The Advanced Grammar Book - Jocelyn Steer, Karen Carlisi 1998

Chapter 13 Urban Living

• Conditional Sentences

Urban Living (Life in the big city)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What American cities do you know about? If you could live in any American city, which one would you choose and why?

2. Do you know about any of the problems that exist in American cities? Are these problems similar to those in the cities of other countries?

3. What is being done to solve these problems? If you had power and influence, how would you solve some of the urban problems that you know about?

Objectives

In this chapter you will learn.

1. To use conditional sentences to express future, present unreal, and past unreal situations

2. To use conditional sentences to describe present and past habitual activity

3. To use inferences with conditional sentences

4. To make inferences with conditional sentences

5. To use wish to express conditionalmeaning and to distinguish between wish and hope

6. To use several expressions that can coplace if in conditional sentences.

Preview

DIRECTIONS: Read the following letter to the editor written by a resident of Los Angeles who is concerned about the problems that exist in that city.

It’s A Nice Place to Visit But i Wouldn’t Want to Live Here

Dear Editor:

1 I moved to Los Angeles 40 years ago from the East Coast because it was being lauded as the closest thing to paradise in this country. For years, Los Angeles lived up to that description, but unfortunately that is no longer true. If someone had asked me 40 years ago, I never would have predicted that this city would change so much in such a short time. It seems that the leaders here should be doing more to put an end to the homelessness, gang violence, drug abuse, and severe smog that are plaguing our city. If there weren’t such serious problems here in Los Angeles it would still be a desirable place to live, as it was in the past.

2 Some of our leaders have the habit of claiming that homeless people have the problems they do because they’re comfortable in that lifestyle. This is obviously just a feeble excuse for supporting what they feel are more worthwhile causes. Well, if they had paid more attention to this problem from the beginning, the number of “comfortable” homeless people on the streets wouldn’t have risen so rapidly.

3 Drug abuse and the gang violence that results from it are making our streets unsafe and our schools a threat to our children’s lives. If these problems were solved, we could send our children to school without worrying about whether they would make it home. Not long ago, if a child was caught smoking a cigarette on school grounds, severe punishment was enforced. Nowadays, children are caught selling or using drugs, and some of them carry weapons to arm themselves in wars against their peers.

4 Finally, we all know that the smog level in this city has reached dangerous proportions. If stricter emission control laws aren’t enforced soon, the air that we breathe to keep us alive will eventually kill us.

5 I certainly hope that my concerns are shared by other people who came here for a higher standard, of living and a more comfortable life but are finding their lives at risk instead.

           A Concerned Resident

VOCABULARY

lauded: praised

paradise: heaven, a perfect place

feeble excuse: a weak, unconvincing excuse

school grounds: the school building and immediate surrounding area designated as belonging to the school peers: the people who share one’s rank, age, ability, or other general characteristics

emission control: a limit on the amount of dangerous substance that can be let out into the air by cars, factories, and other agents

CULTURAL NOTE/DISCUSSION

Gang violence in American cities is becoming a serious problem. A gang is a group of youth usually of high school age and from one particular ethnic group. Gangs are often involved in dealing drugs and, as a result, there is a high level of competition among different gangs. This very often leads to serious violence. Are there gangs in your country? What kinds of problems do these gangs cause?

Focus ON GRAMMAR

The following questions are based on the preview text and are designed to help you find out what you already know about the structures in this chapter. Some of the questions may be hard and some of them may be easy. Answer as many of the questions as you can. Work with a partner if your teacher tells you to do so.

1. The following sentence from the preview describes a situation that is untrue or unreal in the present. In the space provided, write what the truth or reality of the situation is.

If there weren’t such serious problems in our city, it would still be a desirable place to live.

REALITY: ...

2. Each of the following conditional sentences describes a situation that is untrue or unreal in the past. On the lines after each of the sentences, write what the truth or reality is.

a. If they had paid more attention to this problem from the beginning, the number of “comfortable” homeless people on the streets wouldn’t have risen so rapidly.

REALITY: ...

b. If someone had asked me 40 years ago, I never would have predicted that this city would change so much in such a short time.

REALITY: ...

3. In the if- clauses of the following two sentences, notice that the present tense is used in sentence a, and the past tense is used in sentence b. Does sentence a describe a present situation? Does sentence b describe a past situation?

a. If stricter emission control laws aren’t enforced soon, the air that we breathe to keep us alive will eventually kill us.

b. If these problems were solved, we could send our children to school without worrying about whether they would make it home.

What conclusion can you make based on these sentences?

Gammatical Patterns Part One

I. The Structure of the Conditional Sentence

Most conditional sentences have a subordinate clause beginning with if and a main clause, which in most cases contains a modal and a main verb. As in other complex sentences, the order of the clauses is optional. Look at the following examples and notice the structure and punctuation of both sentences.

If I lived downtown, I could walk to work.

I could walk to work if I lived downtown.

If- (Subordinate) Clause  Main Clause

If I lived downtown,   I could walk to work.

II. The Function of Conditional Sentences

The following chart summarizes the main types of conditional sentences and the function each of them serves.

A. Future Conditional

The following conditional patterns are used to express possibility or probability in the future. Notice that will is not used in the if-clause although the time reference is future.

13.1 Rapid Drill: Future Conditional

DIRECTIONS: With a partner use the following cues to make statements about the future in the city where you are living now.

1. If the population increases, ...

2. If the cultural life improves, ...

3. If more highways are built, ...

4. If the crime rate goes up,...

5. If the immigrant population increases, ...

6. If the public transportation system improves, ...

7. If the police force changes, ...

8. If housing prices go down, ...

9. If the smog gets worse ...

10. If traffic problems worsen, ...

B. Low Probability in the Future Conditional

There are a few additional ways to express future possibility with the conditional. The following expressions added to the simple form of the verb in the if- clause emphasize lower probability in the future. Notice that this pattern is similar in structure to the future conditional pattern.

13.2 Paired Activity: Low Probability in the Future Conditional

DIRECTIONS: A major charity organization is planning a benefit rock concert in a large American city to raise funds for the homeless community. The concert will be held outdoors in the streets of a downtown neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon. The planning committee is having a meeting to discuss the arrangements for the concert, and some of the committee members are asking questions about possible situations. Take turns with your partner asking and answering the questions. Use future conditional sentences and emphasize low probability.

Example

QUESTION: What if it rains?

ANSWER: If it should happen to rain, the concert will be postponed.

1. What if the city council objects to the idea?

2. What if some businesses don’t agree to closing down that day?

3. What if we have a problem selling tickets?

4. What if some of the bands back out at the last minute?

5. What if we run out of food?

6. What if we need first aid?

7. What if the crowd gets out of control?

8. What if people in the neighboring community object to the noise?

13.3 Written Drill: Fill in the Blanks

DIRECTIONS: Below are some sentences about possible future situations. Fill in the blanks with a correct form of the verb given. Use any of the future conditional forms you have practiced.

1. If I ... win the lottery next week, I ... take a trip around the world.

2. I ... inform my bank if I ... change my name.

3. If you ... shave your head, many people ... look at you strangely.

4. You ... have a lot of diapers to change if you ... decide to have a baby.

5. If an earthquake ... strike tonight, you ... stand under a doorway.

6. If you ... lose your car keys and you don’t have an extra set, you ... have to call a locksmith.

7. You ... take the GRE if you ... decide to apply for graduate school.

8. If you ... become famous, you ... lose your privacy.

The following two patterns also express lower probability in the future. The pattern of these sentences is similar to the present unreal conditional pattern, which will be presented in the next section.

Note: None of these patterns can be used in the negative except for the last one.

13.4 Oral Drill: What if?

DIRECTIONS: Use the cue to ask your partner a question. Your partner should answer using the two patterns above for expressing lower probability.

Example

CUE: win a trip around the world

QUESTION: What would you do if you were to win a trip around the world? RESPONSE: If I were to win a trip around the world, I would quit my job and go.

1. inherit a lot of money

2. find a mouse in your kitchen

3. gain a lot of weight

4. fail a class

5. figure out the meaning of life

6. lose your most valuable possession

7. get a speeding ticket

8. overcome your deepest fear

13.5 Written Activity: The Pollution Problem

DIRECTIONS: Los Angeles is suffering serious environmental consequences from being a highly populated metropolitan area and the largest manufacturing center in the United States. In order to improve the situation, certain conditions must be met. For each problem stated below, write a future conditional sentence that expresses the possibility for solving the problem in the future. The first solution is provided for you.

1. PROBLEM: Many polluting ingredients are released into the air by drying paint and solvents on houses, cars, aircraft, and other products.

SOLUTION: If the polluting ingredients were to be taken out of the paint and solvents, there would be less harm to the environment.

2. PROBLEM: Millions of people commute to work in cars that emit pollutants into the environment.

Solution: ...

3. PROBLEM: Many polluting ingredients are being released by factories into the ocean, killing marine life and ultimately upsetting the balance of nature.

SOLUTION: ...

4. PROBLEM: With the growing population in Los Angeles, there is an increasing amount of garbage that needs to be dumped.

Solution: ...

5. PROBLEM: The beautiful beaches are being littered with trash by inconsiderate sunbathers.

SOLUTION: ...

C. Present Unreal Conditional

This conditional structure is probably the most difficult to master. It tends to be confusing because the time reference is present, but the past tense of the verb is used in the if- clause. A good way to check your understanding of the unreal conditional is to state what is real. The chart below demonstrates how the reality can be stated, based on the unreal situation in the conditional sentence. Notice the following:

13.6 Written Activity: Gangs

DIRECTIONS: The existence of gangs and gang violence is on the rise in the United States. Gang members usually come from the same ethnic group and are of high school age. Violence and drug dealing are common among gangs. For each of the following sentences about the existence of gangs and gang violence in U.S. cities, write a conditional sentence stating a present unreality based on the information given.

Example

Some high school kids belong to gangs because it gives them a sense of identity.

If these kids had a stronger sense of identity, they wouldn’t belong to gangs.

1. The boys haven’t developed a sense of identity because they often have a weak family structure and poor male role models.

2. Some gangs are formed because ethnic groups want to protect their territory.

3. Gang members wear certain colors so that their fellow gang members can identify them.

4. Because many of the gangs are dealing drugs, life is very dangerous for them.

5. Since these kids can acquire dangerous weapons easily, gang warfare is very common.

6. Because these kids don’t value human life, they are killing each other foolishly.

7. Leaving the gang can be very dangerous, so many kids stay simply because they’re afraid.

13.7 Oral Drill: If I Lived In Paris

DIRECTIONS: One student will begin by completing the statement, “If I lived in Paris ...” The next student will begin a sentence with the new information the previous student provided and will complete that statement. Continue in this manner so that each student can add some information. For the next round, choose a new city.

Example

STUDENT A: “If I lived in Paris, I would buy a lot of expensive perfume.”

STUDENT в: “If I bought a lot of expensive perfume, I wouldn’t have enough money to eat.”

13.8 Paired Activity: Your City

DIRECTIONS: For each topic below, write a statement describing either a positive or negative characteristic of your city. Then, discuss each topic with your partner using at least one present unreal conditional sentence to qualify or clarify the statement you wrote.

Example

TOPIC: Pollution

WRITTEN: The pollution level in my city is very low.

SPOKEN: “One very positive characteristic of my city is that the air is clean. The pollution level is so low because my city is at a high altitude and there is very little industry there. If there were more industry, I’m sure the air wouldn’t be so clean.”

1. TOPIC: Population

STATEMENT: ...

2. TOPIC: Housing

STATEMENT: ...

3. TOPIC: Culture/Entertainment

STATEMENT: ...

4. TOPIC: Food

STATEMENT: ...

5. TOPIC: Mass Transit

STATEMENT: ...

D. Past Unreal Conditional

The forms in the following chart are used to describe unreal situations in the past. As with the present unreal conditional, it is easier to understand the past unreal if the reality is clear.

Pronunciation Hint: In spoken English, would have is very often contracted in the following way:

I would have gone downtown this afternoon if I hadn’t finished work so late.

I would’ve gone downtown this afternoon if I hadn’t finished work so late.

I’d have gone downtown this afternoon if I hadn’t finished work so late.

I’da gone downtown this afternoon if 1 hadn’t finished work so late. (Not used with the negative.)

13.9 Oral Drill: Past Unreal Situations

DIRECTIONS: For each situation given below, make a statement expressing a past unreality.

Example

CUE: Evelia’s class was at 7:00, so she had to get up very early.

RESPONSE: If Evelia’s class hadn’t been at 7:00, she wouldn’t have had to get up so early.

1. She stayed up very late the previous night studying for a test.

2. She overslept and missed her bus.

3. There was a bus 15 minutes later, so she had a chance of making it to class on time.

4. She felt nervous about her test, so she studied on the bus.

5. She missed her stop because she wasn’t paying attention.

6. The bus driver announced the next stop, so she was able to get off before it was too late.

7. She ran across campus and arrived just in time for the test.

8. She got an A on the test.

13.10 Paired Activity: Stranger in a Strange Land

DIRECTIONS: Tell your partner about an interesting, funny, unusual, etc. experience you had in a foreign city (any city other than your own). Your partner will then ask you questions about your story using past unreal conditional. You should answer the questions with the past unreal conditional.

Example

STORY: When I was in Aswan, Egypt, many years ago, it was very hot, and since my jeans had not finished drying, I put on a pair of shorts. I knew that it was not appropriate for a woman to wear shorts in public, but I just wanted to go from my hotel room down to the street to buy some fruit. I went out into the street in my shorts, and every person in the marketplace immediately turned to stare in horror at my legs. The people were hissing, whispering, and pointing, which made me feel very ashamed. I quickly ran back up to my hotel room to put my wet jeans on.

QUESTION: What would have happened if you hadn’t left the marketplace?

ANSWER: Perhaps, if I hadn’t left, someone would have told me to leave.

QUESTION: What would you have done if the people had only stared, but not hissed, whispered, or pointed?

ANSWER: Maybe I would’ve bought my fruit quickly before running up to my room.

13.11 Written Activity: Living in a Commune

DIRECTIONS: Read the following passage about communes. Then write a paragraph about what life would have been like for you if you had lived in a commune. Use conditional sentences to express unreality in the past.

1. In the 1960s, when idealistic young people grew tired of the problems of city living, many of them abandoned the city to create a utopian way of life in a commune. These were communities of people who escaped to areas far from cities or suburbs and started their lives from scratch. They built their own houses, made their own clothes, grew their own food, and did their own baking.

2. They tried to live as a self-sufficient society. They shared all the tasks of daily life and held their ' property in common. Communes were based on a variety of popular beliefs such as neo­Buddhism, vegetarianism, and free love.

Example

If I had lived in a commune in the 1960s, I would’ve baked my own bread.

E. Habits and Facts

The chart below demonstrates how conditional sentences are used to describe habitual activity and make statements of facts. Notice that in these sentences the verb tense in the if- clause corresponds to the verb tense in the main clause.

Note: In these two types of conditional sentences, when or whenever can replace if, e.g. When people decide to move to this city, it is usually because of the weather.

13.12 Written Activity: Habitual Patterns

DIRECTIONS: Choose from the given cues below to write conditional sentences describing the habits of people in your city.

Example

CUE: rent an apartment in the city

If a person rents an apartment in my city, they must pay very high prices.

1. have an appointment

2. ride the subway

3. go out for lunch

4. want to get some exercise

5. get out of the city

6. see a ballet/hear jazz /go to the theater

7. have a picnic

B. Now, write three sentences describing three more habits of people in your city. For each sentence describing a present habit, write one sentence describing a contrasting habit of 50 years ago. Use if, when, or whenever.

Example

a. If people in Long Island drive to work in New York City, they take the freeway.

b. Fifty years ago, if people drove into the city they took country roads.

1. a. ...

b. ...

2. a. ...

b. ...

3. a. ...

b. ...

13.13 Paired Activity: Scientific Facts

DIRECTIONS: The most common context for conditional statements of fact is in the field of science. Student A should cover the Student В column; Student В should cover the Student A column. Student A will begin a conditional sentence using the information in the A column, Student В should find the information in the В column that completes the sentence.

Example

A: oil is mixed with water

STUDENT A: If oil is mixed with water,

B: sits on the surface

STUDENT в: it sits on the surface

Now, think of at least two additional laws of science or nature and state them using the conditional.

1. ...

2. ...

13.14 Written Drill: Review

DIRECTIONS: Restate each of the following sentences with a conditional sentence.

Example

Because the crime rate in this city is so low, many people want to live here.

If the crime rate in this city weren’t so low, many people wouldn’t want to live here.

1. Washington, D. C., is a very exciting city because of its history as the capital city of the U.S.

2. Many people wanted to live in Los Angeles years ago because Hollywood was so exciting.

3. Many residents of Boston go to Cape Cod during their holidays because of its convenient location.

4. The rich musical and cultural tradition draws people to New Orleans.

5. In the past, many people went to San Francisco to visit and liked the city so much they returned to live there permanently.

6. Thousands of people move to Seattle every year, which could mean overcrowding and pollution in the years to come.

7. New York City is a popular city to visit, especially because of the excellent theater.

8. Philadelphia offers a rich historical past, which makes it an interesting place to visit.

13.15 Written Activity: Letter to the Editor

DIRECTIONS: Write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper in your hometown or in the city where you are presently living. Discuss ways to improve the city, why certain problems exist, and what will happen if existing problems aren’t solved. Use as many conditional sentences as possible in your letter, underline them and identify them.

Grammatical Patterns Part Two

Preview

PRE-READING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What are the laws on the sale of guns in your country? Is it possible to acquire weapons illegally? Is there much crime as a result of weapons use? What kind of power does the police force in your city have? What is their primary function?

DIRECTIONS: Jack Warren, a radio talk show host, is interviewing Marianne Brown, the mayor of a large city in the United States, about the drug and related crime problems in that city. Read the interview on the next page with a partner.

1 WARREN: Mayor Brown, the statistics show that in the past year the number of homicides in your city has soared and that almost 50% of them were prompted by gang warfare or illegal drug dealing.

2 BROWN: Yes, I know, but had the voters approved the tax increase, we would be able to afford a larger police force. Right now, we’re working with 1.68 officers per 1,200 residents. This means that our officers are unable to respond immediately to every call they get because they’re so swamped.

3 WARREN: Are there any other explanations for these statistics, and if so, what are they?

4 BROWN:Well, Jack, even if we increase the police force, the killing will continue unless we restrict the sale of vicious weapons. Unfortunately, Assemblyman White’s bill to control the spread of assault rifles wasn’t passed last year. The situation will improve only if the bill is passed this year.

5 WARREN: IS there a chance of that happening?

6 BROWN: If the polls are correct, the bill should be passed. I think that people are finally beginning to realize that the constitutional right to bear arms does not include assault rifles. I really wish there had been more support for this idea last year. I’m sure we wouldn’t be experiencing the present increase in homicides if we’d had that support

7 WARREN:Well, Mayor Brown, I certainly hope that the bill does get passed so that you can make your city a safer place to live in.

8 BROWN:Thank you, Jack. I hope so, too. If I didn’t have such an excellent city council, I wouldn’t have been able to gain such extensive support for this campaign to begin with, so I’m sure that, as a team, we’ll continue to make headway.

9 WARREN: Thank you for talking with us, Mayor Brown.

10 BROWN: Thank you, Jack.

VOCABULARY

homicide: murder or manslaughter

be swamped: very busy

vicious: terrible, dangerous and/or deadly

assault rifles: a weapon designed for quick attack during war

poll: survey of public opinion

to make headway: to make progress in a difficult situation

Focus ON GRAMMAR

Read the three examples below taken from the preview. In each sentence, what is the time reference of the if- clause? What is the time reference of the result clause? What generalization could you make about the relationship between the if- clause and the main clause? How are these conditional sentences different from the types you’ve studied so far?

1. If the voters had approved the tax increase, we would be able to afford a larger police force.

2. I’m sure we wouldn’t be experiencing the present increase in homicides if we’d had that support.

3. If we didn’t have such an excellent city council, we wouldn’t have been able to gain such extensive support for this campaign to begin with.

I. Mixed Time Reference in Conditional Sentences

In addition to the conditional patterns covered in the previous section, there are cases when it is necessary to mix time references to express the appropriate meaning. The chart below demonstrates how mixed time reference is used in conditional sentences.

13.16 Written Drill: Fill in the Blanks

DIRECTIONS: The sentences on the next page are about a street fair that was organized by the merchants and residents of one area of a city in upstate New York. Fill in the blanks by using the correct forms of the given verbs. Add any necessary modals. If there is more than one possible answer, discuss the difference in time reference.

1. If there (be) (not) ... so many enthusiastic residents who support the street fair, we (have) (not) ... such a successful turnout.

2. If it (rain) ... yesterday, we ... (have) the street fair today.

3. If you (enjoy) ... the fair yesterday, you (want) ... to come back for next year’s fair.

4. If I (go) ... to the fair, I (tell) ... you about it now.

5. If I (live) ... closer to the center of town, I (walk) ... to the fair yesterday.

6. If I (be/not) ... so broke, I (spend) more money on crafts at the fair.

7. If the fair (be) ... profitable for the merchants, ... (participate) in next year’s fair.

8. If the newspaper (print) ... a story about the success of the fair, it ... (help) attract more people next year.

13.17 Paired Activity: Hollywood—Yesterday and Today

DIRECTIONS: Below is a chart describing what Hollywood was like before it became the center of film production, and some of the changes that took place after that happened. Discuss with a partner what Hollywood might be like today if these changes had not taken place.

Example

If film companies hadn’t constructed production studios everywhere, Hollywood would still be a small village.

Before

• small village

• wide treelined streets

• two or three restaurants

• small town atmosphere

• one traffic cop

• residential area

Changes

• Film companies constructed production studios everywhere.

• New people swarmed into the village looking for opportunities in the film business.

• Many movie stars built extravagant homes.

• Supermarkets, banks, and parking lots were built.

13.18 Written Activity: Past and Present in Your City

DIRECTIONS: Write a paragraph about your city, describing how it used to be and how it has changed. Use mixed time references to create sentences like the ones about Hollywood.

Example

If my city hadn’t grown so quickly over the past five years, we wouldn’t be seeing so many new housing developments going up.