Практика речи: Интерпретация текста - Методическая разработка для студентов III и IV курсов отделения английского языка и литературы (А.И.Кадырова)

Words and phrases used in summarizing and interpreting a text

 

I. PHRASES FOR MAKING A SUMMARY

 

1.a At the beginning of the story (in the beginning) the author describes (depicts, dwells on, touches upon, explains, introduces, mentions, recalls, character- izes,  analyzes,  comments,  enumerates,  points  out,  generalizes,  criticizes, makes a few critical remarks on, reveals, exposes, accuses, blames, con- demns, mocks at, ridicules, praises, sings the praises, sympathizes with, gives a summary of, gives an account of, digresses from the subject ).

1.b The story (the author) begins with the description of (the introduction of, the mention of, the analysis of, the comment on, a review of, an account of, the

summary of, the characterization of, (his) opinion of, (his) recollections, the enumeration of, the criticism of, some (a few) remarks about (of, concerning), the accusation of, the exposure of, his praises of, the ridicule of, the generali-

zation of.

1.c The story opens with…

1.d The scene is laid in …

1.e The opening scene shows (reveals) …

1.f We first see (meet) him (her) as a student of a medical college (a girl of fif- teen)

 

2. Then (after that, further, further on, next) the author passes on to… (goes on from… to…, goes on to say that…, gives a detailed (thorough) analysis (de- scription) of…, digresses from the subject, etc.).

 

3.a In conclusion the author… (See list 1.a)

3.b The author concludes with… (See list 1.b)

3.c The story ends with… (See list 1.b)

3.d To finish with, the author describes (See list 1.a)

3.e At the end of the story the author draws the conclusion that… (comes to the conclusion that…)

3.f At the end of the story the author sums it all up (by saying, etc.)

3.g The concluding words are…

 

II PHRASES FOR ANALYZING A TEXT

 

1. The excerpt (passage) under examination;

the plot is centered / centers on (upon, round, around smb, smth); the author’s message, to transmit the (full) message to the reader; the main stages in the development of the idea;

the implied (worded) idea;

 

to get at the implied meaning;

what is implied outweighs what is expressed;

not to state out every detail of the situation;

to be left for the reader to divine (to decide);

to keep the reader in suspense;

to look at the described events as if from “within”;

the reader gets a vivid notion of smth;

abundance of thought in a tone of matter-of-fact irony;

to evoke an emotional response;

to touch emotions;

to feel for smb;

to disclose the author’s attitude towards smb (his world outlook, his evaluation of smth);

smth is the author’s mouthpiece;

to speak volumes for (the author’s aesthetic views);

to serve the purpose of the author;

a piece of most powerful rhetoric;

the interest of the present selection is manifold;

implications, images, etc, are called to mind;

an undercurrent of implied significance;

a life-like character;

a remarkable piece of realistic character drawing;

truly convincing and artistic character drawing;

to be at her/his best when picturing a woman’s inner world;

to be remarkable for penetrating character study;

character creation is achieved in many various ways;

to accurately reproduce the actual doings of his characters;

there is ample characterization by action, by speech, by the attitude his charac- ters assume to one another;

to give an insight into smb’s personality;

to handle smb’s portrait in a subtle and convincing way;

elusive (suggestive) images;

images invoke ideas of…;

to lend vitality to…;

to reveal the depth of her feeling, to reveal to the full;

to receive their full symbolic significance;

to convey much while saying little;

to crowd a wealth of significance within a limited space;

smb’s skill at impressing with the unsaid, the implied, the suggested rather than with what’s actually said or mentioned.

 

2. To be written in a lofty (cheerful, romantic, dismal, angry, lyrical, dramatic, humorous, unemotional, matter-of-fact) key (mood, vein, slant);

 

to enhance (to emphasize, accentuate) the mood of the scene;

in a powerful and dramatic manner;

the emotional colouring is made definite by words naming (expressing) emotions;

to receive a very specific emotional colouring;

to add strength (speed, clarity, wit, humour);

to create a narration of great tension;

to be characterized by laconism and lack of detail;

physical and emotional background; to create an atmosphere of suspense; to achieve (reach) the climax;

to give the passage a solemn ring;

to focus (fix) the reader’s attention on…;

to come into focus;

to be made prominent by…; to be given prominence;

to be suggestive of…;

to reverberate with subtle suggestiveness;

true-to-life (exaggerated) description (representation);

to lapse into grossness and crudity;

to stamp a work with the author’s particular individuality;

to contain elements of social satire;

to bear touches of humour;

to be charged with mood and emotional atmosphere;

to be manifested with great intensity;

to give the reader a vivid sense of…;

to give the descriptions the accuracy and solidity of immediate observation;

to heighten the effect of descriptive passages;

to be characterized by the purposeful objectivity and concreteness of description;

to form a toned-down prelude;

sparingly given details;

the pettiest details grow in importance owing to the way they are treated.

 

3. Genuine (trite, hackneyed) imagery;

an ornamental (relevant, suggestive) image;

a vivid (striking, dead) metaphor, a revived metaphor;

a gift for metaphor;

to be brimful of meaning;

the sources of …’s imagery are extremely variegated and often quite unexpected;

a keen eye for exact and concrete detail;

to be based on selection of words;

to abound in, to be rich in;

to employ (resort to) metaphors (epithets, similes, etc.);

masterly touches in rich and vivid epithets;

a device favoured by…;

 

the device helps to convey the full meaning of…;

to be enforced by the imagery;

towards the end of the passage the imagery becomes more elaborate;

the word “…” is a favourite;

to make ample use of rare and lofty words;

overrich and profusely ornamented vocabulary;

smb’s language tends to be plain and straightforward;

to render the dynamic rhythm of present-day colloquial English vividly and truthfully;

to draw attention by oddity (abnormality) of word-order;

smth adds to the music of the passage;

simple and clearcut syntax;

to cultivate short, abrupt sentences true to the rhythm and the intonation of the spoken language;

to make the rhythm of the passage more pronounced;

the word “…” is persistently reiterated and deliberately stressed by …;

to give weight to…;

to achieve the effect by…;

to be sustained by…;

to deserve special attention;

the distinguishing feature of smb’s style; smb’s wonderful mastery of the language; to sharpen the conflict;

to render (convey, reveal, reflect) the atmosphere;

to reveal, to depict, to portray, to picture, to represent;

formal (bookish, learned, informal, colloquial)words;

a bold blending of direct and indirect meanings;

to be peculiarly worded;

the impact of imagery;

to further (to strengthen ) the impression;

to draw (to focus, to fix) the attention to (on) the key words;

to appeal to senses;

to carry conviction;

the vivid colour scheme is achieved by…;

as the passage progresses the character of imagery is changed