Pleasure Reading

Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Louisa May Alcott Little Women

Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice

Charles Baxter The Feast of Love

Charles Baxter Shadow Play

Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre

Emily Brontë Wuthering Heights

Pearl S. Buck The Good Earth

Jasper Fforde the Eyre Affaire

John Cheever The Wapshot Chronicle

John Cheever The Wapshot Scandal

Catherine Coulter Backfire

Ch. Dickens The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club

Ch. Dickens The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

Ch. Dickens The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit

Ch. Dickens Bleak House

Ch. Dickens Hard Times

Ch. Dickens A Tale of Two Cities

Ch. Dickens Great Expectations

Ch. Dickens Our Mutual Friend

Ch. Dickens The Mystery of Edwin Drood

George Eliot Middlemarch

Sebastian Faulks Birdsong

Jasper Fforde The Eyre Affair

Gillian Flynn Gone Girl

John Fowles The French Lieutenant's Woman

Ronald Frame The Sun on the Wall

Ronald Frame Underwood and After

Ronald Frame Bluette

Ronald Frame Penelope's Hat

Ronald Frame Sandmouth People

Graham Greene The Heart of the Matter

Graham Greene The Human Factor

Graham Greene The Comedians

John Grisham A Time to Kill

John Grisham The Firm

John Grisham The Pelican Brief

John Grisham The Client

John Grisham The Chamber

John Grisham The Rainmaker

John Grisham The Runaway Jury

John Grisham The Partner

John Grisham The Street Lawyer

John Grisham The Testament

John Grisham The Brethren

John Grisham A Painted House

John Grisham The Summons

John Grisham The King of Torts

John Grisham The Last Juror

John Grisham The Broker

John Grisham The Appeal

John Grisham The Associate

John Grisham The Confession

John Grisham The Litigators

John Grisham The Racketeer

Thomas Hardy Tess Of The D'Urbervilles

Joseph Heller Catch-22

Ernest Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway Islands in the Stream

Aldous Huxley Those Barren Leaves

Aldous Huxley Point Counter Point

Aldous Huxley Brave New World

Aldous Huxley Eyeless in Gaza

Aldous Huxley After Many a Summer

Aldous Huxley Island

John Irving A Prayer For Owen Meany

W.S. Maugham The Razor’s Edge

W.S. Maugham Cakes and Ale

W.S. Maugham Mrs Craddock

W.S. Maugham The Merry-Go-Round

Toni Morrison Beloved

George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four

James Patterson I, Michael Bennett

Susan Elizabeth Phillips The Great Escape

Philip Pullman His Dark Materials

Salman Rushdie Midnight's Children

JD Salinger The Catcher in the Rye

Robert Sheckley Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Laertian Gamble

Betty Smith A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

John Steinbeck The Grapes Of Wrath

William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair

Alice Walker Color Purple

Edith Wharton  Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton The House of Mirth

Edith Wharton The Buccaneers

Edmund Wilson Memoirs of Hecate County

Requirements for Pleasure Reading Assessment

1. Vocabulary list of 300 words and phrases (100 words and phrases are to be learnt by heart)

2. Plot

3. Character sketch of at least 1 personage

4. Language analysis

5. Examination topic

Movie Review Plan

some steps to writing a movie review

(Movie reviews are typically 250 to 500 words) 

1.     Type the first paragraph. This paragraph should include the name of the film, its stars, setting and genre.

2.     Write a short plot summary in your second paragraph. Include details and cover the major events that give a snapshot of the film.

3.     Focus on one element of the film (for example, acting, directing or cinematography) in the third paragraph. Analyze this aspect and discuss what is good or bad about it.

4.     Write the fourth paragraph, which should focus on another aspect of the film. Follow the third paragraph's format.

5.     Compose the last paragraph. This paragraph gives your overall opinion of the film and your reaction to it. 

Rendering Plan

1. The title of the article (the chapter, the story, etc)

2. The author of the article; where and when the article was published (the author of the article is ...; the article is written by...; It is published in; the extract for rendering is taken from the book (novel) by ...)

3. The main idea of the article (the article is about...; the article deals with...; the article touches upon...; the purpose of the article is... (the main, chief, primary, principal) aim of the article is …; to give the reader some information about ...; to examine; to analyze; to give a description of; to make estimation ( evaluation ) of; to provide evidence for new facts in support of; to provide new information concerning)

4. The contents of the article. Facts, names, figures. (the author writes ( states, points out, stresses, etc ) that...; the article describes; according to the text; further the author reports that; besides; anyway; what's more; moreover; in addition to; worst of all; on top of; in the first place..., in the second place; first (ly); second (ly); third (ly); next; lastly; finally; last of all; at last; the former... the latter; for example; for instance; in the case of; this is the example)

5. Conclusion (in conclusion; the author comes to the conclusion that...; to make ( draw, reach ) a conclusion;  to make it possible to conclude; it is suggested that smth. should be done; it is necessary to do smth.; in brief;  in short; on the whole; to sum up; to summarize; to crown it all; all in all)

6. Your opinion/impression

Essay Plan

Sample format for a typical expository ( or argumentative ) essay.

A typical expository essay consists of three main parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction contains the thesis statement which is a sentence that explains the idea that the writer will support (or argue for) in his essay.

Introductory Paragraph. This consists of general points or attention grabbing details leading to the main idea. For instance, there are several means that effective writers use to "hook" their readers: beginning with a question, beginning with a quotation, and beginning with a startling or paradoxical statement. The main idea is often written at the end of this paragraph in a thesis statement, which may also contain three or more reasons (written very succinctly) for supporting this main idea. Each of these reasons should be elaborated on in the body paragraphs that follow. Some essays have the very first sentence as the thesis statement.

Body Paragraph # 1. This often begins with a transition word or words like "First" or "The first of these reasons" and gives examples and/or details relating to the first supporting reason.

Body Paragraph #2. This often begins with a transition word or words like "Next" or "Second" or "Another reason" or "The second of these reasons" and gives examples and/or details relating to the second supporting reason.

Body Paragraph #3. This often begins with a transition word or words like "Finally" or "Last" or "The final reason" and gives examples and/or details relating to the third supporting reason.

Concluding Paragraph. This paragraph may begin with "In conclusion" or "To conclude" and often restates the thesis statement in different words. Some writers like to end with a relevant quotation, or end with a question, or end with a prediction or warning. Another concluding technique is to end with some idea or detail from the beginning of the essay (thus bringing this idea full circle). Yet another means of concluding is to end with an allusion to a historical or mythological figure or event.

Stylistic Analysis & Interpretation Plan

I. Introduction

author

title

theme and idea

summary (plot and suspense)

II. Focus on discourse types

description

narration

commentary

dialogue

interior monologue

III. Focus on the narrator

first person

third person

IV. Focus on characterization

direct

indirect

types of characters (round/flat, static/dynamic characters)

Virtuous (good) characteristics: affable, amiable, good-natured, good-humoured, kind, kindhearted, communicative, sociable, friendly, modest, discreet, generous, considerate, attentive, thoughtful, earnest, sincere, enthusiastic, calm, quiet, composed, self-possessed, honest, merciful, impartial, just, patient, forebearing, sympathetic, respectable, cordial, broad-minded, witty, intelligent, dignified, capable, benevolent, philanthropic, scrupulous, consistent, easy-going, affectionate, devoted, loyal, courageous, persevering, industrious, hard-working, sweet, gentle, proud.

Evil (bad) characteristics: ill-natured, unkind, hard-hearted, reserved, uncommunicative, unsociable, hostile, haughty, arrogant, dashing, showy, indiscreet, unscrupulous, greedy, inconsistent, tactless, insincere, hypocritical, false, vulgar, double-faced, indifferent, dispassionate, fussy, unrestrained, dishonest, cruel, partial, intolerant, conceited, self-willed, willful, capricious, perverse, insensible, inconsiderate, servile, presumptuous, deceitful, harsh, sulky, sullen, obstinate, coarse, rude, vain, impertinent, impudent, revengeful.

V. Emotional Focus (the language, connotations, thematic groups)

imagery

level of formality (stylistic classification of language: written (formal) language and spoken (informal) language )

expressive diction (refers to "choice of words" and involves many problems of usage, such as stylistic stratification (formal diction/colloquial diction); language imagery; connotation/denotation; clichés and many more-anything, in fact, that pertains to word choices)

expressive syntax (good syntax implies the use not only of correct grammar but also of effective patterns. Among them are patterns that provide for the unity, coherence and emphasis, patterns of subordination and co-ordination; syntactical stylistic devices, i.e. detached constructions, parallelism, repetition, enumeration, gradation, climax, antithesis, asyndeton, ellipsis, breaks-in-the-narrative, rhetorical questions, exclamations, etc.)

VI. Conclusion

your point of view and impression

CHARACTER SKETCH

The character sketch like the description of a place is designed to evoke an impression (of excitement, enthusiasm, fury, admiration, etc.), to express an attitude, to produce an essentially emotional effect. In the character sketch the effect is likely to be somewhat more complex, because it is concerned with human personality.

The writer of a character sketch analyses the traits of the character and depicts them as vividly and concretely as he can. He does not merely inform the reader about them, but appeal to the reader’s senses and emotions.

The reader should come to fee that he knows the person who is subject of the sketch. If he does have the feeling, the character sketch is successful.

CHARACTER SKETCH PLAN

Appearance

Social position, occupation

The main traits of the character

His/her life’s credo

His/her attitude to other characters

The manner of speaking

The way he/she acts, behaves, sees the things

The actions of the character worthy of approval and disapproval