Other patterns

The extract is permeated with deep concern and sympathy towards...

The extract can be subdivided into... logically complete parts.

The extract is practically wholly a narrative (a dialogue, a description), mostly a dialogue and partially a narrative, mostly a description and partially a dialogue, etc.

The general atmosphere (tone, slant) of the extract is...

As the action develops (unfolds) the general atmosphere changes.

The choice of words, syntactical patterns, some expressive means and stylistic devices help the author to create this atmosphere, to enhance the effect of gloom (dramatic tension, irony, to express his sympathetic /scornful, ironical/ attitude to the characters, to show the misery /wretchedness, blissful happiness, etc./ of the main characters, to accentuate tense relations between the characters, to make the description more vivid, to make the narration and characters more creditable and true-to-life.)

The author's sympathy lies with...

The writer depicts his characters through their speech, actions, feelings, attitude towards

each other, etc.

There are also some instances of direct characterization in the text.

The speech of the characters is (unemotional, inexpressive, etc.)

As far as my attitude to the characters is concerned I want to say (to stress, to underline the fact that...), I think, I consider, I'm sure that, there is no doubt (no denying) that...

I am on the side of...

I sympathize with..., I fully support and understand...

My attitude to this character can't be expressed in a couple of words, because it is a very complex character. On the one hand, he seems to me..., on the other hand, I think that...

The author’s treatment of his characters seems to me brilliant (superb, perfect, unsurpassed, poor, /un/convincing, true-to-life, realistic), etc.

The author lets the reader form his notion (opinion, judgment) of the characters by himself.

To my mind (in my opinion) the message (main idea) of the extract is the following...

It seems to me that by this extract (story) the author wanted to convey to the reader the following message (ideas, thoughts):...

I fully /dis/agree with the author in that...

As far as my evaluation of the text is concerned 1 want to say that (it seems to me that..., I found the text interesting, not very interesting, gripping/thrilling, entertaining, merely amusing, sparkling with brilliant humor and wit, thought-provocative, too far-fetched and not very true-to-life, dull, boring, slow-moving), etc

The ideas expressed by the author are very close to me because...

His ideas concerning... are still important, vital and urgent.

In this extract the author touches upon the most burning problems of mankind, the eternal problems.