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VOA日常语法2022 动作片教你条件语句

时间:2022-02-18 02:26:51

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(单词翻译)

Action Movie Teaches You about Conditional1 Statements

Imagine you see an action movie on television. Perhaps it is the movie Predator2, a famous film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It involves an alien creature who attacks people in the jungle.

You decide to watch it to see if you can learn some English.

Then, you hear this line:

"If it bleeds, we can kill it."

Even if you do not like action films, you can still learn a lot from this line.

In today's report, we will explore conditional statements – statements suggesting events that depend on each other. For example, if one thing happens, then another thing happens. You will learn about one kind of conditional that involves the simple verb form and different modal or helping3 verbs.

Let's start with some important terms and ideas.

Conditional statements

Grammar books describe different kinds of conditional statements.

These statements describe relationships between two events. There is often an if-clause4 and a result clause. A clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate – the part of the sentence that says something about the subject.

When you learn about conditional statements, you might read about names of many kinds of statements. They include the first conditional, second conditional, present real conditional, and others.

The difference often comes from the place in time, the nature of the action, and the reality of the situations being described.

Let's explore our example again:

"If it bleeds, we can kill it."

The first part of the statement has an if-clause. The clause has the subject, "it," meaning the alien creature, and a verb in the simple present form, "bleeds."

A reminder5: the simple present in English does not always mean the present time. The simple present can also describe something that is generally true or is habitual6.

When Schwarzenegger said, "If it bleeds," he is describing a general truth. If something has blood, it is probably a living thing. And living things can be killed.

Note that the result clause has the helping verb "can."

"...we can kill it."

This is important because "can" expresses possibility. It does not express that something is sure to happen.

The statement could have also been:

If it bleeds, we kill it.

This suggests a general rule or policy. It suggests a usual way of doing things.

The statement could have also been:

If it bleeds, we will kill it.

This involves the helping verb "will." It expresses a strong amount of certainty7 about a future event.

The reason Schwarzenegger used "can" is because he was not sure that his group would be able to kill the creature. He suggested only that it was possible.

Closing thoughts

You can use these general ideas to make all kinds of statements. For example, you might say:

If you study hard, you can pass the English test.

Or,

if you study hard, you will pass the English test.

Conditional statements can be difficult to learn because they involve more than one clause and sometimes use complex verb forms. But with time and effort, you can learn these statements.

In today's report, we explored one kind of conditional statement. If you would like to learn more about conditional statements in detail, please read our earlier stories about conditionals8. We also have videos that explore different kinds of conditional statements.

And remind yourself:

If you carefully study the language of silly action movies, you can improve your understanding of English grammar.

Words in This Story

conditional –n. grammar : showing or used to show that something is true or happens only if something else is true or happens

modal – n. grammar: a verb (such as can, could, shall, should, ought to, will, or would) that is usually used with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity9, and permission

habitual – n. done regularly or repeatedly10

silly – adj. playful and funny; not serious, meaningful, or important


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1 conditional BYvyn     
adj.条件的,带有条件的
参考例句:
  • My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
  • There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。
2 predator 11vza     
n.捕食其它动物的动物;捕食者
参考例句:
  • The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
  • Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴,它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。
3 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
4 clause QVuyO     
n.(正式文件或法律文件的)条款,从句,分句
参考例句:
  • The sentence consists of a main clause and a subordinate clause.这句中有一个主句和一个从句。
  • What clause do you require in the contract?你要求在合同中订上什么条款?
5 reminder WkzzTb     
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示
参考例句:
  • I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
  • It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知,她才付应该交的房租。
6 habitual x5Pyp     
adj.习惯性的;通常的,惯常的
参考例句:
  • He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
  • They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。
7 certainty BUay7     
n.必然的事,确定的事实,确信,确实
参考例句:
  • I can't say with any certainty where I shall be next week.我不能确切地说下周我在什么地方。
  • I know for a certainty that the company has been bought up.我确实知道公司已经被人收购了。
8 conditionals 83ad05a5f1438e68406b285d1d4a49d9     
n.条件句,从句,条件式( conditional的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Conditionals are used to about possible, imaginary or impossible conditions. 条件句用于谈论有可能的、想像的或不可能的状况。 来自互联网
  • Macros containing conditionals will automatically update their visual feedback as appropriate during play. 宏中若有条件式存在时,会依照条件式自动更新该宏的技能、物品描述。 来自互联网
9 necessity wGLxm     
n.必要性,需要;必需品
参考例句:
  • I look upon this as an absolute necessity.我认为这是绝对必要的。
  • You must understand the necessity of education.你必须懂得教育的必要性。
10 repeatedly RkAzVA     
adv.重复地,再三地
参考例句:
  • The loudspeakers blared the speech repeatedly.扬声器里反复大声地播送那篇演讲。
  • He repeatedly beat his foot upon the floor.他反复用脚敲着地板。

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