Readers reveal books they lie about

In a survey carried out in Britain about books, over half of people admit to lying about what they have read.

When asked if they have read a famous book many people are often too embarrassed to say "no".

The survey was part of the annual World Book Day and it used information from 1,342 respondents to a questionnaire. While 33% of people say they have never lied about boooks - a clear majority - 65% have.

The classic novel Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell came top in the UK's list of books that people falsely say they have read. More than 40% of people lied about reading it in order to impress others. It is followed by Tolstoy's War and Peace (31%), James Joyce's Ulysses (25%) and the Bible (24%).

The children's writer Francesca Simon thinks it is possible to get sucked into making false claims. She remembered one of her professors at Oxford University asking her about the Italian writer Italo Calvino. "I said that I'd heard of him and she started questioning me over which books I had read and then I couldn't get out of it."

The poll reveals that many of us are impatient readers - we sometimes just go straight to the end. We are also not particularly worried about how we treat a book - 62% of people in the survey admit they turn down the corner of the page to keep their place.

In addition a total of 48% of people admit to buying a book for someone else and reading it first. This is something that Simon is happy to admit to. "But no one can ever tell," she said.

Jonathan Douglass, director of the National Literacy Trust organisation, said that in many ways the results were good. "It shows that reading has a huge cultural value in the way we present ourselves as intelligent and engaged people."

Lesson Plan

Bring in classic novels in English. Has anybody read them in translation or sen the film? Ask students about the most admired classics in their country/language. Brainstorm a list on the board. Are any hard to read because they are long and difficult? Leave the list on the board. - 5 mins

Tell students they are going to read about a survey on books. Pre-teach: survey, questionnaire, respondent, majority, to reveal, to lie, to admit, to get sucked into. - 7 mins

Give out copies of the article. Write the following true/false questions on the board. Check unknown vocabulary. Students read to find answers. Feedback. - 10 mins

1. More than half the people surveyed admitted to lying about books.
2. About a third of people have never lied about books.
3. War and Peace is the book that most people have lied about.
4. Francesca Simon read books by Italo Calvino at Oxford University.
5. More than half of people turn down the corners of the pages.
6. Only a very small percentage of people read books they have bought as presents.
7. Jonathan Douglas is positive about the survey results.

Ask: Why do people lie about reading books? Students find and underline key information - ?? mins

Look back at the books on the board. Which ones do you think people in your country lie about? Why? - ?? mins

Draw up a mind map with "Books and Reading" in the centre. Draw three lines from the middle with "adjectives", "type of book" and "elements of a book" pn them. Elicit vocabulary for each category, for example: adjectivestype: thriller classic novel, detective novel, biography, autobiography; elements: character, chapter, beginning, end. - 10 mins

Tell students they are going to discuss two books in paris. First students think of two books - one they've read and one that is a lie. Students then prepare five questions to ask their partner about the books. For example, Would you recommend the books? Are they very readable? One student asks questions and the other talks convincingly about their books. At the end the questioner guesses which book is the lie. Reverse roles. - 15 mins