We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact.
Take some ice. Put it in a saucepan. Heat the saucepan. What happens? The ice melts (it becomes water). You would be surprised if it did not.
Eg.
If + Condition + Result
If + Pres. Simple + Pres. Simple (= Zero Conditional form)
If you heat ice, it melts
Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the present simple tense to talk about the condition. We also use the present simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result.
Note: We can also use when instead of if, for example: When I get up late I miss my bus.
More Examples:
If I miss the 8 o’clock bus, I am late for work.
If I am late for work, my boss gets angry.
If people don’t eat, they get hungry.
If you heat ice, does it melt?
Result + if + Condition:
I am late for work if I miss the bus.
My boss gets angry if I’m late for work.
People get hungry if they don’t eat.
Does ice melt if you heat it?
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Complete each of the sentences with the correct form of one of the verbs below and the preposition ‘up’. Use each verb only once.
Verbs: fill – heal – hurry – lock – ring – save – seal – tidy
(Answers: 1. hurry up; 2. ring me up; 3. heal up; 4. fill up; 5. seal it up; 6. locked him up; 7. saved up; 8. tidied up)
Note: In this exercise it is possible to omit ‘up’ from each sentence without changing the meaning. It is used in these cases to emphasise or intensify the verb it follows.
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Match the idioms with their definitions (answers below):
1. down-at-heel A. very thin
2. full of beans B. dishonest; likely to steal things
3. heartless C. dirty, poor, not well looked after
4. hen-pecked D. old
5. hot-blooded E. young and inexperienced
6. laid back F. proud, conceited; thinking you are better than others
7. light-fingered G. very emotional
8. long in the tooth H. slightly bald
9. skinny I. (of a man) always being told what to do by his wife
10. stuck up J. very relaxed
11. (a bit) thin on top K. cold and cruel
12. wet behind the ears L. very lively
(Answers: 1.C; 2.L; 3.K; 4.I; 5.G; 6.J; 7.B; 8.D; 9.A; 10.F; 11.H; 12.E)
Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or “heightened” documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.
Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.
Critics say that the term “reality television” is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques.
Part of reality television’s appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.
Some commentators have said that the name “reality television” is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Paul Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word “reality” to describe his shows; he has said, “I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama.”
Multiple Choice Questions:
( Answers: 1. D; 2. D; 3. A; 4. C; 5. C; 6. B; 7. D; 8. C; 9. C; 10. D )
Complete each of the sentences with the correct form of one of the verbs below and the preposition up. Use each verb only once. (Answers are below)
Verbs: build – cheer – grow - liven – put - shoot – speak – stand
(Answers: 1. put up; 2. Cheer up; 3. stood up; 4. liven it up; 5. build up; 6. speak up; 7. grew up; 8. shot up)
Babe in the woods A babe in the woods is a naive, defenceless, young person.
Blue-eyed boy Someone’s blue-eyed boy is their favourite person.
Child’s play If something is child’s play, it is very easy and simple.
Hold the baby (UK) If someone is responsible for something, they are holding the baby.
It takes a village to raise a child It takes many people to teach a child all that he or she should know.
Like a kid in a candy store If someone is like a kid in a candy store, they are very excited about something.
Mummy’s boy A man who is still very dependent on his mother is a mummy’s boy.
New kid on the block A new kid on the block is a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet.
Out of the mouths of babes People say this when children unexpectedly say something very intelligent or wise.
Sleep like a baby If you sleep very well, you sleep like a baby.
Spare the rod and spoil the child This means that if you don’t discipline children, they will become spoilt.
Spit the dummy Reference to an infant spitting out their dummy (or pacifier) in order to cry. ‘To spit the dummy’ is to give up.
Throw the baby out with the bath water If you get rid of useful things when discarding inessential things, you throw the baby out with the bath water.
With child (UK) If a woman’s with child, she’s pregnant.
Used to do
We use ‘used to’ for something that was true in the past but no longer happens. It is a way to contrast the differences between the present and the past. I used to smoke a packet a day but I stopped two years ago. Ben used to travel a lot in his job but now, since his promotion, he doesn’t. I used to drive to work but now I take the bus. I didn’t use to like him but now I do. ‘Used to do’ is different from ‘to be used to doing’ and ‘to get used to doing’ to be used to doing We use ‘to be used to doing’ to say that something is normal, not unusual. I’m used to living on my own. I’ve done it for quite a long time. Hans has lived in England for over a year so he is used to driving on the left now. They’ve always lived in hot countries so they aren’t used to the cold weather here. to get used to doing We use ‘to get used to doing’ to talk about the process of something becoming normal for us. I didn’t understand the accent when I first moved here but I quickly got used to it. She has started working nights and is still getting used to sleeping during the day. I have always lived in the country but now I’m beginning to get used to living in the city. Free Daily Lesson courtesy of http://www.internetenglishlearnonline.com Learn and Speak English Online with IELO – Internet English Learn Online – Speaking Lessons, General English Classes, Exam Preparation Courses, English for Special Purposes, Jobseekers English, Document Editing and Custom English Courses designed just for you!
We use ‘used to’ for something that was true in the past but no longer happens. It is a way to contrast the differences between the present and the past.
‘Used to do’ is different from ‘to be used to doing’ and ‘to get used to doing’
to be used to doing
We use ‘to be used to doing’ to say that something is normal, not unusual.
to get used to doing
We use ‘to get used to doing’ to talk about the process of something becoming normal for us.
Complete the sentences with the correct adjective. (Answers are at the bottom of the page)
Adjectives:
generous – grateful – honest – independent – jealous – lively – mature – miserable – patient – popular – proud – relaxed – reliable – sensible – superficial – warm – weird
Sentences:
(Answers: 1. superficial; 2. relaxed; 3. popular; 4. reliable; 5. honest; 6. patient; 7. grateful; 8. sensible; 9. independent; 10. lively; 11. miserable; 12. mature; 13. jealous; 14. weird; 15. generous; 16. proud; 17. warm)
Below are some of the most common idioms of personality used in English:
