Rowans talents while he (13) ________ (practice) a script in 1976. He
(14) _______ (play) around pulling faces for ten minutes in front of a mirror when he realized what he
______ (do). I discovered my face, he said later. John Lloyd, a BBC producer, says, It was one of those
things which happen very rarely in your life, when you realize you are in the presence of genius. I (16)
______________ (convince) he would be more famous than Chaplin.