Units 5B and 6A & B - Workbook, self-correction anwsers

As discussed in class, your task is to complete the exercises, then correct them with the help of these answers and hand in the workbook for a final check.
Remember to use any other colour to correct, rather than erase the answers. This will help you a lot to spot your mistakes and learn from them!
Here is the link to the answers.
Good job!

Passive voice lesson - English grammar tutorial video lesson

Rebecca, our reader for the second part of the year

First edition front cover

Rebecca is the story of a woman named Rebecca… oh wait. No. It's totally and completely not. It's actually the story of the rich, stylish and frightening widower (his wife had died), Maxim de Winter, and his fabulous country house (in fact, a very large property), called Manderley. 

The story is narrated by Maxim's second wife, known only as Mrs. de Winter, who finds herself living in the shadows of Maxim's first wife. And that's Rebecca!  However, we never meet her... Strange? 

It was published in 1938 and its author is Daphne du Maurier, who was born in Cornwall, a county in the southwest of England. (check the map). The novel was an instant bestseller and has never gone out of print.

Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier
in Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca

The novel has been adapted for the theater, the TV and cinema. Alfred Hitchcock's film based on the book won Oscars for Best Picture, and Best Cinematographer. The movie is a must-see, a classic piece of cinematic history. But, you'll probably enjoy it a lot more when you've devoured the deliciously disturbing novel on which it's based.

The best thing about this novel? It's both serious literature and guilty pleasure.

Why should I find it interesting?
Rebecca is a classic story of deception and betrayal. It's a serious look into the imperfections of upper class society and the war between good and evil within a single person. It will leave you thinking about the meaning of sacrifice, desire, and nostalgia... OK, ok... is this too serious? Try the following...

Hello, lovers of guilty pleasure! So, you love page-turners that you can fly through in hours? You're looking for something to read on a long plane ride? Rebecca is totally for you. This is a soap-opera crime thriller: the story of obsession and murder; old lovers and new lies.

Past Tenses revision 2

Active vs Passive Voice

Writing a book/film review

Follow these steps to write a book or film review.

Pre writing

Remember and take notes of the plot of the story. What impression did it produce on you?

Writing

• Introduction: give the title and author of the book. If you're reviewing a film mention the director or actors.
• Body:
  1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
  2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
  3. Say something about the main characters.
  4. Say something about the content.
• Conclusion:
  1. Comment on the book or film.
  2. Let others know whether or not you liked the book/film.
  3. Why do you like it? Why don't you like it?
  4. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book / film interesting or boring etc.
  5. Do you want to recommend the book/film?

Post writing

Edit your writing.

Useful Expressions:

  Title, Author / Director, Actors

The film is directed by
The film is produced by..
It is starred by...
The book is written by ...

Setting

The action takes place in ... (setting)
The action of the film is set in ...
The story takes place in...

Characters and Plot

The main characters are ...
The story is about ....
The novel tells the story of ...
In the course of the novel the action develops dramatically.
The novel / film begins with...
The novel has an unexpected ending.
The end of ... is ...

  Reaction  

I am impressed by
I think ....
The book is terribly / beautifully written
The film is terrible / exciting.
What surprised me is ...
What I liked is...
What I didn't like is...
I liked/didn't like the film / novel because ...

Past Tenses revision 1