This is the novel we are reading with our Intermediate students. you can post here your comments, opinions, any ideas you want to share with us. Click on the title of the novel to enter this thread and then on "publicar un comentario".
14 de noviembre de 2007
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Wilkie Collins
117 comentarios:
We have read two stories so far. Which did you like best?
What do the killers in Death Wish and Death on Christmas Eve have in common?
Click on "otros" if you want to use your name, you can also say which group you belong to.
Hello, cristina I´m quite impressed with this!! I hope lots of intermediate students post commets. Good luck, and do not despair. I speak of the reading club everyday and have been doing so since we broke out, to practically no avail. After 1 and 1/2 months my students are budging a bit!!
Contribute, its fun.
Hi there, you all!
You're really good at using blogs! ;) :P
What a great idea, Cristina. In my Intermediate groups, we decided to read a story each month, and tomorrow we're going to have our first Reading Club Discussion, so I'll tell everybody about this thread on the blog.
Night night!
The first story is a bit confusing. I didn't understand it. It is very sad, too.
I haven't read the second story yet.
Good bye.
Hello anónimo! Thanks for your post.You are right, the first story is very sad, but whenever hate and revenge are involved sadness is present.Go ahead and read the second story. Perhaps next time you could tell us who you are. Thanks for contributing.
Welcome to the blog. I´m going to try and visit it to see how the 3rd years are doing. You are all welcome to see the comments of the 5ths if they ever get down to writing something!! You have explained how to get here very well!! It is the same process to write in the other sections.
A most amazing logo, Michelle, you are certainly an artist. What would we do without you??????? Thanks,
I absolutely agree with Carmen, the logo is fantastic. Michelle, I still don�t know which I like best, perhaps number 2 with the big "eoigoyaingles", anyway, as you are the "mother" you decide.
It is very difficult to write a commentary en this blog, it is 3th time.
I am Mario and I have to write a commentary about "American crime stories".
I like it, but today I have finished "The heroine", The others one are good, but this one, it more easy and I have understood
it very well.
The book is easy, and it has very curiouses stories.
I will write more things, other day
if I finish other chapter.
Good bye. XXX
Hello Mario, thanks for your comment. I´m glad you understood the Heroine. Do you feel sympathetic towards Lucille? How do you think she should be punished?
You`ll see that the more you read the easier you´ll find it to understand the stories.
Hi everybody I see that the third years are as lazy as the 5ths! Come on it is a very good exercise to write something in English and it must be the odds that are so, because the 4ths are writing much more.It is quite funny to read their comments congratulations to Carmen because she gets them to join in, and to all of them because they are going to do the best exams!
Hello Cristina! How are you? I�m very busy, and I couldn�t go to class the Wednesday. I think about Lucille that she had a difficult life in her past and now her past is in her preset.I don�t feel sympathetic to her, and I don�t think that she must be punished, but she must go to psichiatric hospital. Do you now? See you next Monday. Bye.
Hi, Mario.Thanks for your post,well done, it´s much better than the first. You see, it´s good practice for your English.It´s a pity your classmates haven´t realised it yet.
I don´t feel sympathetic towards Lucille either, however, we can´t blame her for her insanity. I think it´s psychiatrists´ responsibility to do something before a tragedy occurs.
What´s wrong with the thirds? You are bringing up the rear and haven´t joined the new section either!
Hi, I´m Jorge(3ºC) and I think this blog is a really good idea because you can practise english. In relation to the chapter(heroine) I think the story is very sad because Lucille has a lot of problems.She´s afraid to die, she´s deppresed,she´s insecure and a very bad problem is that she´s very young. What a shame!!
In the end of the chapter I don´t know what happened with Lucille, I suppose that she was arrested and she went into mental hospital.
I liked writting in this blog
See you
Hi, I think it would be a good idea a place where we could write about other things, perhaps more people would write.
In these blogs we can only speak about the chapter´s book or theatre. Do you think?
hello!!
hello!!we promised cristina to write a coment about teh last story so i´m going to give my opinion about the Heroine.
i believe lucille is a moody person and she is a bit crazy but i dont think that she had to received a punishment because she doesn´t know she was doing.
about the grammar i think it is easy but at the end of the story there are a difficults words.
in conclusion this story is entertaining.
nothing more!! bye!!
SANDRA 3ºD
Hi 3rd years welcome to the club
Hello Jorge and Sandra, welcome to the blog.I´m very glad you´ve decided to contribute, you see it hasn´t been so difficult, well done!!
As for The Heroine, I also think it´s a sad story, but life is much harder, the world is full of Lucilles. The problem is what to do with them. Should we put them into a mental hospital for good? Some people argue that they should be given a chance, but isn´t it risky for the rest?
Anyway, this is a sensitive issue and it´s not easy to come to an agreement.
Thanks again for your posts, your English is improving a lot.
hi again! i believe that insane people must be in a mental hospital although people like lucille have to be in specific areas without contact with the really crazy people because their aren´t completly crazy and their contact with this people can be worts for them.
so I am agree about put this people in a mental hospital.
bye!!! SANDRA
I see Sandra´s point but I think it must be complicated to separate patients, unfortunately, mental hospitals offer the same solution for all kind of mental disorders no matter what the origin is, drugaddiction, depression, schizophrenia,paranoia or any other severe mental illness.However, I still think that it´s dangerous to let these people integrate into modern urban society.I don´t know what the solution could be, perhaps more investment on mental hospitals.
Hi, anónimo, you are free to write about other topics, as long as you write in English it will be good practice for you. The idea of these blogs was that you could comment the books we are reading in class or the plays that we see along the course, but you can introduce other topics such as your favourite films or books, or ways to practise speaking and listening. Any contribution will be welcome.
Hi! Today, I have started a new chapter, I think that it´s a little more dificult than "The heroine".
I will talk you when I finish it.
To write here, it is a good form to practic English, but if you don´t write good, all people will see it. See you! Good weekend!
This is not a commentary about the book I`m reading. That I`ll do it tomorrow.
It`s about the thursday evening that Juana and I spent in the English pub in Espìritu Santo street.The pub is fairly big,it was crowded and only the waiters spoke English, so we were speaking English each other for an hour and a half and drinking beers,two pints of "Ginness".
Thanks for your time,good sunday and till tomorrow.
As I promised yesterday I write.
I`ve just finished the first lecture of “Ride the Lightning. I`ve really enjoyed reading it.
At the moment the most difficult to understand any lecture is the lexicon. It`s
not easy to link the English ideas have been written with the thoughts about this language we have, especially at the time of speaking because you are not sure what you say., but little by little we`ll become more confident ( I hope ).
In the other hand, although it`s a jocke but is true, to write is hard to me because I`ve never learnt to write on a typewriter, so I only use two fingers.
Good evening . See you tomorrow..
I´m surprised that the thirds are quickly gaining on the fifths. Well done! it´s good practice
I´m surprised that the thirds are quickly gaining on the fifths. Well done! it´s good practice
hi! today it is de last day of 2007 with class, I have read de new story, and I think that it is more difficult than "the heroine". I think. I had to read three times for to understand it. But all will go good. Merry Christmas.
I´m very happy to see that more third year students have decided to contribute.I know the story we are reading now is a bit more difficult but it´s worth learning new words.Mario, don´t despair because you had to read it three times TO understand it, you are doing very well.
César,it´s good to see you´ve overcome your typing difficulties.
Well, I wish you all the best for the coming year.
Hallo everybody how are going your hollidays? I wish you Happy New Year.
I read the story "RIDE THE LIGHTNING" and now I have to write a hundred and fifty words' summary.
I like the story bad, I think the protagonist Holly Ann Adams is an awfuling person, first she was thinking just (in/on)? herself but at the end she is going to pay a very expensive bill for everything she did.
Any way murders are always awful.
Cristina I'm so sorry about my mistakes however you are a very good teacher.
By the way, my new purpose for this New Year is improve my Inglish a lot.
See everyone next weeck.
Welcome to the blog, Juana, and thanks for your compliments. You don´t need to apologize for your mistakes, you are doing very well, and I´m sure your English will improve thanks to your great interest.
You are right about Holly Ann, she only thinks about herself.She doesn´t seem to feel the slightest remorse for what she did, but I think that eventually she will suffer the consequences, she´s made her bed and now she will have to lie in it.
Good evening dear colleagues,
I've just read the story "Ride the Lighting". I am impressed with this sentence. It is a curious way to define the "death row". I think a group of music is using this sentences for call their album. You can imagine the type of music :).
In other hand. I liked a lot this story. Is similar a film I saw long time ago but I don't remember the title.
I will see you today evening
Best Wishes for the new year!!
Jesús
I´m sorry about this sily mesage,
it's only to check how simple html instructions work.
Juana Santiago
Juana Santiago
Juana Santiago
Hi everybody!
I’m going to talk about the last story “Ride the Lightning”. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I believe that Holly Ann is a person who only think about herself, without any feeling of compassion towards her boyfriend.
I can’t imagine how a person who is going to die in the electric chair is feeling and the worst thing is that your girlfriend hasn’t any remorse.
Bye, see you.
BEA 3ºD
I´m happy to see two more third year students have decided to join us.Welcome, you´ve expressed your ideas very well.Jesús, I didn´t know there was a band which used the title of this story for an album. Which kind of music do they play? Bea, I also see it must be hard to be in Colt´s place, but perhaps this is what true love is about.
Do you think many people would be willing to do that for the person they love? Which is, either in fiction or in real life, the biggest sacrifice people have made for the sake of love?
I´m sure you all know of many cases, please share them with us and practise your English.
Hello thirds, answering Cristina´s question no, I do not think many people would sacrifice their lives.. but some do; they are the heroes. It is easier to be a hero in extreme circumstances, war, fires, or whenever a person is placed in an unexpected situation of danger and somehting inside you wakes up. Love is a trigger but not always the love of a man for a woman. Our current men do not understand Love...it´s too serious a concept, a compromise, too much for the modern man!Unfortunately I haven´t read the story so your hero could find himself in this rare situation.... but I doubt it.
Hello, everybody!
Good to read your comments!
I invited 2 Intermediate 1 groups to join you, so hopefully they'll be reading your comments soon and perhaps even posting!
Night night
hello! how are you?I am very busy with my black week, I have a lot of exams and I can´t go to EOI because I have to study a lot. I think that I´ll go in February.
Best wishes for everybody and a special one to 1st D and Cristitina (la teacher) je je.
See you.
Hello Cristina,
the music band which I was talking about is called Metallica. And they have an album titled "Ride the Lighting" I saw the cover in internet. It shows a electric chair with a lot of blue thunders. This band is heavy metal... of course.
I am engoying a lot reading the new story. Maybe somebody has not read yet so... I will write about it later.
See you
Jesús
I like the stories because they have surprising endings.
Hello thirds, I just wanted to say that I´ve met some of you today during your lessons and I think the 4-6 group are good talkers, take part in the class and prattle on nicely, which is good practice. The 6-8 group has to gain confidence and speak. Some of you were a bit quiet..
Get ready for the 4th year.... You are warned....!
For me is very difficult to write a little comentary about this book.I like to say that the first and the second have done very difficut to understand but THE HEROINE it more easy for me and I think that I´ve understood it very well, I hope. Thanks for this oportunity to write here. I hope don´t have a lot of mistakes, sorry about it, Maria
Sorry I´d like to corret my mistakes in the last comentary...For me it is very difficult to write a little comentary about this book.I´d like to say that the first and the second stories were very difficult to understand but THE HEROINE it easier for me and I think that I´ve understood it very well, I hope.Thaks for this oportunity to write here.I hope didn´t have a lot of mistakes, sorry about it. Maria
Hi, María!
Thanks so much for your comment! Well done!
:)
hello
Hello, I was looking forward to joining this blog but my computer skills are very poor and I’ve needed some help. Thanks Michelle, you’ve been my saviour again!
I’ve read “Death on Christmas Eve” several times and each time I found it very difficult to know what was happening. I reached to the conclusion that the people in the house were ghosts, but in the end, thanks to Concha a friend of mine in my class, I realized that the story starts in the present, then the lawyer and his friend, the waiter, remember the past ( 20 years ago) and then they come back to the present again.
Hi, Clara! Good you made it! Congratulations! So now María and you can say that you've just joined the club of bloggers! Let's see if we can help Mercedes, because she's kind of desperate. She tried three times today and didn't manage, and I think it's because of the connection. Sometimes we follow the steps correctly but the Internet is slow or "problematic"... And then we need to be patient. The problem might be that I sent her the step-by-step description in English (because she wanted to post on the the TP Podcast), but this blog is in Spanish... Sigh!
Anyway, I'm glad to be of help and I'm very happy two of you made it! :)
About Ride the Lightning,
Although I think it’s very difficult to remember the face of a person you haven’t seen before, it’s amazing how a witness can see what he or she want to see, but most amazing is to see how a not guilty man can be executed by the law, on account of what a witness believed had seen.
sorry, I've just made a mistake: he or she wants to see.
That is surely scary. But people's beliefs are like that. They are not based on observing reality and trying to be fair, trying to find out what things are like. People want things to have one answer, and a determined answer, especially when we come to problems in society. When the majority "thinks" something (it's always, actually, an irrational belief), people believe they have all the rights, including not trying to walk in somebody else's shoes. If society believes someone is "bad", there is no hope for that person. That person will be judged, condenmed, and we can see that every single day, everywhere. It IS frightening. Anyway, the individual case that the story points out can be seen as a metaphor of what happens in society, I mean.
Hi there! I'm a student of English intermeditate. First I want to say that I'm grateful to the English departament for the stories book which they have chosen for us(the English student). Last year I red "The Hound of the Baskervilles" One of the most famous Sherlock Holmes' adventures by Sir Athur Conan Doyle. Reading this story made wake up my interest in this fictional detective's stories and then, this character created by A.Conan Doyle made me to be interested in its writer. Now I'm reading a book of short stories by him, but in Spanish! He,he,he.
About the book we are reading in this school year "American crime stories" I have to say that I'm enjoying reading it. Well, next day I'm going to explain my impressions about the three stories we have red at the moment. Bye,bye and sorry for my English mistakes.
Welcom, Lady Silence! Interesting comments. Thanks for posting. :)
I have readen "the lipstick", and it has liked me more than others. It has been intriguing, interesting and I couldn´t stop reading.
Congratulation to Carmen and Marta, because the conference about English literture we had yesterday was great. I think that you do a good work, and we can learn a lot of this culture. When I speak with my friends who study in others EOI, they say me that they would like their EOI were like our. Thanks!
Hi everybody!!! Well, Cristina I want to answer your question about the two stories we have read so far.
What do the killers in Death Wish and Death on Christmas Eve have in common? In my opinion they have two things in common. One is the crazy love and possession and the other one the revenge. In Death Wish, Edward killed his wife because she wanted a divorce and leaves him for other man, Mark. But he want her with him. And in Death on Chritsmas Eve, Celia killed Jessie because her brother married with her, and she didn't want other woman in his life, she would her brother only for her.
Sorry for my English mistakes!!!
Great English for an intermediate student!
Some corrections:
leaves him for ANOTHER man (any other man)
she didn't want ANOTHER woman (any other woman) in his life
Will you MARRY me?
"Marry" doesn't take a preposition
Hi there!!! Thanks a lot to correct my English mistakes. I already knew that I had some problems to use, other and another. I'll pay attention to it.
Next day I would like to coment something about the OTHERS stories I have read up to now.
See you soon!!!
Hello everybody,
I wish to speak about the story: Lazy Susan.
I believe this is another story whose protagonist (Susan) has psicological problems. Her problem is that she is too lazy and she is capable of doing anything to earn money without working.
I hope everyone read the story. The vocabulary is very easy and you can understand it very well.
See you commenting the next story
Jesús
Hi there, everybody!
Lady Silence, your English is brilliant! :) I bet everybody agrees!
About "other, another, the other", well... everybody has problems with that! "Other" can never take an "s" if it's working as an adjective. As you know, adjectives in English are invariable.
I suggest you print out this little crib note on the issue!
(OH, click on my nick and you'll get there!)
This morning I finished the last story of the book, called “The Gutting of Couffignal”. I think it’s the best, I’ve been very interested until the end of the story, and although it had a lot of new words to me, and I’ve had to spend a lot of time looking them up in the dictionary I enjoyed reading it.
I don’t want to tell us the end of the story because I don’t know if everybody has read it yet, but only say that the novel is set in a very strategic place so that everything could happen and in spite of the fact that it’s an abridged version the set and the characters are described very well, not like other stories, it might be longer than the other stories in order to describe the scene better.
It’s a pity that when very rich people become poor they don’t know either how to make live correctly, or how to be good at thief.
Read it as soon as possible and then tell us your opinion.
I’ve been trying to do the exercises at the end of the book about “the gutting of Coufignal” but I haven’t been able to do them thanks to some of them are very difficult. Has anyone done them yet? I’d like to discuss about them.
Hey, Clara! I got the book today from Ana! I'll read the stories and comment after the holiday, especially if nobody has! ;)
You all, have a nice holiday!
Hello, everybody!
We have finished the last story and I´d like to have your opinion of the book and the way we´ve worked with it in class. Some of you think that the task I set for the last story was difficult. Why don´t you post your comments and express your views?
Clara, I like you suggestion,we could discuss the exercises at the end of the book through the blog, it will surely be useful for your English.
About the Gutting of Coufffignal, what do you think of Princess Zhukovski? Is it ethical to excuse her behaviour by admitting that it is no crime to steal from a thief? When it comes to lose everything, do aristocrats and ordinary people react differently?
We´ll talk about it in class, but I´d like you to put your ideas into words.
I would like to say that I enjoyed reading this book, but I wouldn't be telling the truth! Sorry!
Maybe because I don't like this kind of literature, or maybe because I think that when a story is adapted it lose an important part of its "personality", this book never gripped me while I was reading it.
Cheers!
I don’t think the behaviour of Princess Zhukovski was ethical at all, she thought she wasn’t be able to make a living as an ordinary person because she had been a Princess, she had lived like that all her life, so she and all her aristocrats Russians friends decided to go on living the same way, but the end doesn’t justify the means.
She said they had set up two different kinds of jobs in London, they opened a Russian restaurant and then they began teaching Russian for English people. But they didn’t earn enough money to live like they used to live some time ago (before they had to leave Russia).
There are lots of people who think it’s better to earn much more money by stealing from other people than working so hard.
We’re going to discuss about any of theses stories on 18th of April (Friday), I’d like to speak about this one, and then we could write about it here again.
I´m Elisa.
Clara, (and everyone)
About the exercises...
I did them while I was reading the story. I'm going to write on the results, so we can discuss about them. (I´m not totally sure about the solutions).
Exercise Page 113:
First sentence:
3-10(and)-2(while)
Second sentence:
5-12(as)
Third setence:
8-6-(where)-1(and)
Fourth setence:
14(however)-7(before)-13(who)
Fifth setence:
11-4(while)-9(because)
An advice:
First of all, you can choose the beginings (they begin by capital letters) and the ends (they end with a point .).
Do you want to discuss about exercise on page 109?
Hi, everybody!!
I´m Jorge (3ºC) I think the book is really interesting and the stories are good but I consider that there are two stories (The heroine and The Gutting of Couffignal)more interesting than the others. My favourite chapter is the last because this is a story which could happen in a real life.They are a Russian gang of Robbers and they choose a strategic island where people are really rich but there is a problem they´re aristocrats and they´re a bit naff and dissorganized. However, the most difficult thing about the chapter is the vocabulary.
I agree with Clara about the chapter and I´d like to talk about Princess Zhukovski, I think she is the best character because she looks like a lovely, gorgeous and incredibly pleasant person but behind such her physical appearance there is a wicked woman who is manipulative, ambitious and selfish.
About the Detective, I consider he is too much intelligent and he remembers me of a character of the CSI tv serie called “GRISON” because he knows everything.
Finally, I´d like to say my last words. This blog is really useful to improve your English but I think, it´s very difficult to find enough time to do the comments.
Hi Elisa do you agree?
Hi everyone! And special greetings to Jorge, we´re from the same class. I agree with you in many of your words...
I think this last story has been a little difficult. First of all, there is a lot of new vocabulary. In fact, on the Glossary (book page 103), there are sixty words,and twenty of them are from this last story. So, we have been able to learn many words with this story.
This story has reminded me of the first story, Death Wish. In these two stories, there has been a revenge, and it "could justify" the facts. The difference is that in Death Wish there was a "love-revenge" and this story could be a "money-revenge". But, I think that someone could understand a robbery if you are stoling because your are hungry, but not if you are loooking for a life without working. And, it might be no crime to steal from a thief, but if you steal from the same people that have stolen you before...
I have the similar opinion about Princess Zhukovski that Jorge, she is the principal character. She doesn´t want to become a normal person, who works eight or more hours a day,with a salary. Another adjective to join Jorge´s list about her is: agressive. She wanted Flippo to kill the detective. In the gutting, there were several murders, and she probably ordered them (o she agreed on them).
Now, I'd like to talk about the detective. We don´t know his name. He told the story, but never nobody said his name...I like this detail. I has been looking for his name on the pages, but I haven´t found it. Does anybody know if it appears on any page? Please, if your find it out, tell me.
I like this kind of stories very much, with detectives, with a mistery,.....I want to ask Cristina if she can recommend us some Agatha Cristie´s titles (adapted for intermediate students, for us), or similar writers (Arthur Conan Doyle,...).
This is my first day on the blog, it´s an original way to practise English.I think that it has gripped me a little (I have learnt this verb from Goretti, for example).
Cheers!
Hello! I have read the last chapter "The Gutting of de Conffignal", I belive that this story has been very interesting and all charactes are very different, whith original lifes, but I don´t think that a "Rich Russian famaly" do that´s types of thinks, but it´s not impolible, when you have had a good life and you must change it for a wors one I belive that you have to do works that you didn´t do, but to killer persons or to rob banks and jowelly shops it´s a little exaggerated. See you he next mondey! ;)
Hi everybody
Really to be a goog criminal is very hadr work. It means practising a lot of time, every day, sleeping very little with an opened eye, learning with a good teacher (better if he, or she has been in prison). The delinquency is an art (a dark art, but one), a life's style, a manner of behaviour in society.
Goog criminal is the one who can live like a gangster chairman with other rules than tose he, or she, has written, is a person who knows what the police limits can be despised without punishment.
The prisons are full of criminals, gangsters who fortunately have failed in their jobs, like the gangsters of "Gutting of Couffignal" from American Crime Stories' book. They are a good example about how some delinquents can't do their work without paying for their acts.
It would have been better for the princess Zhukovski and her partners to have chosen another job. Only a man, a private detective (it's possible from CSI, like says Jorge in his tag above), thanks to his experince and trainig could discover the entire plan ans present an array of charges with a little of logic and common sense.
Hi everybody in this blog. I am Luis Fernando, class 1 C. With the earlier comment I have begun to participate in the forum. Better late than never!
This is a brief message to Jorge. I´m amazed how you have improved your English. I remember, just a couple of years ago, you were uncapable of making a simple sentence in the proper way but now, look at yourself!. You´ve reached a good English level and you should be proud of it. Well done, cousin!!!!!.
Hello!!!
I am Ana (3ºF), and this is my first time that i enter here later but at last i have decided to do it.i think that this a good way to practise english, but i have to recognize that i am a little lazy for to write in english, jajaj yes it's increible but it's the true. In my job, frecuently i can practise to speak in english, because we have a great german customer's, but when they come, i am very nervous, and really i try to speak a bit.
OK! then of this ..jajaja i have to say that the last story of this book, for me have been the most difficult, not only for the vocabulary, above all for a lot expressions very large, besides i didnt understand nothing until i had read 10 pages.I understood that there was a robber, but not who were the membres of the gang, logically when i finished the story and i read again, i was able to understand who were the bandit, and which were the reasons, but i needed to read the story again, and in other stories was unnecessary.
Despite of this, i think that is the best story, because until you dont finish the story you dont know what could be happen.
I think like Clara about the princess, because she wasnt to able to live as an ordinary woman, so she needed to support the same type of living, and this is impossible.
does anybody know the name of the detective? i think that in the book dont tell. Is this correct?
Ok...i hope that you can understand me, if i have a lot of mistakes sorry, i try the next time to be better.
ciaooo
Hi everybody!
My name is Silvia Suárez and i'm in D group.
I'm writing to express my opinion about the book we have read this year. In my opinion "American crime stories" is a very interesting and amazing reading. But this is not slightly strange since its authors are the best writers of black and police novel of all the times. All the chapters have a point of intrigue but my favourite ones are "Ride the lightning" and "The gutting of Couffignal" because you don't know what is going to happen until you read the last page.
Sorry for my mistakes, I forgot to write about the book.
I think that it has been very good, and I have leant a lot of vocabulary, the stories has been very original and all one were different and intriguing. I have had a entertaining year.
See you!!
Good evening Cristina.
I`ve loved the book very much and as I`m very fond of this writers, especially Hammet and Highsmith,I`ve enjoyed and at the same time I`ve learned a lot of words, expressions and grammar.
Although this histories have been written years ago the behaviour of their personages is very present.
All histories show the human psychology. Mental handicap,jealousy,anxiousness to please,desires for revenge,ambition etc.are important feelings that we have hidden and in extreme circumstances, which don`t happen every day, we express them.
Is the last history I liked the most. Emigrants travelling to others countries trying for a better life is very common nowadays.What they did was horrible so they deserve to be put in prison.
Tank you.I´ll see you tomorrow.
Hi Bandit
I don´t find the words to describe your message. I´m very amazed and THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. You´re a good friend.
See you
Hi Bandit
I don´t find the words to describe your message. I´m very amazed and THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. You´re a good friend.
See you
Hi,everybody! My warmest welcome to the newcomers. I´m impressed with your comments, you´ve done really well!!!
I´m glad most of you enjoyed the book, this was our main aim, to instil the love for literature in you.Goretti, I´m sorry you didn´t like it but it´s not easy to please everybody when it comes to choosing reading matter, specially if it´s an abridged version, it´s more difficult to grasp the full meaning and to appreciate the writer´s style and ideas.
Elisa, as you are interested in detective stories I´ll find some titles worth reading and let you know next day. You could ask Jorge, he´s just finished an abridged version of The Woman in White.
As for princess Zhukovski, I´m of the same opinion as Clara, Elisa, Jorge, César, Ana, I think nobody would sympathise with such a robber, an aristocrat fallen on the hard side who can´t come to terms with her new situation. Life is hard for everybody, what about the people who are sacked or go bankrupt. Should they become robbers to survive or to keep the same standard of living?
Luis, your analysis of the criminal´s profile is very interesting.
Jorge, I agree with the bandit, you´ve improved a lot, your English is brilliant, very good vocabulary.Mario, you´ve also improved, your comments are much better.
I´m really pleased with your response, I think the blog is a good way to practise your English and share your views.
And now a task for the weekend: have a look at the following sentences, think about what you would change and post it.
he´s too much intelligent
he remembers me of a character
never nobody said his name
you were uncapable of doing it
I´m lazy for to write in english
I didn´t understand nothing
you don´t know what could be happen
this not slightly strange
this histories have been written years ago.
Have a nice weekend
I'll try with some of them:
* he´s much intelligent.
* he reminds me of a character.
* you were incapable of doing it.
* I'm lazy for writing in English
* I didn´t understand anything.
* You don't know what could have happened.
* These histories were written years ago.
And another one:
* Nobody ever said his name
Hi, I am Luis Fernando. It is possible I may be wrong, but I am think that correct way to write sentences above is as follows:
He is much more intelligent
He remember me about a character
No one ever said his name
You were unable (or incapable) to do it
I'm lazy for writing in English
I didn’t understand anything
You do not know what could have happened
This is not very strange
These stories were written years ago
Good weekend
Cristina, do you agree?
Greetings
I have some question about “Gutting of Couffignal” Story:
What is the relationship between the Detective and the Hendrixson family?
Was he a guest at the wedding party?
What was he doing on Couffignal Island?
I do not see very clear these issues! Thanks.
Well done, Goretti and Luis, you were able to correct most of the sentences. Goretti, you still need to think about the 1rst and the 4th. Luis, your 1st sentence is correct now, but it is a different sentence, you�ve made a comparative. The 2nd and the 5th are still wrong, the 4th is nearly correct.
As for your questions, you�re right,the story is not clear, let�s see if somebody can provide an answer.
Think about it.Hopefully, we�ll get some news in the next comments.
I'll try again with the 1st sentence:
* He´s too intelligent.
Now you´re right, Goretti. well done!
Sorry, I have a question. I thought it was "He is VERY intelligent". "too intelligent" is "being intelligent is bad".
?
The second sentence could be "I'm lazy to write in English" ?
(I have the same problem!)
I thinking the fourth sentence could be means "You couldn't do it".
The fifth one could be means
"I'm lazy about writing in English"
or
"I feel lazy to write in English"?
about the second one I don't sure what it means. Is about personality, behaviour...anythig else?
Cristina, What do you say?
Goretti, you´re right this time, the second sentence is correct:adjective + to + infinitive
Ara, you´re also right,but both sentences are correct: "he´s too intelligent" and "he´s very intelligent" but with a different shade of meaning.
"Too" as intensifier can convey the notion of "excess" so:
"he´s too intelligent" is the same as "he´s more intelligent than he should be". However "too" can also be a synonym of "extremely" in informal speech;
"it´s too kind of you".
It´s good to see you´re aware of your grammar mistakes and interested in accuracy.
Wow! What an atmosphere! :) (Thumb up)
Yes, Luis, the fourth sentence could mean ( not "could be means")
"you were not able TO do it"
"you were unable TO do it"
"you were incapable OF doing it"
The fifth sentence is
"I´m lazy to write in English"
As for the second sentence
"he reminds ( not "remembers )me of a character"
It was Jorge who mentioned it, so I don´t know what he means, if he´s comparing characters, personality or behaviour.
Thanks, Cristina!
Hi everybody!!!
About "The detective". Gil Grissom is a Forensic entomologist in the CSI tv serie and he is incredibly intelligent. I wrote that comment(he remembers me of a character of the CSI tv serie called “GRISON” because he knows everything) because the detective of Gutting of Couffignal is really intelligent and I think the detective is similar to Grissom.However, this is my opinion and it is how I´ve understood this chapter.
See you
Hi, I am Mercedes (intermediate 1 C ) and this is the first time that I write on the blog
About the book which had been read this year “American crime stories” a want to say that has been very interesting and amazing reading. For my, the best stories have been “The Heroine”, “Ride the Lightning”, “The Lipstick “and “The Gutting of Couffignal”. The most interesting story has been the last The Gutting of Couffignal because it is an action one, although it has took me a lot of work because it was very long and there were many characters, on the contrary, the third story “Lazy Susan” has not liked me anything, it is a silly story.
I think that to write on the blog is a good way to practise English.
Better late than never!
Welcome to the blog, Mercedes. As you said, better late than never, you´ve done very well!!!
I´m glad you enjoyed the book.You´re right "Lazy Susan" is a bit silly but the rest of the stories are more entertaining, anyway, it´s difficult to please everybody.
I´d like you to think about this sentence:
" the third story has not liked me anything"
What would you change?
I like a lot this blog, and this is not my first post here, and I wanted to say that some days ago a person made some mistakes and another one asked us how we’d rewrite those sentences in the right way. In my opinion that’s a good idea, as it helps us to learn them correctly. All of us are students and we don’t have experience enough to write perfectly… Thanks.
Hi, I am Mercedes
Cristina!, about your observation, I think that the correct way could be: I have not liked the third story at all.
Thank you very much
this is
Marta testing
well, I see that you have come quite a long way since you started posting.
I´ve been very happy to see you, BANDIT, roaming about in this section. Is that your friend who likes practising sports? And he has improved, has he? So he has decided to work on something else, has he? and apparently to his advantage. Good
I´m so happy to see the Thirds actually on the right track, getting ready for the Fourth year. However we have seen very few of you at the theatre. You missed King Lear!
We have a new section where we will be discussing films. you have to try and watch them in English and get beck to us with your posts. Remember you will be doing this for your English and your BRAINS not for your teachers.
Mercedes, you´ve managed to put the words in the right order now, well done!!!!However, the tense is not the most suitable one, as you had already mentioned the book, it s better to use the past tense:
"I didn´t like the third story at all" There is a reference to specific time.
Your English has improved a lot, it´s great to see that you can correct your mistakes.
Clara, I´m glad you like the idea of correcting wrong sentences. I think it´s a good way to encourage students to care about accuracy, fluency is very important but we can´t forget that the correct use of the language is one of our aims.
Como seguramente sabréis todos tenemos un nuevo blog dedicado al cine que hemos creado con una ilusión tremenda. Pero los blogs no funcionan solos, necesitan alma, y su alma es la gente que escribe en ellos. Sin vosotros, sin vuestra colaboración, morirá. No es necesario que escribáis en inglés, podéis hacerlo en español si os apetece más u os resulta más fácil, pero si optáis por intentarlo con el idioma de Shakespeare, no os preocupéis por los errores. Todos los cometemos, es así como aprendemos, nadie va juzgar como lo hacéis, somos vuestros compañeros. Lo que queremos es hacer algo que pueda unirnos, que nos permita mantener el contacto durante el verano y que nos entretenga y enseñe. Alguna gente escribe en inglés bastante bien y se puede aprender mucho de ellos, y si, además, ampliamos muestro conocimiento cinematográfico, miel sobre hojuelas. Venid, por favor, es algo nuestro, algo que nos convierte en compañeros y amigos independientemente de nuestro curso, nivel o estatus en la escuela. Por cierto, los amigos de nuestros amigos también son bienvenidos. ¡Os esperamos!
Well at the end I´ve just read all book I´d like it very much. I´ve understood every storie but the greatest difficulty I have found in the last storie. The best storie for me have done Lazy Susan. I can´t believe how a woman can be lazy until this point.
Well that is all for now.
Well at the end I´ve just read all book I´d like it very much. I´ve understood every storie but the greatest difficulty I have found in the last storie. The best storie for me have done Lazy Susan. I can´t believe how a woman can be lazy until this point.
Well that is all for now.
Hello
I´m Maria I don´t know how but.
I m sorry about my mistakes I have written twice the same thing
Hi everybody!
I'm here again. María congratulations for reading the whole book! you're a very hard-working person.
Lazy Susan is not as lazy as you have told us, first she had to do a training course and in the end she started working as a burglar. Her husband says she's lazy because he doesn't know she's working. It's a joke! that's not a job!
Hi there! Ana testing. I am sooooooo glad to see that Y3 students are improving their English in such a way that I am definitely lost for words! My warmest congratulations to Maria, both for her hard work and entusiasm about learning and also Clara and the rest of the gang. You are wonderful and I am very proud of you. Have a nice weekend
I know that this blog is not to write about things not related to the book, “American Crime Stories”, but I think I can do an exception today to write about the party we had yesterday afternoon at our School. It was great, and I enjoyed it very much.
I had the opinion that we only go to school to learn English and to meet our classmates, but I was wrong, our School was a Magic place for a few hours.
It was thanks to Carmen and Marta Peredo and also the rest of the staff or the school, they’ve made a huge effort to get it.
Apart from the personalities who came to school yesterday, that made the event so important, I could see how happy were all fourth--ourse students, as they have worked so much on the book “The Woman in White” and that day was their AWARD, not only for the winners but also for all of them.
These kinds of things make our lives at school much more interesting, and help us to work harder. Thanks to encourage us! I’m a third-year-student now and I’d like to be able to have an event like that next year.
Thanks for your comment, Clara, yesterday was a great day, it´s not common for such illustrious people to visit a language school, and a lot of work to organize everything, specially for Carmen and Marta.
Everything turned out perfectly well, and what we´re most proud of is our students, it´s your enthusiam, effort and interest that make these things possible,
keep on working hard and you will have your reward.
Thanks, Clara for your words from me and my 4ths. We´ve all worked hard towards making this event successful, so finding out that you have enjoyed it is very rewarding and indeed, a pleasure.
We are little without our students, so most merit goes to you all who follow us "where airy voices lead" as our Head, Marta, said at the end of her speech.
Dear all,
Today is the exam (NI-1) so I would like to wish you good luck!
It was a pleasure for me to share this year with you.
See you soon
Cristina, thank you very much for your patience with us
Jesús, it´s also been my pleasure.The interest and participation of all of you has made it very easy.Despite your being lazy at times your English has really improved, I hope you do well in the oral test.
See you on Thursday
I´m a foreigner here and tomorow I have an examn about the three first´s stories could someone tell me about the second one and the third one?
the time looms
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