Book Recommendations

Books reflect our personalities and interests. In this dialogue, Tom and John talk about their favourite genres, exchange views on fiction and non-fiction, and explore how stories spark imagination, emotions, and meaningful connections. Start practising now!

Learning Flow in This Unit:

1. Understand – listen to a dialogue and learn key vocabulary
2. Practice – complete vocabulary exercises
3. Use – apply the vocabulary in speaking and writing tasks
4. Check – see the answers below the exercises

📖 Stage 1 – Understand the Vocabulary

1️⃣ Listening for the main idea

Listen to the dialogue and choose the best answer.

Focus on the general topic and main message of the conversation. Do not worry about understanding every word.

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1. What did Tom and John mainly talk about?
2. What did Tom think of the poetry collection John recommended?
3. How did John feel about the mystery novel Tom suggested? 
4. How do Tom and John talk about their preference for physical books (paperback and hardback) versus e-books?

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Tom: Hey John, I finally got a chance to read that poetry collection you recommended. It was provocative, I must say.

John: Really? I’m glad you found it intriguing. What did you think of the verses?

Tom: They were enchanting, to be honest. The way the poet played with words created this magical atmosphere.

John: Nice! And I finished the mystery novel you suggested. The plotline was strong and kept me guessing till the end.

Tom: That’s awesome to hear. I love it when a mystery keeps you on your toes. By the way, did you manage to check out that biography I mentioned?

John: Yeah, I did. It was haunting, learning about the struggles and triumphs of the person’s life. Very touching.

Tom: I’m glad you found it so interesting. By the way, have you read that science fiction paperback I recommended?

John: Not yet, but it’s next on my list. I’ve been curling up with some hardbacks lately. There’s something about holding a physical book.

Tom: I get that. There’s a certain charm to hardbacks. But I’ve been enjoying some e-books too. It’s surprisingly comprehensible how quickly you can dive into a story on an e-reader.

John: True, true. So, any other recommendations? I’m always on the lookout for something compelling.

Tom: Well, if you’re into romance, I’ve got this captivating novel in mind. Let me know if you’re interested.

John: Absolutely, I’ll give it a shot. Thanks, Tom!

2️⃣ Listening for details

Listen to the dialogue again and decide if the statements below are True or False.

This time, listen carefully for specific information, such as reasons, opinions, or examples mentioned by the speakers.

1. Tom thought the poetry collection was boring.
2. John said the mystery novel kept him guessing until the end.
3. John had already finished reading the science fiction paperback.
4. Tom prefers only physical books and dislikes e-books.
5. John enjoys the feeling of holding a physical book.
6. Tom recommended a romance novel to John at the end of the conversation.

3️⃣ Vocabulary matching

Match the words or expressions with their correct definitions.

Read each word carefully and choose the definition that best explains its meaning in the context of the topic.

1. Provocative	A. Very interesting and able to hold your attention completely
2. Intriguing	B. A book with a soft paper cover
3. Enchanting	C. Easy to understand
4. Plotline	D. To try something
5. Keep on one’s toes	E. Emotionally powerful and difficult to forget
6. Haunting	F. Causing strong thoughts, feelings, or reactions
7. Touching	G. Extremely interesting or convincing
8. A paperback	H. The main series of events in a story
9. To curl up	I. A digital device used for reading electronic books
10. A hardcover	J. Pleasantly magical or charming
11. Comprehensible	K. Making you curious and wanting to know more
12. An e-reader	L. To relax in a comfortable position
13. Compelling	M. Causing feelings of sadness, sympathy, or emotion
14. Captivating	N. To keep someone alert and ready for surprises
15. Give it a shot	O. A book with a hard, stiff cover

✏️ Stage 2 – Practice the Vocabulary

4️⃣ Gap fill 

Complete the sentences using the words from the list.

Use each word once. Choose the word that best fits the meaning and grammar of the sentence.

provocative • intriguing • enchanting • plotline • haunting • touching • compelling • captivating • comprehensible • paperback

1. The movie had a very strong __________ that kept everyone interested until the end.
2. Her speech was so __________ that nobody wanted to stop listening.
3. The little village looked absolutely __________ in the snow.
4. I found the documentary quite __________ because it asked difficult social questions.
5. The ending of the story was deeply __________ and stayed in my mind for days.
6. His letter was very __________ and made me emotional.
7. The teacher explained the grammar in a simple and __________ way.
8. That mystery novel sounds really __________ — I want to know what happens next.
9. I bought the cheaper __________ version instead of the hardcover.
10. The actress gave a __________ performance that impressed the audience.

5️⃣ Collocations exercise

Some words often appear together in natural English. Choose the word that forms the correct expression.

plotline • paperback • hardback • e-reader • captivating • haunting • give • curl

1. A strong __________
2. A __________ novel
3. A __________ memory
4. A science fiction __________
5. Read books on an __________
6. __________ up with a book
7. __________ it a shot
8. A __________ edition

6️⃣ Word forms exercise

Complete the table with the correct word forms.

Fill in the missing verb, noun, adjective, or adverb forms of the words.

verb	adverb	adjective	Noun
intrigue
enchant
compel
comprehend

Use the correct form of the word in brackets.

1. The story was so __________ that I couldn’t stop reading it. (intrigue)
2. The music played __________ in the background of the scene. (enchant)
3. The speaker’s argument was __________ and convinced everyone in the room. (compel)
4. The instructions were clearly written and easy to understand; they were fully __________. (comprehend)

7️⃣ Paraphrasing / sentence transformation

Rewrite the sentences using the word in brackets.

Keep the same meaning, but change the structure of the sentence.

This exercise helps you learn different ways to express the same idea.

1. I was completely absorbed by the mystery novel and found it impossible to put down. (compelling)
2. The poetry collection left a deep emotional impression on me that I still think about. (touching)
3. Most of the instructions in English cause me no difficulty in understanding them. (comprehensible)
4. The story immediately drew my full attention from the very beginning. (captivating)
5. At the end of the day, I like to get comfortable and relax with a book. (curl up)
6. The biography affected me emotionally in a way that stayed with me long after I finished it. (haunting)
7. The unpredictability of the story kept me constantly alert while reading. (keep on one’s toes)
8. She made the decision to try science fiction, despite having doubts about whether she would enjoy it. (give it a shot)

8️⃣ Error correction

Each sentence contains one mistake. Find the mistake and correct it.

This exercise helps you improve accuracy and natural vocabulary use.

1. The plotline of the book were very compelling and kept me interested.
2. I was very intrigue by the author’s writing style.
3. The poetry collection was absolute enchanting.
4. This novel kept me on my toes because I never knew what will happen next.
5. I like to curl on with a book before going to sleep.
6. The biography was very touch and made me emotional.
7. The instructions were clearly comprehensiblely written.
8. She gave it a shot to read science fiction for the first time.

🗣️ Stage 3 – Use the Vocabulary

9️⃣ IELTS Speaking tasks.

Practice using new vocabulary in IELTS Speaking Parts 1-2-3:

Answer the questions using vocabulary from this unit.

Part 1 (4-5 minutes):

1. What is your name? /give your full name: first name and last name/
2. What shall I call you?
3. Can I see your ID, please?

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1. Do you work or are you a student?
2. Where do you work/ study?
3. Do you like your job/ studies?
4. If you had to change one thing about your job/ studies, what would you change? Why? 

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Let’s talk about clothes.

1. Are clothes important to you? Why or why not?
2. What kind of clothes do you usually wear?
3. Do you ever traditional clothes of your country?
4. Where do you buy your clothes?

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Let’s move on to discuss food.

1. What is your favourite food? Why?
2. Have you always like the same food?
3. Is there any food you dislike?
4. What is a common meal in your country?

Part 2 (2-3 minutes):

Describe a book that someone recommended to you.

You should say:

• who recommended the book to you
• what kind of book it was
• what the book was about
• whether you enjoyed reading it

and explain why you would or would not recommend this book to other people.

You have 1 minute to take notes. You should speak for 2 minutes.

Part 3 (5-6 minutes):

Answer the following questions. Give reasons and examples.

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Let’s discuss reading habits and preferences

1. Why do some people enjoy reading books while others prefer watching films or videos?
2. Do you think people read less nowadays than in the past? Why or why not?
3. What kinds of books are most popular among young people in your country?
4. Do you think people’s reading preferences change as they get older? Why?

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Let’s consider book recommendations and their influence

1. Why do people often ask friends for book recommendations?
2. Do people trust recommendations from friends more than online reviews? Why?
3. How can a good book influence a person’s ideas or behaviour?
4. In the future, do you think technology will change the way people read and recommend books? Why or why not?

🔟IELTS Writing tasks

Task 1 (IELTS Academic Training): Write at least 150 words. You have 20 minutes to plan – write – proofread your task. 

The graph below shows the percentage of people who preferred different reading formats (paper books, e-books, and audiobooks) between 2016 and 2024.

Red → Audiobooks

Blue → Paper books

Green → E-books

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

💡 What to focus on:

✅ Give an overview of the main trends (what increased, decreased, or stayed stable)

✅ Compare the three reading formats rather than describing each year separately

✅ Highlight the highest and lowest figures

✅ Identify important changes over time

✅ Use comparison language (e.g., while, whereas, compared to, in contrast)

✅ Use formal Task 1 expressions:

• the majority of readers…
• experienced a gradual decline
• showed a steady increase
• remained relatively stable
• accounted for…
• by comparison…

⚠️ Avoid giving opinions (e.g., I think e-books are better) — only describe the data you see.

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Task 2: Write at least 250 words. You have 40 minutes to plan – write – proofread your task. 

People are reading fewer books today. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?

✍️ Essay Plan

1️⃣ Introduction

• Paraphrase the topic
• Mention both parts of the question (reasons + opinion)
  👉 State your opinion clearly (recommended: negative development)

2️⃣ Body 1 – Reasons (Why is this happening?)

Give 2 clear causes:

• 📱 Increased screen time (social media, streaming, gaming)
• ⏱️ Busy lifestyles and reduced free time for reading

👉 Add 1 simple example:

• e.g. people prefer short videos instead of long books

3️⃣ Body 2 – Opinion (Positive or Negative?)

👉 Choose one side (recommended: negative development)

Explain impact:

• 🧠 Reduced attention span and deep thinking
• 📚 Lower reading skills and vocabulary development

4️⃣ Conclusion

• Summarise reasons briefly
• Restate opinion clearly

💡 Tip for Students

👉 Always use:

• 2 reasons
• 2 effects/opinions
• Simple structure (don’t overcomplicate ideas)

ANSWERS 

EXERCISE 1:

1. Tom and John mainly talked about books they had read and recommended to each other. They discussed different genres such as poetry, mystery, biography, science fiction, and romance.
2. Tom thought the poetry collection was enchanting and provocative. He especially liked the way the poet used words to create a magical atmosphere.
3. John felt very positive about the mystery novel Tom suggested. He said the plot was strong and kept him guessing until the end.
4. Tom and John both appreciate physical books like paperbacks and hardbacks because they enjoy the feeling and charm of holding a real book. However, Tom also likes e-books because they are convenient and make it easy to quickly start reading on an e-reader.

EXERCISE 2:

1. False — Tom did not think the poetry collection was boring. He described it as “enchanting” and said the poet created a magical atmosphere.
2. True — John said the mystery novel had a strong plotline and kept him guessing until the end.
3. False — John said he had not read the science fiction paperback yet. He mentioned that it was next on his list.
4. False — Tom said he enjoys hardbacks, but he also likes e-books because they make it easy to quickly start reading.
5. True — John said there is something special about holding a physical book, which shows he enjoys physical books.
6. True — At the end of the conversation, Tom recommended a captivating romance novel to John.

EXERCISE 3:

1 — F
2 — K
3 — J
4 — H
5 — N
6 — E
7 — M
8 — B
9 — L
10 — O
11 — C
12 — I
13 — G
14 — A
15 — D

EXERCISE 4:

1. plotline
2. captivating
3. enchanting
4. provocative
5. haunting
6. touching
7. comprehensible
8. intriguing
9. paperback
10. compelling

EXERCISE 5:

1. plotline
2. captivating
3. haunting
4. paperback
5. e-reader
6. curl
7. give
8. hardback

EXERCISE 6:

verb	adverb	adjective	Noun
intrigue	intriguingly	intriguing	intrigue
enchant	enchantingly	enchanting	enchantment
compel	compellingly	compelling	compulsion
comprehend	comprehensibly	comprehensible	comprehension

1. The story was so intriguing that I couldn’t stop reading it.
2. The music played enchantingly in the background of the scene.
3. The speaker’s argument was compelling and convinced everyone in the room.
4. The instructions were clearly written and easy to understand; they were fully comprehensible.

EXERCISE 7:

1. I found the mystery novel so compelling that I couldn’t put it down.
2. The poetry collection was very touching, leaving a deep emotional impression on me that I still think about.
3. Most English instructions are comprehensible to me, causing no difficulty in understanding them.
4. The story was so captivating that it immediately drew my full attention from the very beginning.
5. I like to curl up with a book and relax at the end of the day.
6. The biography was deeply haunting, staying with me emotionally long after I finished it.
7. The story’s unpredictability kept me on my toes while reading it. (keep on one’s toes)
8. She decided to give science fiction a shot, despite having doubts about whether she would enjoy it.

EXERCISE 8:

1. The plotline of the book was very compelling and kept me interested.
   → Subject “plotline” is singular, so “was” is needed.
2. I was very intrigued by the author’s writing style.
   → Correct adjective form: intrigued (not intrigue).
3. The poetry collection was absolutely enchanting.
   → Adverb form needed before adjective.
4. This novel kept me on my toes because I never knew what would happen next.
   → Backshift in reported future context.
5. I like to curl up with a book before going to sleep.
   → Fixed phrasal verb is “curl up”, not “curl on”.
6. The biography was very touching and made me emotional.
   → Correct adjective form of “touch”.
7. The instructions were clearly comprehensibly written. (or more natural: clearly comprehensible)
   → Adverb form needed.
8. She gave science fiction a shot for the first time.
   → Correct word order in phrasal structure.