Unit 13 Theme: Ergonomics in design Grammar: Subjunctive Mood II

Objectives: Introduction of new lexical material on theme “Ergonomics in design” and fixing active vocabulary in speech exercises, development of skills of monological speech.

Discussion: Definition of ergonomics, its use/role/importance.

Introduction of new grammar theme “Subjunctive Mood II” and fulfilling grammar exercises.

Ex. 1. Read the text and underline the ideas you like.

What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics covers all aspects of the human-environment relationship, from the physical stresses body motion places on joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, bones and the like, to environmental factors which can effect hearing, vision, and general comfort and health.

Ergonomics has been around in one form or another for centuries. But it was not applied to work in the home until the early 20th century when pioneering home economists began studying kitchen work. In the 1920s Lillian Moller Gilbreth, a psychologist and industrial engineer, began applying rudimentary ergonomic principles to household tasks using time and motion studies. These led to her subsequent development of the kitchen work triangle that became a cornerstone of kitchen design for the next half century.

In 1925, Katharine A. Fisher, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute, author, and columnist for Good Housekeeping Magazine, began a series of columns around the theme of grouping kitchen tasks according to purpose and materials. Her breakthrough concept was that all things needed to perform a given task — ingredients, implements, spices, bowls and cutlery — should be located where the task was to be performed. Fisher's idea of a "task-centric" workspace is today the single most important element of modern kitchen design.

The world war from 1939-1945 gave the science of ergonomics a giant boost when the military began to think in terms of not of just new weapons but new "weapons systems" with ergonomic interfaces that permitted man/machine teams to work together more efficiently. Even before the end of the conflict these war-time ergonomic concepts were being carried over to, among other things, kitchen design. In 1944 the President of the University of Illinois at Urbana ordered the formation of the Small Homes Council to research housing issues and apply the principles of ergonomics to kitchen work. By War's end, the Council had already published a number of research findings on kitchen organization which eventually formed the core of the Kitchen Design Rules published by the National Kitchen and Bath Association which today spell out the main guidelines for efficient kitchen design.

Then, in the 1970s, kitchen ergonomics got a second big boost. The need to design workable spaces for the handicapped brought it to the forefront again as the Americans With Disabilities Act forced engineers and designers to rethink basic concepts.

Ergonomics is very popular now. People may not know exactly what it means, but know that an ergonomic chair, knife handle, or spatula is likely to be more comfortable, easier to use, and often better looking. So, since ergonomics sells, everything under the sun is suddenly "ergonomic".

Ex. 2. See the following video as proof of using ergonomics in our everyday life since 1944.

a) Ergonomics a worker solution from 1944 (0:39 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0AkbTRgzFc

b) Office ergonomics (2:40 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cbuO5-9jnM&feature=endscreen

Ex. 3. Home Improvements: Outside the House.

Some basic home improvements and landscaping around your home can really increase the value and visual appeal of your property. Listen to the words below and consult a dictionary if you need a definition (http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/v-landscaping.htm). Write a sample sentence for each word to learn how it is used in context. You can use the Internet to find such sentences and related information.

1. driveway

2. fence

3. flag pole

4. flower bed

5. front steps

6. garden

7. gate

8. landscaping

9. lawn

10. patio

11. porch

12. lights

13. security system

14. shrubbery

15. sidewalk

16. sprinkler system

Ex. 4. Complete the sentences below with the best answer

1. My father decided to install a ______________ to keep the dog from running away.

A) flag pole B) porch C) fence

2. You might want to purchase a ________________ to protect your home from intruders or unwanted visitors.

A) sprinkler system B) sidewalk C) security system

3. One way to make your house safer is to trim back the ____________ in front of the windows so burglars can't sneak in (=enter) without being seen.

A) flower bed B) garden C) shrubbery

Ex. 5. What specific home improvements can increase (or decrease) the value of a home? For example, adding an additional room your house might be a good investment, while adding a swimming pool could result in high maintenance costs and personal liability in case of an accident. Find more information about valuable home improvements.

Online Listening Practice (from www.esl-lab.com and www.dailyesl.com):

Home Repairs: Difficult

Ex. 6. Architecture vocabulary list dictation. Test each other in pairs. Choose one category and help your partner to remember as many words in that category as they can. Can you add any words to the lists below?

A: Without looking at the list below, listen to your teacher read out a list of words and put up your hand whenever you think you know how all those words are connected. Each person can only guess once for each category, so wait until you are fairly sure before you raise your hand.

B: Label the categories of vocabulary below.

hut, serviced apartment, tent, caravan, B&B (= bed and breakfast), villa, log cabin, bungalow, self-catering flat, second home/ holiday home, mobile home, condo, maisonette, camper van, igloo, (youth) hostel, shared house, penthouse, host family, (student) halls/ dorm(itory)

bidet, toilet, shower cubicle, bathtub,

sand, stone (marble, limestone, etc), mortar, (reinforced) concrete, cement, wood, paint, brick, paper, mud, reeds, metal

central heating, double glazing, (real/ coal/ electric/ gas) fire, paraffin stove, insulation, (fan) heater,

rent, mortgage, deposit, housing benefit, subsidized housing

carpet, rug, tatami, wood, stone, linoleum, mat

armchair, (kitchen/ swivel) chair, chest of drawers, dresser, (queen-sized) bed, futon/ sofa-bed

wooden flooring, wallpaper, (wall to wall/ fitted) carpet, fireplace, mantelpiece, chandelier, (wooden) beam, pillar

fluorescent strip, LED bulb, (desk) lamp, spotlight, candle, chandelier

beam, banister, stairs, floorboards, kitchen table, wardrobe/ closet

drive, path, ivy, front garden, flower box, shutter, chimney, garage, carport, doorstep, fence, hedge, garden wall, gate, greenhouse, lawn, flowerbed, drainpipe

balcony, terrace, garage, lobby, utility room, hall/ corridor, living room/ sitting room/ lounge, landing, loft/ attic, cellar/ basement

loft/ attic, cellar/ basement, built in cupboard, walk in wardrobe

intercom, security camera, air conditioning, smoke detector, burglar alarm

terraced, semi-detached, detached, bungalow, mansion, cottage,

thatched, tiled, flat, steep, terrace

Compare your answers with the next page.

Suggested answers

accommodation – hut, serviced apartment, tent, caravan, B&B (= bed and breakfast), villa, log cabin, bungalow, self-catering flat, second home/ holiday home, mobile home, condo, maisonette, camper van, igloo, (youth) hostel, shared house, penthouse, host family, (student) halls/ dorm(itory)

bathroom – bidet, toilet, shower cubicle, bathtub,

building material – sand, stone (marble, limestone, etc), mortar, (reinforced) concrete, cement, wood, paint, brick, paper, mud, reeds, metal

connected to winter – central heating, double glazing, (real/ coal/ electric/ gas) fire, paraffin stove, insulation, (fan) heater,

finance – rent, mortgage, deposit, housing benefit, subsidized housing

floor – carpet, rug, tatami, wood, stone, linoleum, mat

furniture – armchair, (kitchen/ swivel) chair, chest of drawers, dresser, (queen-sized) bed, futon/ sofa-bed

interior – wooden flooring, wallpaper, (wall to wall/ fitted) carpet, fireplace, mantelpiece, chandelier, (wooden) beam, pillar

lighting –fluorescent strip, LED bulb, (desk) lamp, spotlight, candle, chandelier

made from wood – beam, banister, stairs, floorboards, kitchen table, wardrobe/ closet

outside the house – drive, path, ivy, front garden, flower box, shutter, chimney, garage, carport, doorstep, fence, hedge, garden wall, gate, greenhouse, lawn, flowerbed, drainpipe

part of a house – balcony, terrace, garage, lobby, utility room, hall/ corridor, living room/ sitting room/ lounge, landing, loft/ attic, cellar/ basement

storage – loft/ attic, cellar/ basement, built in cupboard, walk in wardrobe

technology – intercom, security camera, air conditioning, smoke detector, burglar alarm

type of house – terraced, semi-detached, detached, bungalow, mansion, cottage,

type of roof – thatched, tiled, flat, steep, terrace

Ex. 7. What are the rules for using “and”, commas in large numbers, and numbers after the

decimal point?

 eight thousand seven hundred and seven – 8307 – How many…?

 three hundred and thirteen litres – 313 l – How much…?/ How many litres (of)…?

 twelve foot three (inches) – 12’ 3 (“) - How long/ tall/ high/ thick/ wide…?

 seventy three point five two kilometres – 73.52 km - How long/ tall/ thick/ wide/ far…?

 two and three quarter hours – 2 3/4 hrs – How long… (does… take)?

 nineteen seventy six – 1976 - When…?/ In which year…?

 eighty three dollars ninety nine/ eighty three dollars and ninety nine cents – $83.99 -

How much… (does… cost)?

 a hundred and twenty two percent – 122% - How much…?/ How many percent…?/

What percentage (of)…?

 three hundred and fifty grams – 350 grams – How much (does… weigh)?/ How many

grams (does.. weigh)?/ What is the weight (of)…?

 a magnitude of seven point three on the Richter scale – How strong…?/ What point on

the Richter scale…?

 seventeen square metres – 17 m2 – How big…?/ What is the area (of)…?/ How much

area (does… cover)?

 once a week – How often…?/ How many times a week…?

Ex. 8. Now check your answer.

“And” comes between hundreds and tens, so not the same position as commas. Commas

go after every group of three numbers and are how we show the transition from thousand

to million, million to billion, etc. Numbers after decimal points are pronounced one by one,

so “point one hundred and twelve” would be wrong.

Ex. 9. Make up a diologue with questions from exercise 4.

Grammar: Subjunctive Mood II.

The verb in the if-clause is in the past tense; the verb in the main clause is in the conditional tense: If I had a map I would lend it to you.

Type 2 is used:

 When the supposition is contrary to known facts: If I lived near my office I’d be in time for work. ( But I don’t live near my office).

 When we don’t expect the action in the if-clause to take place: If a burglar came into my room at night I’d scream. (But I don’t expect a burglar to come in).

 Might or could may be used instead of would: If you tried again you would succeed. (certain result). If you tried again you might succeed. (possible result). If I had a permit he could get a job. (ability or permission).

Ex. 10. Finish these sentences, taking care to use the correct tenses.

1. If he had my advice … 2. If you ate less … 3. We’ll send for the doctor … 4. If she practiced more … 5. If there isn’t enough wine in the bottle … 6. If you have checked the petrol before we started … 7. This clock wouldn’t have run down if … 8. If these gates are locked … 9. If we leave before breakfast… 10. The grass would look better if … 11. If you didn’t shake the camera so much, your photographs … 12. I brought my coat … 13. If Tom rings while I’m out … 14. Try on the blue one if …. 15. Her life might been saved if … 16. If your uncle sees you ….

Ex. 11. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tenses.

1. If I had a typewriter I (type) it myself. 2. I shouldn’t drink that wine if I (be) you. 3. More tourists would come to this country if it (have) a better climate. 4. If you (not sneeze) he wouldn’t have known that we were there. 5. The hens (not get) into the house if you shut the door. 6. Rome (be captured) by her enemies if the geese hadn’t cackled.

Ex. 12. The best example of the subjunctive mood is the song "If I were a rich man" from the musical "Fiddler on the roof" http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/moodsubjunctive.html. See on-line the abstract and read subtitles.

Ex. 13. TEST YOURSELF. Which of the following sentences need verbs in the subjunctive mood? Why?

1. If I was Sam, I would hire an assistant now before the hiring freeze takes effect.

2. The committee suggested that Dr. Jones is chosen as the next chief of staff.

3. As August approaches, every school child wishes that his or her vacation was longer.

4. It is critical that every potential donor gives blood during this shortage.

Ex. 14. A) Read the article ‘If One Were to Use the Subjunctive Mood Properly’.

Flickr/Zombieite

The New York Times' After Deadline blog contains a fantastic letter to the paper's editor from March of 1924 that reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same, copy-wise and otherwise. In that still-relevant letter, a woman named Ida M. Mason asked ominously, "How many 100 per cent. Americans are alive to another sinister and subtle danger that is threatening a vital prop of the nation, viz., the frequent disregard of the subjunctive mood from the pens of those who should know better?" She continued, "In these parlous times what comfort is there to take refuge in a book only to be jarred by 'If I was thus and so, I would do this and that,' again and again by English and American writers of note? Is everything topsy-turvy these days? Even oil on the troubled waters produces storm instead of calm—and one by one time-honored institutions and conventions go by the board, but if the subjunctive mood goes, then all is lost." Mason then requests that a Congressional investigation be undertaken "to discover what sinister propaganda is at the bottom of this new peril." Alas, the particulars of her plea were not carried out, but it's nearly 90 years later and we're still talking about the subjunctive. So it's not dead... yet. 

There's something to be said for the consistency reflected in the way that we bemoan copy editing and linguistic mistakes as if it were our job, whether we're in 1924 or 2012—and whether those mistakes are problems related to the subjunctive or something else entirely. For evidence of the long life of this general nitpicking, read James Thurber's essay on "subjunctive fights" among married couples. Maybe there's a kind of comfort that regardless of these modern Internetty times we continue to be upset by typographical mistakes, grammatical gaffes, and assumed misuses of words (as with Biden's recent literally dropping). All is not lost yet! We at least notice, or, well, some of us do. The photo above, for instance, comes from a Flickr user who appreciates the message of the graffiti but can't help pointing out, "Before you start writing your movie, you might want to work on contractions, possessives, and the subjunctive mood." A fair point.

Philip B. Corbett picks up Mason's argument in his Times piece today, explaining what it is yet again (he's been on this bandwagon for a while) and why we should care. The thing is, proper use of the subjunctive—once you learn it and get over that difficult-sounding word, subjunctive, which has absolutely nothing to do with pinkeye—is one of the most easily deployed copy editing techniques that will put you in good stead with word nerds. Essentially, you're altering a verb to reflect what is or is not fact. In the image above, for example, while our graffiti artist uses was, life is not and never will be, actually, a movie. So he or she should have used were. Similarly, the song "If I Were a Carpenter," should be read to be about someone who is not, and is never planning to become, a carpenter, nor the object of his affection a lady or one who will be one, and so on. The use of were instead of was (the indicative) is an indication that what follows is not true or is, at the very least, in doubt, "a wishful notion or a proposition contrary to fact." It can, of course, get more complicated than that, what with tenses and other variances—Corbett includes some further examples to drive home the point and show possible pitfalls of use—but those are the basics. Easy, no? Was for truth; were for wishful or doubtfully true.

If Ida Mason were reading over your shoulder right now, we'd like to imagine she would be proud, at least, for a moment. Before she realized that the graffiti shown in the photo above uses an N instead of an andand the wrong your completely. Congress should do something about that. 

B) Do you want to add to this story? Let know in comments or send an email to the author at [e-mail]. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/open-wire/).

Ex. 15. Listen to the song ‘What if’ on http://busyteacher.org/5413-what-if-by-coldplay-song-worksheet-.html, fill in the gaps with Second Conditional and read its words.

What if there _______________(be) no lie Nothing wrong, nothing right What if there _______________(be) no time And no reason, or rhyme What if you _______________ decide That you don't want me there by your side That you don't want me there in your life What if I _______________(get) it wrong And no poem or song _______________ put right what I got wrong Or make you feel I belong What if you _______________ decide That you don't want me there by your side That you don't want me there in your life Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right Let's take a breath, jump over the side Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right How _______________ you know it, if you don't even try Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right Every step that you take _______________ be your biggest mistake It _______________ bend or it could break That's the risk that you take What if you _______________ decide That you don't want me there in your life That you don't want me there by your side Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right Let's take a breath, jump over the side Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right How _______________ you know when you don't even try Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right Oh - Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right, Let's take a breath, jump over the side. Ooh ooh-ooh, that's right, You know that darkness always turns into light. Ooh-ooh, that's right