Sara Ribotta's English Corner: December 2013

Topics discussed UNIT 3
Vocabulary: metaphors with the word cold (p35); words to describe statistics (p36)
Grammar: so & such (p34); conditional sentences (p37, p93, p94)

Basically, in English there are four conditionals:

ZERO CONDITIONAL to talk about a general situation, or something which is always true.
If you heat ice, it melts.
IF-CLAUSE: PRESENT TENSE
MAIN CLAUSE: PRESENT TENSE

Using this conditional suggests that we are 100% sure of the result.

FIRST CONDITIONAL to talk about possible situations in the future and their consequences.
If I study, I will pass the exam.
This situation takes place if a certain condition is met. It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.
IF-CLAUSE: PRESENT TENSE
MAIN CLAUSE: FUTURE TENSE

SECOND CONDITIONAL to talk about improbable situations in the present or future or imaginary situations.
If I bought a car like this, everyone would admire me. (I don't intend to buy the car - it's not going to happen!)
If I were you, I would plant some trees in your garden. (but I'm not you — this is unreal!)
IF-CLAUSE: PAST SIMPLE
MAIN CLAUSE: WOULD + INFINITIVE or COULD + INFINITIVE or MIGHT + INFINITIVE

THIRD CONDITIONAL to talk about a past condition that is impossible be fulfilled (too late!)

If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam. (I failed the exam, because I didn't study hard enough.)

IF-CLAUSE: PAST PERFECT
MAIN CLAUSE: WOULD + HAVE + INFINITIVE or COULD + HAVE + INFINITIVE or MIGHT + HAVE + INFINITIVE

Things to remember:

1. The conditional sentences are formed in two steps. First, decide if you’re talking about a real or an unreal situation. Then, choose the correct tense. There are two choices: the present-future or the past.

2. Often the condition comes before the consequence, but sometimes the consequence comes first.

When the condition comes first, it is followed by a comma. e.g. If you don’t water plants, they die.
When the consequence comes first, we don’t use a comma. e.g. Plants die if you don’t water them.

3. In conditional type 2, we usually use in the if-clause were instead of was even if the pronoun is I, he, she or it, especially when we write. It is more formal!

Homework for Tue., 17th December 2013

Study your notes.
Study «Grammar Focus» Unit 3 (page 136) and do #3-5 on page 137 on a separate sheet of paper.
Study «Grammar Focus» Unit 8 (page 146) and do #2 and 4 on page 147 on a separate sheet of paper.
Do # 1-2 (Vocabulary) on page 41 on a separate sheet of paper.

Sara Ribotta's English Corner

Christmas Break

Lesson 7 [Tue., 17th Dec. 2013]

Lesson 6 [Tue., 10th Dec. 2013]

Lesson 5 [Tue., 3rd Dec. 2013]