Are you comfortable writing English in the classroom but nervous about writing in the real world? To write confidently in English you need to practise different styles of written English. Collins Writing helps you recognize different styles and choose the right language to get your message across. The twenty units focus on a wide variety of texts so that you can feel just as comfortable writing a postcard or using social media online. Learn to write as fluently as you speak, use the right tone, and use persuasive language to get the response you need. Featured writing styles include: * online reviews * tweets * instant messaging * thank you letters * emails * job applications Collins Writing is part of the new English for Life series and uses authentic material from the Collins Corpus, the world's largest database of the English language. It is suitable for self-study and classroom use, and can help towards Cambridge FCE preparation. Suitable for Intermediate learners of English (CEF level B1+).

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Strange items have disappeared from the student hostel on Hickory Road and Mrs Hubbard, the warden, is becoming suspicious. Detective Hercule Poirot has been a little bored recently and decides to try to solve the mystery. But the investigation turns sinister when one of the students is found poisoned in her room.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Hercule Poirot, the famous detective, is on holiday in the south of England when he meets a lady called Nick Buckley. Nick has had a lot of mysterious 'accidents'. First, her car brakes failed. Then, a large rock just missed her when she was walking, and later, a painting almost fell on her while she was asleep. Finally, Poirot finds a bullet hole in her hat! Nick is in danger and needs Poirot's help. Can he find the guilty person before Nick is harmed?

If you feel overwhelmed by the complexity of TOEFL, Collins Skills for TOEFL iBT Test can help. This book helps you handle the integrated aspect of the tasks in the test, and give you tips and strategies for the different question types you will face. Collins Skills for the TOEFL iBT Test is a two book series (1 Listening/Speaking; 2 Reading/Writing) to help learners prepare for the 'Test of English as a Foreign Language', used by over 7,500 institutions in 130 countries as a measure of language ability. To date, 25 million learners have taken the test around the world. In particular these books are aimed at helping learners handle the integrated-skill aspect of the test, where they are required to produce responses based on mixed input. The books help learners to familiarise with the TOEFL test. Learners focus on improving their skills and test-taking times for specific sections of the test, and look at solutions for how to overcome the most common challenges of the test. The books provide clear strategies and tips to help learners improve their score. Summary * Quick Guide: question overviews give learners an easy reference to the characteristics of each question type * Challenges and Solutions: these sections offer strategy and skills reviews to help learners learn how to overcome the most common challenges. * Get it right: gives a quick overview of the most important steps for doing well on each question type and includes useful vocabulary and expressions * Answer Analysis: teaches learners how to rule out distracter answer options * Progressive Practice: encourages independent learning by offering a graded progression of content and task sets * Review Test sections: offer timed TOEFL test-taking guides and help learners practice what they've learned in a simulated environment * Audio CD: enables effective TOEFL practice *Highly experienced author team, who have written TOEFL materials before and worked as teachers preparing learners for the test.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Six people sit down for dinner at a table laid for seven. No one can forget the night exactly a year ago that Rosemary Barton died at this same table surrounded by the same people, her beautiful face turned blue with cyanide poison. Rosemary had always been memorable — and people had strong reactions to her. Did one of the six people at dinner feel strongly enough about her to kill her?

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Pretty, young Anne Beddingfeld comes to London looking for adventure. But adventure finds her when she sees a man fall off an Underground platform and die on the rails. The police think the death was an accident. But who was the man in the brown suit who examined the body before running away? Anne has only one clue, but she is determined to bring the mysterious killer to justice. Anne's adventure takes her on a cruise ship all the way to Cape Town and on into Africa...

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Lymstock is a small town with lots of secrets. Recently several people in the town have received anonymous hate-mail. When Mrs Symmington receives one of the letters and then dies in mysterious circumstances, the people of the town no longer know whom they can trust. Who is writing the letters? And why? Miss Marple helps solve the mystery.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words When Colonel Protheroe is found murdered in the vicar's study, it seems that almost everyone in the village of St Mary Mead had a motive to kill him. This is the first case for Agatha Christie's legendary female detective, Miss Marple. She needs to use all her powers of observation and deduction to solve the mystery.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Roger Ackroyd is a man who knows too much. He knows the woman he loved poisoned her first husband. He knows someone was blackmailing her — and now he knows she killed herself. When Roger Ackroyd is found murdered, the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, is called in to find out who the killer is.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Recently, there have been some strange things happening at Styles, a large country house in Essex. Evelyn Howard, a loyal friend to the family for years, left the house after an argument with Mrs Inglethorp. Mrs Inglethorp is then suddenly taken ill and dies. Has she been poisoned? It is up to the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, to find out what happened.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: * A CD with a reading of the adapted story * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words Victoria Jones is a young English woman who is looking for love. She follows her new love interest to Baghdad, but she has no idea what adventure is waiting for her there. A very important international meeting is planned in Baghdad, but a secret organisation wants to sabotage it. Meanwhile, when a man dies in Victoria's hotel room, he whispers three words to her: '...Lucifer ...Basrah ...Lefarge ...' What do these words mean? And what does it have to do with the meeting?

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words There is a dangerous atmosphere at Stoneygates, a centre for young criminals. When Miss Marple visits her friend there, she can sense the danger, too. One evening during her stay someone shoots at the administrator of the centre. He is not injured, but a visiting relative is shot dead at the same time in another part of the building. Could this be a coincidence? Miss Marple must solve the mystery.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: — A CD with a reading of the adapted story; — Helpful notes on characters; — Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot; — A glossary of the more difficult words Bobby Jones is playing golf... terribly. As his ball disappears over the edge of a cliff, he hears a cry. The ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, 'Why didn't they ask Evans?' Bobby and his adventure-seeking companion Frankie set out to solve the mystery of the dying man's last words only to find their own lives in terrible danger...

OMG, queen of mean Madison Parker in a brand new series. It's claws out in the fight to become Hollywood's brightest star... Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of nice-girl-next-door-turned-reality-celeb Jane Roberts in L. A. Candy. Now she's ready for her turn in the spotlight and she'll stop at nothing to get it. But with backstabbing friends and family, relentless paparazzi, and tabloid scandals she can't control, Madison is going to have her work cut out for her. Plus, there's a new nice girl in town — Carmen Price, the daughter of Hollywood royalty — who's a lot more experienced than Jane was at playing the fame game... Filled with characters both familiar and new, Lauren Conrad's new series about life in front of the camera dishes Hollywood gossip and drama at every turn.

Pinkalicious goes mini in this slipcase containing four miniature I Can Read titles! This adorable set makes for the perfect gift and features pinkerrific foil to add extra value. This set includes: Pinkalicious: Pinkie Promise, Pinkalicious: The Pinkerrific Playdate, Pinkalicious: The Princess of Pink Slumber Party, and Pinkalicious: Soccer Star.

When Nancy is invited over to Bree’s house for a special tea party, she has only one thing to say: oui! The girls enjoy a few charming cups of tea before a disaster occurs that sets the two at odds. Will Nancy and Bree be able to save their friendship?

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. From the author of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Under the Greenwood Tree is a tale of love, tragedy, and the changing charm of traditional village life when it is met with the cold reality of modernity. Centring on the quaint rural village of Mellstock, set deep within Hardy's imagined and picturesque county of Wessex, the novel revolves around a double plot of the hopeful love story of Dick Dewey and Fancy Day and the tragic demise of the Mellstock Choir, and what the crumbling of long-held traditions means to the local community. The arrival of Mr Maybold, a new vicar with newfangled ideas, unsettles the local community with ideas of revolutionary change, in which the church and its generations-old choir are an anchor. Considered one of Hardy's most upbeat and optimistic novels, Under the Greenwood Tree explores issues of past and future, hope and love, and is a delightful addition to the Collins' canon of Thomas Hardy classic novels.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. And now, Katy, it's your turn. Tell us what you're going to be when you grow up. I'm not sure about what I'll be, replied Katy; beautiful, of course, and good if I can. That's what I'd like to be. But now I'll tell you what I mean to do!' Tomboyish Katy Carr is tall, gangling, and full of mischief. Constantly scheming and playing with her brothers and sisters, 12-year-old Katy dreams that one day she will be 'beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel'. But goodness and obedience don't come easily to Katy, who had promised to be a good stand-in mother to her younger siblings but finds it difficult to stick to her word. When her bedridden cousin Helen comes to stay, Katy becomes enchanted with her as the living embodiment of goodness and light. On the day Helen leaves, Katy devotes herself to be a shining example of Helen's behaviour. But quickly the best of intentions go awry, and a day of mischief ends in an accident: a serious fall from a swing that seems to threaten Katy's grand hopes for the future. But by focusing on the good humour and strength she witnessed in Helen, Katy eventually learns to overcome her difficulties in the 'School of Pain', and to practice strength, patience, and hope. Originally published in 1872, and often paired with The Secret Garden and Pollyanna, What Katy Did is the classic American tale of childhood, love, hope, and 'doing good'.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'I here present you, courteous reader, with the record of a remarkable period in my life...' The Confessions of an English Opium Eater is both a classic of the English autobiographical genre and a hard-nosed study of the effects of drugs on an artistic mind. A close associate of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the brilliant but troubled de Quincey recounts both the pleasures and pain of opium addiction in captivating prose. The result is by turns enlightened, nightmarish and witty — a faithful mirror of the drug itself.

George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE — the story so far. The greatest epic work of the modern age is now available in a collectible box set. A GAME OF THRONES has been adapted into a hit HBO original series. George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has set the benchmark for contemporary epic fantasy. Labelled by Time magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world, Martin has conjured a world as complex and vibrant as that of J.R.R. Tolkien's, populated by a huge cast of fascinating, complex characters, and boasting a history that stretches back twelve thousand years. Three great storylines weave through the books, charting the civil war for control of the Seven Kingdoms; the defence of the towering Wall of ice in the uttermost north against the unearthly threat of the Others; and across the Narrow Sea the rise to power of Daenerys Targaryen and the last live dragons in the world. The HBO adaption of A Game of Thrones is currently airing worldwide and has already proved so popular that a second season has been commissioned.