UNIT 7

Farm Time

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1. Do you like going to the countryside?
Have you ever thought about leaving your stressful city life behind and move to the countryside for a
more peaceful healthy lifestyle? If you had the opportunity to do it, would you be brave enough to fly
away and become a happy farmer?

In this unit, we are going to deal with the use of conditional sentences and the existing different types:
zero, first, second and third type. We are going to quickly review the zero and first type of conditionals
as you surely have a good knowledge of them and then take a more careful look on the second and third
type. We are also studying the different ways of comparing as an important resource to use when
writing. In terms of vocabulary, we are going to focus on words related to town and country.

GLOSSARY:

Skyscraper: very tall building.

Cattle: group of cows or sheeps or similar types of animals.

Rush hour: period of the day when most people are travelling to or from work.

Pollution: poisonous or dirty substances.

2. Reading

Now, we will read a text, which is a little more complex.

Given the tendency to live in the countryside, often in search of well-being, it is inevitable to ask the
question: has life been excessively idealized in rural settings? Some people who left the city in search
of what they thought it was going to be the solution to their hectic stressful lives, found themselves
feeling disappointed and willing to return to the city.

For those who were aware, before leaving, of the good and the bad of living in the countryside, it
became an easier transition, and they admit that their quality of life has improved, which does not
mean that they are all day relaxing and lying in a hammock. In fact, they have to work hard and they
even talk about what they call ‘rural stress’. Against those who visit the countryside on Sundays and
imagine it as an idyllic and relaxing place, life there requires a great effort.

Yes, it is wonderful to have chickens and it is very satisfying to take the warm egg and make an
omelette, but it requires you to go every day to see them, feed them, control the eggs, see if they are
incubating or not, etc. You could miss having a richer social life because if you want to get closer to
your friends and relatives you might have to drive for a long time. Also, there is not much cultural life
such as art exhibitions or interesting concerts to attend from time to time. So you could end up feeling
a bit isolated from everything.

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3. Vocabulary

Let’s see some useful vocabulary related to town and country.

In reference to life in the countryside:

Rural Unpolluted Barn

Country/ countryside Depopulation Shepherd
Village Wildlife Crop
Hill Cottage Isolated
Forest Harvest Herd
Stream Landscape Pathway

Glossary
Rural: the countryside, green spaces.
The country / countryside: green spaces
outside towns and cities.
Village: it consists of a group of
houses, together with other buildings such as
a church and a school, in a country area.
Stream: a small narrow river.
Forest: large area where trees grow close
together.
Hill: area of land that is higher than the land
that surrounds it.
Valley: it is a low stretch of land between hills,
especially one that has a river flowing through
it.
Crops: are plants such as wheat and potatoes
that are grown in large quantities for food.
Depopulation: To depopulate an area means to
greatly reduce the number of people living
there.
Unpolluted: not affected or contaminated by
pollution.
Landscape: the landscape is everything you can
see when you look across an area of land,
including hills, rivers, buildings, trees, and
plants.
Wildlife: we use this term to refer to the
animals and other living things that live in the
wild.
Cottage: is a small house, usually in the
country.
Harvest: the gathering of a crop (noun). When
you harvest a crop, you gather it in (verb).
Barn: is a building on a farm in which crops or
animal food can be kept.
Herd: is a large group of animals of one kind
that live together.
Isolated: is a long way away from large towns
and is difficult to reach.
Shepherd: is a person, especially a man, whose
job is to look after sheep.
Pathway: is a path that you can walk along or a
route that you can take.

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And regarding a city lifestyle and its vocabulary, let’s mention the following:

Cosmopolitan Commute Neighbourhood

City dwellers Commuters Slums
Lively Rush hour Outskirts/Suburbs
Stressful Traffic jam Department stores
Hectic Highway / Motorway Amenities
Pollution Town centre / Downtown Facilities
Crowded Shopping Centre / Mall Factory
Pavement / sidewalk Underground / Subway Concrete
Cultural events Crowded / Packed

Glossary

Cosmopolitan: a cosmopolitan place or society
is full of people from many different countries
and cultures. It is also a synonym for
international, sophisticated or urbane.
City dwellers: a resident or inhabitant of a city.
Lively: full of life, animated.
Stressful: a stressful situation or experience
causes someone to feel stress.
Hectic: chaotic, very busy.
Rush hour: a time of the day when business,
traffic, etc. are especially heavy.
Traffic jam: a number of vehicles so obstructed
that they can scarcely move.
Commute: if you commute, you travel a long
distance every day between your home and
your place of work.
Commuters: a person who travels regularly,
esp. by automobile, bus, train, etc., between
two points at some distance from each other,
esp. between a residence and a place of
employment.
Outskirts /Suburbs: a suburb of a city or large
town is a smaller area that is part of the city or
large town but is outside its centre.
Neighbourhood: a neighbourhood is one of the
parts of a town where people live.
Pollution: is poisonous or dirty substances that
are polluting the water, air, or land
somewhere.
Town Centre / Downtown: the central or lower
part of a city, where the main commercial area
is located.
Amenities: are things such as shopping centres
or sports facilities that are for people's
convenience or enjoyment.
Cultural events: art exhibitions, theatre plays,
cinema…
Crowded / packed: full of people.
Motorway / Highway: it is a major road that
has been specially built for fast travel over long
distances.
Facilities: buildings, pieces of equipment, or
services that are provided for a particular
purpose.
Department stores: a department store is a
large shop that sells many different kinds of
goods.
Shopping Centre / Mall: is a specially built area
containing a lot of different shops.
Factory: is a large building where machines are
used to make large quantities of goods.
Pavement / sidewalk: A pavement is a path
with a hard surface, usually by the side of a
road where pedestrians can walk safely.
Underground / Subway: the underground in a
city is the railway system in which electric
trains travel below the ground in tunnels.
Slums: an area of a city where living conditions
are very bad and where the houses are in bad
condition.
Concrete: it is a hard substance made by mixing
cement, sand, and small stones and it is used
for the construction of buildings.

Just to clarify the difference between city and town, a city would be a much larger and important town
such as New York City, London or Madrid.

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4. Grammar
In this unit, we are going to deal with the use of conditional sentences. As you surely know, there are
different types and we are going to review the zero and firs type of conditionals and then we will go
more deeply into the second and third type.

4.1 Conditional Sentences

• If you study hard, you will pass the exam.

• If you studied, you would pass the exam.

• If you have studied, you would have passed the exam.

Use
Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if-clause tells you the condition (If you study
hard) and the main clause tells you the result (you will pass your exams). The order of the clauses does
not change the meaning.

• If you study hard, you will pass your exams.

• You will pass your exams if you study hard.

Conditional sentences are often divided into different types. As you have seen in the examples above,
the verb tenses change depending whether the result of the condition is very likely, less likely or
impossible to happen. And that is what differentiates each type of conditionals. There are four types of
conditionals:

• Zero conditionals.

• 1st type of conditionals.

• 2nd type of conditionals.

• 3rd type of conditionals.

Let’s see each type more closely.

Zero conditional

Uses:

We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially for laws and rules.
Also for habits or routines. This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So it is a fact in
general, we do not talk about one particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main
clause.

• If water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils.

• If babies are hungry, they cry.

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• If you heat ice, it melts.

Structure:

We form the zero conditional with both sentences in present simple:

If + present simple, … present simple.

Instead of ‘if’, we can also use when or whenever:

• Whenever she goes to the gym, she always has a shower.

• When the sun goes down, it gets dark.

We separate the two clauses with a coma. The if clause can go at the beginning or at the end of the
sentence:

• People get fat if they eat too much.

First conditional

Uses:

It is used to talk about things that will happen in the future with some certainty. Of course, we cannot
know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true. Of
all types of conditionals, this one could be described as the most likely to happen. Let’s take the
example that we saw at the beginning:

• If you study hard, you will pass the exam.

This sentence implies that although no one knows about the future, it is quite likely to happen if the
condition is fulfilled.

Structure:

We use the present simple for the if clause and the future for the result:

If + present simple, …future (will / won’t)

• If it rains tomorrow, we won’t go to the beach.

• If you don’t leave now, you will be late for the meeting.

• If I see Joe, I will tell him the truth.

First vs. Zero Conditional

The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes something
that happens in general, which is always true.

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Let’s see this with a couple of examples:

• If you sit in the sun, you get burnt.

This example is of a zero conditional because we are talking in general, about anybody who can get
burnt if you stay too long in the sun.

• If you sit in the sun, you'll get burnt.

This one is a first conditional because we talk about a particular situation maybe because that day is
particularly sunny.

Second conditional
When we use the second conditional, the result is unlikely to happen. If you remember the example:

• If you studied hard, you would pass the exam.

This sentence implies that the condition is less likely to happen. Either you haven’t got much time left till
the day of the exam or you are not studying enough. So in this case, it is not impossible, but unlikely
and that is the main difference with the first type where the condition was more likely to happen.

Structure:

We form this type with the simple past tense in the “if” clause and the conditional tense with “would”:

If + past simple, …would / wouldn’t + bare infinitive (without “to”).

Notice that “would” is commonly used in its contracted form (‘d) in spoken and informal English:

• I’d read more books if I had time.

It is also possible to use “could” and “might” instead of “would”:

• If you stopped smoking, you might feel healthier (it is possible that you would feel healthier).

• If it stopped raining, we could go out (we would be able to go out).

Uses:

There are two uses for this type of conditional:

1. We can use it to talk about imaginary situations that are very unlikely to happen. As when you are
imagining or daydreaming about something:

• If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world. (I probably won't win the lottery.)

• If I met the Queen of England, I would say hi.

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• She would buy a big house if she were rich.

2. We frequently use this second type of conditional to give advice or talk about situations that are
impossible, that are not true:

• If I were you, I would quit smoking as soon as possible.

• If I were you, I wouldn’t go out with that boy.

• If I had her number, I would call her (but I don’t have it).

• If I had more money, I would pay off all my debts (but I don’t have the money).

You may have already noticed that in many of the examples, instead of saying “If I was” or “if she was”,
we use “were”:

• If I were rich…

• If he were taller…

Let´s have a closer look at the use of “was” and “were” in the second conditional as it is a very common
mistake.

The use of “was” and “were” in the second conditional

We have already learnt that the second conditional form is used to talk about unreal or imaginary
situations. Here we use a simple past tense in the if-clause and would + bare infinitive in the main
clause.

• I would cook something if I got time.

• She would help you with the project if you asked her.

• I would buy a yacht if I had money.

In the second conditional, when the verb in the “if clause” is a form of be, we use “were” instead of
“was”. The reason is that we are saying the subjunctive tense. This use of “were” is possible and
recommended with all subjects. You may hear some people say, “If I was… “ in informal English but it
does not sound good so we recommend you use “were”.

• If he were my son, I wouldn’t let him drop out of school. (NOT If he was my son.)

• If I were you, I wouldn’t trust her.

• If I were you, I would look for another job.

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Third conditional

This type of conditional is used when we are talking about something in the past that cannot be altered
now. If we go back to our initial examples it would be this one:

• If you had studied, you would have passed the exam.

Nothing in this sentence happened, you didn’t study and as a consequence you didn’t pass the exam
either. We could say that with this type of conditional, it is too late to react or change the past.

Structure:

The structure for the third conditional is formed with the past perfect tense in the ‘if-clause’ and the
conditional perfect (‘would’ followed by present perfect) for the other part of the sentence:

If + past perfect, … would + have + past participle

We can also use “could have” and “might have” instead of “would have”:

• If the weather hadn’t been so bad, we could have gone out. (We would have been able to go out).

• If he had finished high school, he might have had a better life. (He maybe would have had a better
life but we don’t know).

Notice that the contracted form of ‘had’ and ‘would’ is the same: ‘d

• If I’d known you were in hospital, I’d have gone to visit you.

Remember that in the if-clause the contraction is for “had” and in the other part of the sentence the
contracted form is for “would”.

Uses:

The main uses for the third conditional are the following:

1. To talk about situations in the past that never happened and to imagine the result of this situation:

• If she had married that guy, she would have been really miserable. (But she didn’t marry that man).

2. It is commonly used to regret things from the past:

• If I had worked harder, I would have got that promotion.

3. You can also use it to reproach someone for something:

• If you had helped me, I would have finished by now.

Let’s see more examples:

• If I had been more careful, I wouldn’t have cut myself. (Regret)

• If you had woken up earlier, you would have been on time for the meeting. (Reproach)

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 Summing up:
Have a look at this chart with a summary of all the types of conditional:

Uses Structure Examples

Zero • Facts that are generally true or • If you stand in the rain you get
scientific facts. wet.
Present simple +
The condition always has the present simple • If you heat ice, it melts.
same result.

First • A possible situation in the future. • If it rains, we will cancel the trip.

• Predicting a likely situation in the Present simple + will • If you study, you will pass the
future if the condition happens. / won’t + verb exam.

Second • If I saw her, I would ask her out.

• Hypothetical or unlikely
situations. • If I were you, I would tell your
Past simple + would + parents.
• Giving advice. verb
• If I lived in the country, I would
be happier.
• Imaginary situations.

Third • If I hadn’t been ill, I would have

gone to work.
• Imaginary situation that did
not happen. • If I had been more careful, I
Past perfect + would wouldn’t have had the accident.
• Regret about something in have + past
the past. participle. • If you had studied, you would
have passed the test.
• Reproach someone about
the past.

REMEMBER!

• There are four types of conditionals: zero, first, second and third.
• We use different verb tenses depending on the type of conditional that we are using.
• With the second type, if we use the verb to be, then remember to use always “were” (even
with the first and third person singular).

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5. Writing: Comparing

5.1. Useful tips and structure

The purpose of a compare and contrast essay is to analyse the differences and the similarities of two
different topics. By comparing we mean showing the similarities and by contrasting we mean
showing the differences between two things. This type of essay is quite common at high school and
universities. Here you have some tips in order to succeed in this type of writing:

1. Pick two subjects that can be contrasted and that are different enough to be compared. There
are several things to consider when choosing your subjects. You could choose topics that are in
the same category but still have some differences. For example, in reference to travelling, you
could talk about organized travels vs. going your own way. You could write about two subjects
that seem to be similar but are actually different. For example, a famous movie vs. the original
book.

2. Think before writing: take some time to brainstorm about each topic and how they are
different or similar. You could take some notes or draw a diagram or make a list with
similarities and differences. You could even do a little research before you start writing your
draft.

3. Decide how you are going to organize the structure. You could write about all the points of one
topic and then go on with the other one. Or you could write about both comparing and
contrasting them at the same time. No matter how you choose to do it, there should always be
the following parts, as in all writings:

a. Introduction: this paragraph comes first and presents the basic information about the
subjects to be compared and contrasted. In other words, you state your thesis here.

b. Body: These paragraphs show the details where you will develop all these comparisons and
contrasts. You could use each paragraph for each topic, as we mentioned before. Or you
could use one paragraph for just similarities between the two subjects and another
paragraph only for contrasts.

c. Conclusion: here you have to make a summary of the points presented in the previous
paragraphs and give your readers the reasons why you are reaching this conclusion.

4. Review your essay: Check for possible grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes and, of
course, check that you have written a similar amount of information on each topic so that your
essay is equally balanced for each subject.

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5.2. Compare and contrast words

Here you have a useful list of compare and contrast words for your writing:

Compare Contrast

• Similarly • However
• Likewise • In contrast to
• Also • In comparison
• Both... and... • On the one hand
• Not only... but also... • On the other hand
• Neither... nor... • While
• Just like (+ noun) • Whereas
• Similar to (+ noun) • But
• Too • Yet
• Equally • On the contrary
• In the same way • Unlike
• As well as • Nevertheless

For example, in this lesson we are focusing on the differences between living in a city or in the
countryside so let’s see some examples regarding these two subjects:

Examples Examples

• Both the city and the countryside could be
great places in where to live.
• You usually find peace in a quiet cottage.
Similarly, you could find some peace in a
big city by going to a spa.
• Most people think that living in the
countryside is relaxing and does not
require any effort. However, that is not the
case most of the time.
• You could feel really exhausted at the end
of the day if you lived in a big city. In
contrast, people who live in the countryside
have lower rates of stress.

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5.3. Example of Compare and Contrast essay

To finish this section, have a look at an example of comparative essay regarding this lesson’s topic:

Nowadays people have the option of living in the city or in the countryside, it all depends on the tastes
of each one. There are people who prefer living in overcrowded cities, while others prefer the
tranquillity of the countryside. Whether a person chooses to live in the countryside or in the city, they
can enjoy the same benefits; they are simply very different ways of life.

Life in the city is very fast; the people who live there have public transportation, establishments,
shops, schools, and many public services. Tall buildings instead of trees usually surround people. We
can find diversity of neighbourhoods, some very luxurious with spectacular houses, and other poorer
neighbourhoods where you will not see luxuries or beautiful houses. The type of people we meet in the
city can be of all races and religions, usually all work to support families, and go at a very fast pace
focused on the work they have to do. Living in a city has positive things since the best hospitals are in
the cities. They also have very good schools, therefore a better education. There are also places for fun
and entertainment, such as theatres, spas, cinemas, parks, bars, gyms, etc.

Country life is very quiet and sparsely populated; it consists of farmland, and rural districts. There are
few commercial establishments, and they have the minimum things to cover the basic needs of the
people who live there. Living in the countryside is much more relaxed, the air is not polluted, the food
is fresh, people are much nicer to each other, and help each other, but they don't have all the
comforts of the city. As compensation, they may be in contact with nature. Children who grow up in
the countryside are responsible for cultivating the land and caring for animals. Also, living in the
countryside limits much more professional or business opportunities, whereas in the city you have
plenty of opportunities to develop professionally.

When we consider living in the countryside or in the city, the list of pros and cons of one and the other
always emerges, and the truth is that the benefit of one becomes the inconvenience of the other. They
are two very different places and each one gives us a totally different way of life. It is a very personal
decision that depends very much on each one’s personality. Therefore, this decision will depend on the
type of life you want to live and what makes you happy.

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Key ideas

Let’s see a summary of what you have learnt in this unit:

● How to use vocabulary related to towns and country and talk about advantages and
disadvantages of each one.

● How to use the conditional sentences in English using the appropriate verb tenses depending
on the type of conditional we use.

● How to talk and write about two different subjects by comparing and contrasting both of
them.

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