[General] You might read some English classics.

[Silverobama]

The following conversation was between me and someone whose English is excellent.

Silver: Can you tell me how to learn English well?
Someone: Well, there are many things you can do. For example,.....
Silver: How can I improve my writing and reading skills?
Someone: You might read some English classics.

Is the last italic sentence natural? What he meant was "I can read some English books like Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist, etc. Books that are famous and can help me with my English".

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, it is.

 

[probus]

If you are going to read Dickens you should be aware that English has evolved since his day. Very few people write such long and complicated sentences nowadays.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes, the answer was natural. The advice, however, isn't very helpful, unless you stick to modern classics — not Dickens or Bronte. Your conversational English would benefit much more from twentieth and twenty-first century writers. Most earlier writing is distinctly unnatural to today's ears. "I trust I've done nothing to warrant your disapprobation" is interesting writing, but it won't help you with conversational English.

That doesn't mean the old classics aren't important, entertaining, or instructive. They can be. And you'll understand the writing. But it's hard work slogging through dense, outdated language. Your English is very good and improving rapidly, but more current books will teach you a lot more (and probably be more fun) than nineteenth century books and older.

There are exceptions. Robert Lewis Stevenson and Mark Twain are 1800s writers you would have no trouble with. And William Faulkner and Thomas Pynchon are modern writers who could easily confound you. (They certainly confound most Americans!)

And a book doesn't have to be a classic to be worth reading. If you tell us what kinds of books you enjoy, we can make suggestions.

 

[Quablosom]

It sounds in English.

not a teacher

 

[5jj]

It sounds in English

What do you mean by that?

 

[Rover_KE]

Qhablosom, you have to state that you are not a teacher when attempting to answer questions.

Please correct the information in your profile before replying to 5jj's post.

 

[Tdol]

There are exceptions. Robert Lewis Stevenson and Mark Twain are 1800s writers you would have no trouble with.

The Sherlock Holmes books could be added to that list.