UNIT 4 ENGLISH CONTEMPORARY

TRAVELING PROBLEMS

BAD ATTITUDES AND PROBLEMS BEHAVIOR

An attitude problem is when someone doesn't treat someone else fairly or tease them due
other things. A person with an attitude problem is one who considers him or herself better
than others and looks down upon them. They are not considerate of others' feelings.
HERE ARE 5 TELLING SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM...

1. EVERYONE SEEMS TO IRRITATE YOU

If everyone around you seems to irritate you, chances are the problem is not them, it’s you.
When you have a balanced and sensible view on things, you will understand that everyone is
entitled to their own opinions, approaches to a task and styles of behavior. However, when
you have attitude problem you will find yourself unable to tolerate the differences in other
people.

2. NOTHING EVER GOES YOUR WAY

Most people with a balanced view towards life understand that sometimes bad things
happen and they take it in their stride. It’s the people with attitude problems that think that the
universe is deliberately trying to mess up their lives when anything goes wrong. Part of being
a positive individual is accepting the bad just as well as the good.

3. WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE, YOU FEEL BITTER

If you feel bitter and short changed when something good happens to someone around you,
then you really have to work on your issues. Good things happening to a person is not linked
to you not getting what you want. You have to find a way to be happy for other people even if
you have nothing to gain from it.

4. YOU ALWAYS BELIEVE YOU ARE RIGHT

Look back on all your recent arguments or discussions with the people around you and then
count the number of times you were completely sure you were right. That should be an
indication of your attitude.

5. YOU FIND THE CYNICAL ANGLE TO EVERYTHING

If you find yourself constantly finding the cynical angle to everything, firstly you aren’t the
nicest person to be around and secondly you will be full of negativity. This negativity will
emerge in the form of nasty snipes and stubborn behavior, all symptomatic of attitude
problems.

PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

Definition of Problem Behavior -- Behavior that is potentially or actually harmful to the

organization or others. "Harmful behavior" can range from poor hygiene to chronic
complaining to being disruptive to offensive, illegal, or life-threatening actions.
Common Problem Behavior:

o Not following rules.

o Not cooperative.
o Defensive, overly-sensitive, overly-reactive.
o Confrontational and controlling.
o Rude, insensitive, abrasive, insulting, demeaning, derogatory, sarcasti4.3.1
o

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

We use subjunctives mainly when talking about events that are not certain to happen. It is
state of mind, such as opinion, belief, purpose, intention, or desire. For example, we use the
subjunctive when talking about events that somebody:

 wants to happen
 anticipates will happen
 imagines happening

STRUCTURE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE

It is extremely simple. For all verbs except the past tense of be, the subjunctive is the same
as the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to"):

be (past) be (present)

I were I be
you were you be
he, she, it were he, she, it be
we were we be
you were you be
they were they be
The subjunctive does not change according to person (I, you, he etc).

Look at these examples:

 The President requests that you be present at the meeting.

 It is vital that you be present at the meeting.
 If you were at the meeting, the President would be happy.

The subjunctive is typically used after two structures:

 the verbs: ask, command, demand, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest +
that
 the expressions: it is desirable, essential, important, necessary, vital + that

Here are some examples with the subjunctive:

 The manager insists that the car park be locked at night.

 The board of directors recommended that he join the company.
 It is essential that we vote as soon as possible.
  It was necessary that every student submit his essay by the weekend.

Notice that in these structures the subjunctive is always the same. It does not matter whether
the sentence is past or present. Look at these examples:

 Present: The President requests that they stop the occupation.

 Past: The President requested that they stop the occupation.

 Present: It is essential that she be present.

 Past: It was essential that she be present.

The use of the subjunctive as above is more common in American English than in British
English, where should + infinitive is often used:

 The manager insists that the car park should be locked at night.
 It were essential that we should vote as soon as possible.

Formal Informal

(The were form is correct at all (The was form is possible in informal, familiar
times.) conversation.)

If I were younger, I would go. If I was younger, I would go.

If he weren't so mean, he would If he wasn't so mean, he would buy one for me.
buy one for me.

I wish I weren't so slow! I wish I wasn't so slow!

I wish it were longer. I wish it was longer.

It's not as if I were ugly. It's not as if I was ugly.

She acts as if she were Queen. She acts as if she was Queen.

If I were you, I should tell her. Note: We do not normally say "if I was you", even in
familiar conversation.

Some fixed expressions use the subjunctive. Here are some examples:

 Long live the King!

 God bless America!
 Heaven forbid!
 Be that as it may, he still wants to see her.
 Come what may, I will never forget you.
 We are all citizens of the world, as it
EXERCISE WITH SUBJUNCTIVE

CHOOSE THE MOST APPROPRIATE ANSWER.

1. I demand that he ___ immediately.

Apologize shall apologize will apologize has apologized

2. I suggested that she ___ her lawyer before signing the contract.

Consults shall consult will consult should consult

3. It is necessary that everything ___ ready by two o'clock tomorrow.

Be was were would have been

4. They recommend that she ____ to a ski resort in Spain.

Will go would have gone should go should have gone

5. It is advisable that you____ your application as soon as possible.

Submit will submit will have submitted should have submitted

6. He decided to go inside the haunted house, ____ what may.

come comes should come would come

7. It is strange that he_____ so upset about such a trifle, isn't it?

Were shall be should be have been

8. Far____ it from me to criticize your plan, but I think you should change a few things in it.

be is was were

9. The doctor insisted that she ____ at the hospital.

stay stays will stay has stayed

10. She suggested that we ____ in the lobby of the hotel at 9:00 a.m.

Shall meet will meet should meet would have met

HOMEWORK
Exercise on Subjunctive Mood:
CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER FOR EACH SENTENCE.

1. Everything ______ if Albert hadn’t called the fire brigade.

a. will be destroyed b. will have been destroyed c. would be destroyed d. would have
been destroyed
2. Supposing this ship ______, do you think there would be enough life jackets for all the
passengers?
a. was sinking b. has sunk c. were to sink d. sunk
3. The teacher suggested that each student ______ a plan for the vacation.

a. made b. make c. makes d. will make

4. Frankly, I’d rather you ______ anything about it for the time being.

a. do b. don’t do c. didn’t do d. will not do

5. After the way she treated you, if I ______ in your place.

a. be b. am c. was d. were
6. The idea is that the nation ______ an unmanned spacecraft to explore the planet first.

a. sent b. sends c. send d. must send

7. Its high time you ______.

a. start to work b. would start to work c. started to work d. had started to work
8. “If I hadn’t practiced when I was younger,” the musician says, “I ______ able to play so
well now.”

a. wouldn’t be b. won’t be c. wouldn’t have been d. couldn’t have been

9. It is imperative that you ______ there in person.

a. are b. were c. be d. will be

10. The atomic structure is ______, a miniature solar system.

a. as it was b. as if they were c. as it were d. as if are

 LISTENING 3
LISTEN TO SALLY. SHE WILLTELL YOU WHY HER LIFE IS A MESS THEN WRITE
SIX THINGS THAT SHE WISHES.

Example: Sally wishes she had some friends.

1.-____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.-____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3.-____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4.-____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5.-____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6.-____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

LISTENING 4
OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR LIVES
No one has worse neighbors than I do. __________________ I say “hello” to them, they turn
their head in the opposite direction and pretend they haven´t seen me. I feel like these
people are watching __________________ I do and that I can´t say ______________without
being criticized.
Hardly a day goes by without a problem of some of kind. I can´t park my car without a
hearing a complaint from ___________________. Every time I play my stereo, ___________
Starts banging on the walls.
As a matter of fact, I would really like to move ___________________else. ______________
I have to find some friendly neighbors. Do you know of ___________________?