Unit 8

Word

Definition

Example

crime fiction

stories about crimes and detectives solving them.

My favourite genre is crime fiction. I love trying to guess who's guilty before the detective!

critic

a person who gives opinions about books, films, or art.

He's a good critic, but he can be a bit cruel in his reviews!

editor

a person who prepares and corrects text for books, magazines, or newspapers.

My uncle is the editor of the local newspaper and sometimes he writes articles too.

fantasy

a story with magical or imaginary worlds and characters.

I think the best fantasy novel ever written is The Lord of the Rings.

graphic novel

a long story told with both text and detailed comic-style pictures.

I like reading graphic novels to chill out – all the pictures mean you don't have to think too much!

historical fiction

a story set in the past, often based on real events or people.

My sister loves historical fiction. She's reading a huge book about the Tudors at the moment.

legend

an old story, often about heroes, that may not be completely true.

The story of Robin Hood is a legend – no-one really knows if he existed or not.

novelist

a person who writes novels.

He wants to be thought of as a serious novelist, but he's most famous for his funny short stories.

playwright

a person who writes plays for the theatre.

William Shakespeare is probably the most famous playwright the world has ever known.

romantic novel

a story about love and relationships.

That must be a romantic novel – look at the cover. It's pink with little hearts all over it!

science fiction

stories about the future, space, or advanced technology.

I don't really like science fiction. Stories about aliens and strange planets don't interest me at all.

tragedy

a serious story with a sad or disastrous ending.

The play is a tragedy, but although the end is very sad, there are some funny bits too.

bring up

mention

I'm not sure if now's the right time to bring this up, but have you thought any more about our holiday?

flick through

look at but not read in detail

I've flicked through your report but I'll study it in detail later.

get across

explain, communicate

We need to get across the idea that this product is the best!

go on

talk more than is necessary and become boring

I love my cousins very much but they do go on.

put forward

suggest

Some of the students have put forward the idea of a trip to a castle.

read up about

get detailed information about something by doing research

I read up about the author before I went to hear him read extracts from his new novel.

spell out

explain something very clearly and in detail

I know it's not difficult, but I'm going to spell it out very clearly so I'm sure you've understood.

talk through

discuss something, e.g. a problem or an idea

Let's sit down and talk it through. I'm sure there's a solution.

say hello/goodbye/goodnight

to greet or take leave of someone with words.

Dan, your cousins are going now, so come and say goodbye.

say sorry

to express that you regret doing something wrong.

You'd better say sorry to Annie for ripping her jacket.

speak against / in favour of sth

to give an opinion opposing or supporting something in public.

Some people at the meeting spoke against the proposals.

speak for yourself

used when you disagree with someone who seems to express your opinion.

Speak for yourself! You may be happy about having an extra 30 minutes of classes every day, but I'm not!

speak well/highly of

to say good things about someone.

The new headteacher's doing a really good job – all of the teachers and students speak highly of her.

speak your mind

to say exactly what you think, even if others may not like it.

My mum always speaks her mind, which some people think is a bit impolite sometimes.

tell a joke

to say something funny to make people laugh.

I'm bad at telling jokes – I can never remember the endings.

tell a lie / the truth

to say something that is not true / true.

Angie told me that her uncle is a millionaire, but I'm not sure she was telling the truth.

tell a story

to describe real or imaginary events to someone.

Our dad always used to tell us a story before we went to sleep.

tell sb a secret

to share private information that others don't know.

If I tell you a secret, will you promise not to tell anyone else?

tell the difference between things

to recognize how two or more things are not the same.

How can you tell the difference between a dove and a pigeon?

tell the time

to know how to read a clock.

I learnt to tell the time when I was about six years old.

able

having the skill, power, or opportunity to do something.

She's able to speak three languages fluently.

appear

to become visible or seem to exist.

A rainbow appeared after the heavy rain.

know

to have information or be familiar with someone or something.

Do you know where the nearest pharmacy is?

lonely

feeling sad because you are alone.

He felt lonely after moving to a new city where he didn't know anyone.

speak

to say words; to use your voice to communicate.

Please speak clearly so everyone can understand you.

surround

to be all around someone or something.

The house is surrounded by beautiful trees and gardens.

think

to use your mind to form ideas or make decisions.

I think we should leave early to avoid the traffic.

vary

to be different or change depending on the situation.

Prices vary depending on the season and location.