1.

Exploring if-Constructions in Context

[ Article about future elections]
1.1 In World War II, when the oles had a ca!alr" against the #lit$%rieg, that
wasn&t !er" health", I don&t thin%,' #rown said. (If the other side&s got tan%s
and )otori$ed !ehicles and "ou&re riding "our horse there, "ou&re going to
get )owed down.
If*present perfect* present perfect * past continuous
+ource, -o!. .err" #rown +a"s /011 2e)ocratic 3o)ination Is 4illar"
Clinton&s 5If +he Wants&, Washington ost, /6 7a" /018.91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.washingtonpost.co);politics;go!-<err"-brown-sa"s-/011-
de)ocratic-no)ination-is-hillar"-clintons-if-she-wants;/018;0=;/6;de9d0e0c-
e=cc-11e9-6f>0-?9e0?1f9d19?@stor".ht)lA
[ Article about Bondon, prices and econo)"]
1./ If an"thing the opposite is true C while helping onl" a luc%" few, b"
raising house price expectations the sche)e has pushed prices e!en further
out of reach for the )a<orit". Di)e for 7ar% Carne" to pull the plug.
If*present *ing !b
+ource, Bondon 4ouse rices In April +ee Eecord 8./F Eise , Dhe -uardian,
90 7a"/018 . 91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.theguardian.co);)one";/018;)a";90;london-house-prices-
april-recordA
[Article about econo)ical s"ste)s and people]
1.9 Do succeed is to destro" oursel!es. Do fail is to destro" oursel!es. Dhat is
the bind we ha!e created. Ignore if "ou )ust cli)ate change, biodi!ersit"
collapse, the depletion of water, soil, )inerals, oilG e!en if all these issues
)iraculousl" !anished, the )athe)atics of co)pound growth )a%e
continuit" i)possible.
a H If* )odal !erb
bH if*past si)ple
1. 8 +o)e people tr" to sol!e the i)possible eIuation with the )"th of
de)aterialisation, the clai) that as processes beco)e )ore eJcient and
gadgets are )iniaturised, we use, in aggregate, fewer )aterials. Dhere is no
sign that this is happening. Iron ore production has risen 160F in 10 "ears.
Dhe trade bod" Korest Industries tells us that Lglobal paper consu)ption is at
a record high le!el and it will continue to growL. If, in the digital age, we wonMt
reduce e!en our consu)ption of paper, what hope is there for other
co))oditiesN
If* negati!e present si)ple
1.= As the philosopher 7ichael Eowan points out, the ine!itabilities of
co)pound growth )ean that if last "earMs predicted global growth rate for
/018 O9.1FH is sustained, e!en if we )iraculousl" reduced the consu)ption
of raw )aterials b" >0F, we dela" the ine!itable b" <ust ?= "ears. EJcienc"
sol!es nothing while growth continues.M
if*present perfect* present si)ple
1.1 Dhe inescapable failure of a societ" built upon growth and its destruction
of the EarthMs li!ing s"ste)s are the o!erwhel)ing facts of our existence. As
a result, the" are )entioned al)ost nowhere. Dhe" are the /1st centur"Ms
great taboo, the sub<ects guaranteed to alienate "our friends and neighbours.
We li!e as if trapped inside a +unda" supple)ent, obsessed with fa)e,
fashion and the three drear" staples of )iddle-class con!ersation, recipes,
reno!ations and resorts. An"thing but the topic that de)ands our attention.
if* past si)ple
+ource, ItMs +i)ple. If we CanMt Change Pur Econo)ic +"ste), Pur 3u)berMs
Qp ,Dhe -uardian, /? 7a" /018 .91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.theguardian.co);co))entisfree;/018;)a";/?;if-we-cant-
change-econo)ic-s"ste)-our-nu)ber-is-upA
[Article about Clintons , White 4ouse and political power]
1.? At least .i))" Carter O6>H isnMt planning another shot at the White 4ouse.
4e doesnMt rate Pba)a, but nor does he share QR <udge Anthon" 7a"Ms legal
thu)bs-up to -C4S this wee%. Carter doesnMt use e)ail because, despite
assurances, he thin%s the spoo%s will read it if the" choose.
if*present si)ple
+ource, 2iar", 2ig 2eep Kor Clinton, If 3ot Dhe 7iners ,Dhe -uardian, 10 April
/018.91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.theguardian.co);politics;/018;apr;10;)ichael-white-diar"-
)iners-bush-clintonA
[ Article about +cotland and EQ ]
1.6 It would be LdiJcult, if not i)possibleL for an independent +cotland to
<oin the EQ, the European co))ission president, .osT 7anuel #arroso, said on
+unda".
If*not*inUniti!e
+ource, Independent +cotland MWould Kind It Extre)el" 2iJcult Do .oin EQM
,Dhe -uardian, 11 Kebruar" /018 .91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.theguardian.co);politics;/018;feb;11;independent-scotland-
extre)el"-diJcult-<oin-euA
[Article about the re)o!e of a councilMs abilit" to put waste plants on the
green belt]
1.> At the )o)ent, if "ou want to build a waste treat)ent centre so)ewhere
in the countr"side, it is a straightforward process. In considering the
application, local authorities ha!e to abide b" the planning polic" state)ent.
Dhis directs oJcers to ac%nowledge that the considerations of the beneUts of
sustainable waste )anage)ent should be gi!en due weight when planning
per)ission proposals are being considered.
If* present si)ple* inUniti!e
1.10 ic%les is in charge of planning within the green belt. 4e is also in charge
of ensuring in!est)ent in new waste infrastructure and, Unall", bringing
brownUeld sites bac% into use rather than lea!ing the) weed-strewn and
derelict. It would help if he could see that )a"be these three issues are
so)ehow connected.
If* )odal * short inUniti!e
+ource, Waste 2isposal, If 3ot #rownUeld +ites And Dhe -reen #elt, Dhen
WhereN , -uardian rofessional, 91 .ul" /01/.91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.theguardian.co);local-go!ern)ent-networ%;/019;<ul;91;waste-
disposal-if-not-green-belt-then-whereA
[ Article about how we create a societ" in which )one" isnMt worshipped ]
1.11 Which lea!es us with a proble). E!er since the great crash of /00?-6,
when the price paid for turning a blind e"e to corporate e!ils beca)e
painfull" clear, )ost radical responses to this profound crisis of capitalis)
ha!e struggled with the Iuestion, if not this, then whatN If we donMt want bad,
predator", unstable capitalis) then what would the good C or responsible, as
Ed 7iliband puts it C %ind loo% li%eN 2a!id 7arIuandMs new boo%, howe!er,
suggests that weMre co)ing at this fro) the wrong angle.
If*to be
If* negati!e present si)ple
1.1/ If we should be unafraid to conde)n bad choices, which choices are to
be dee)ed badN After all, no )ainstrea) part" in #ritain and few indi!iduals
are liberal enough to sa" that an"thing goes, debate tends to rage instead
o!er which speciUc choices C lone )otherhood, for exa)ple, or not pa"ing
corporate tax C are wrong. Vet 7arIuand doesnMt spell things out.
If* )odal * short inUniti!e
+ource,7a))onMs Ringdo), An Essa" Pn #ritain, 3ow b" 2a!id 7arIuand C
re!iew b" -ab" 4insliW,Dhe -uardian, /1 7a" /018.91 7a" /018
:http,;;www.theguardian.co);boo%s;/018;)a";/1;)a))ons-%ingdo)-
britain-da!id-)arIuandA