Thursday, May 18, 2017

C1 17-18/5/17

p. 133

Adjectives and verbs ending in -ate:
adequate  
appoximate
articulate 
degenerate 
deliberate  
desolate  
duplicate  
elaborate  
intimate  
legitimate  
moderate
separate

articulate /ɑːˈtɪkjələt $ ɑːr-/ ●○○ adjective 
1 able to talk easily and effectively about things, especially difficult subjects opp inarticulate bright, articulate 17-year-olds a highly articulate speaker

tomato/təˈmɑːtəʊ/, tomato/ tə ˈmeɪtoʊ/

Saying years in English:
two thousand thirteen (2) two thousand and thirteen (3) twenty thirteen
(1) two thousand ten (2) two thousand and ten (3) twenty ten
two thousand eight (2) two thousand and eight
(1) nineteen oh two (2) nineteen hundred (and) two
seven sixty-three (2) seven hundred (and) sixty-three

INVERSION IN CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

Had it not rained

Yes, it is correct that we cannot use a contracted negative form when we use inverted word order to express unreal or impossible condition in the past. Instead, we are obliged to use the full form of not:

Had it not rained last Saturday, we would've celebrated Tom's birthday with a barbecue in the garden.

Had you not refused my invitation, you would've had the best holiday ever.

Of course, had we used the more normal if-clause to express this conditional idea, the contracted negative form would have been the norm:

If only it hadn't rained last Saturday, we would've had a wonderful holiday in the garden.

If you hadn't been so stupid as to refuse my invitation, you could've travelled to see all the wonders of the world.

Note that we use these tense forms to talk about something that might have happened, but didn't:

If it had stayed fine, they would've celebrated the birthday in the garden.

If she had accepted the invitation, she would've seen all the wonders of the world.

Should you not wish to

Note that we can also use the inversion structure with should when we are talking about present and future conditions and, again, negative forms are not contracted:

Should you not wish to sign the contract, you must let them know before the end of June. (If you should not wish… / If you don’t wish…)

Should you change your mind about selling the car, I'd be happy to buy it from you.

Note that use of should here has nothing to do with obligation, but is simply an alternative to the present simple in the more normal if-clause:

If you don't want to go ahead and sign the contract, please try to let them know before the end of this month.

If you (do) change your mind about selling the car, I'd be happy to buy it from you.

Were we to have children

Finally, inversion is possible, though I think less common, with this form of the conditional when we are talking about the improbable future. Again negative forms are not contracted:

Were we to have children, we'd need to move to a bigger house. (If we had children…)

Were she not my daughter, I'd have no hesitation in phoning the police. (If she wasn’t…)

The more normal if-clause is here quite straightforward:

If we were to have children, we'd certainly need to move to a larger house.

If she weren't my daughter, I'd have no hesitation in phoning the police and telling them about the crime that has been committed.

We use the inversion strategy when we want what we are saying to sound more carefully considered and it is also characteristic of more formal and literary styles.


In your example, Mr Smolin, we can also use the construction But for..., meaning Except for?, as an alternative to Had it not been for? or Were it not for?:

Had it not been for his foresight in ensuring everybody had lifejackets, everyone on board would have drowned.

Were it not for your kindness, I'd still be living in that tiny bed-sit in the town centre.

But for his foresight, everyone on board the yacht /jɒt $ jɑːt/would have drowned. ( If it wasn’t for his foresight…)

But for your kindness, I'd still be stuck in that tiny flat in the town centre. (If it wasn’t for your kindness…)


MIXED CONDITIONALS

When we talk about mixed conditionals, we are referring to conditional sentences that combine two different types of conditional patterns. These combinations are not all that frequent, but the most common combination is when we have a type 3 conditional in the if-clause (if + past perfect) followed by a type 2 conditional (would + infinitive) in the main clause.

MIXED THIRD / SECOND CONDITIONAL

With this combination we are contrasting an imagined or real event in the past with the present result of that. Consider these examples:

If he'd taken the medication as prescribed, he wouldn't still be lying sick in bed.

If she'd taken reasonable precautions, she wouldn't be pregnant now.

If he hadn't run after the car thief and suffered a heart attack, he'd probably be alive today.

Note that we can also convey the same idea of past event and present result by using type 3 conditional (if + past perfect, would've + past participle) in both clauses

If he'd taken the medication as the doctor ordered, he would've recovered by now.

If she'd taken reasonable precautions, she wouldn't have got herself pregnant.

If he hadn't run after the car thief and suffered a heart attack, he wouldn't have collapsed and died.

Note that we use this type of conditional when we regret past action or inaction.

MIXED SECOND / THIRD CONDITIONAL

The other possibility, though I think this is less common, is when we have a type 2 conditional in the if-clause (if + past simple) followed by a type 3 conditional (would've + past participle) in the main clause.

With this combination, we are describing ongoing circumstances in relation to a previous past event. Consider these examples:

If you weren't such a poor dancer, you would've got a job in the chorus line in that musical.

If you weren't so blind to his faults, you would've realised that he was out to swindle you.

He's old enough to come home by himself, but can you just see him across the busy road?

FIRST CONDITIONAL

if + present simple, will + infinitive:

If I wait for Jane, I'll be late for school

This is the pattern that we most frequently associate with the first conditional, referring to future possibility or probability. But note that other patterns are also possible: we can have a modal verb, typically can, may or should, in the if-clause or main clause, as well as going to future or present continuous future. Present perfect is also possible in the if-clause. Consider these examples:

If you can't understand the instructions, you'll never be able to assemble the wardrobe.

If I give you ten pounds, could you get me some wine at the supermarket?

If you've finished the work I gave you, you may go home now.

If the weather's good on Sunday, we're going to have a picnic in Hyde Park.

If you're going to write him a cheque, make sure there's enough money in your account to cover it.

If you're coming clubbing with us tonight, you'd better get ready now.

In this final example, note that had better is not a past tense. It refers to the immediate future and we use it to give strong advice as the preferred alternative to must, ought to or should.

if you should… / if you happen to…

Note that we use should in the if-clause in the first conditional if we want to suggest that something is very unlikely. We can use happen to in a similar way or even combine them:

If you should / happen to change your mind about coming to the beach tomorrow, give me a ring.

I don't expect him to, but if he should happen to show up, whatever you do, don't let him in!

p. 134

in the blink of an eye->very quickly

wink /wɪŋk/ ●●○ verb 
1 [intransitive, transitive] to close and open one eye quickly to communicate something or show that something is a secret or joke
wink at
He winked mischievously at Erica.
He winked an eye at his companion.

be on the move
a) to be travelling from one place to another
The rebel army is on the move.
b) to be busy and active
Roy is constantly on the move.
c) to be changing and developing a lot, especially in a way that improves things
Museums are on the move, adding exhibits that entertain and educate.

step/move up a gear UK informal
to start to do something better, especially in sports, in a way that is easy to see:
After a disappointing first half, United moved up a gear and took control of the game.

ˌtop ˈgear noun [uncountable] British English  1 the highest gear of a car, bus etc
in top gear
The car will cruise at 80 mph in top gear.

move the goalposts UK informal disapproving
to change the rules while someone is trying to do something in order to make it more difficult for them:
We'd almost signed the contract when the other guys moved the goalposts and said they wanted more money.

sew uk ​ /səʊ/ us ​ /soʊ/
bookworm noun [ C ] uk /ˈbʊk.wɜːm/ us /ˈbʊk.wɝːm/ informal
A person who reads a lot

p.141

ˈbaking ˌsoda noun [uncountable]  a powder used when baking cakes to make them lighter
syn bicarbonate of soda



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