Appunti completi Lingua Inglese per la comunicazione

MAGAZINES

This word comes from the French language. They were born in the early 18th century in the European countries. They can be identified as publications made up of a collection of different articles about different topics, they can be both at the bookshop or online because they can be considered part of the new media. They are generally monthly or weekly.

Magazine is a periodical publication which is printed in paper or electronically published (sometimes referred to as an online magazine). They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by prepaid subscriptions or a combination of the three.

Magazines can be distinguished in QUALITY and POPULAR magazines.

Quality magazines deal with political, economic, scientific, historical, philosophical, environmental issues.

Popular magazines can deal with cooking, sports, hobbies, news about famous people, diets, food etc. They are about soft news.

There are a lot of different types of magazines!

Articles published in magazines will follow

the same organization and structure of the newspaper's articles.

• Headline
• Sub-headline
• Picture
• Lead
• Different paragraphs
• Conclusion

The name of the journalist is given before or after the image.

LESSON N.7

USE OF CONDITIONAL

1. ZERO CONDITIONAL -> we use the zero conditional when we are referring to general truth, scientific facts or definitions. There is just a general truth which is explaining how something occurs. Actually there is no conditional!

FORM: if + present simple; present simple.

EX. "If you have faith in something, you believe in something you cannot prove."

2. FIRST CONDITIONAL -> we use the first conditional when we are referring to real conditions or likely conditions in the present or the future.

FORM: if + a present tense; will + infinitive

EX. "If you have a birthday party, you will get loads of cool presents!"

may, might, can, could, shall, should, ought

We can also use to, have to instead of will depending on the meaning.

EX.

“If you have a birthday party, you might get loads of cool presents!”

2. SECOND CONDITIONAL –> used with impossible, unlikely or hypothetical conditions in the present or future and their results in the present or future.

FORM: if + past simple/past continuous; would + infinitive

EX. “If I were you, I would think very carefully about my future”.

We can also use might or could instead of would depending on the meaning.

EX. “If we were older, we could go on holiday on our own.”

3. THIRD CONDITIONAL –> it indicates regrets on things which actually occurred in the past. Hypothetical conditions in the past and their results in the past.

FORM: if + past perfect (simple or continuous); would + have + past participle.

EX. “If she’d been wearing her new glasses, I would have noticed them”.

We can also use or instead of would depending on the meaning.

EX. “If I had done some revision, I might/could/should have passed”

the exam.”

4. MIXED CONDITIONALS –>(1) hypothetical past condition and a present result.

FORM: if + past perfect (simple or continuous), would +infinitive

EX. “If I had listened to my parents, I wouldn’t be in so much trouble now.

(2) hypothetical present condition and a past result

FORM: if + past simple or past continuous, would + have +past participle

EX. “If I had a mobile, I would have called you last night”.

LESSON N.8

TELEVISION

What is TV in our society nowadays? It’s a device which entered in our houses in the first half of 21 century. At the beginning it was in black&white and with no sound. In the second half, color TV was born. It’s a mass-medium because it communicates with people giving them the opportunity to watch different programs: films, documentaries, music, news, scientifical/storical/geographical programs…TV also makes people reflect about our generations. It’s the most seductive and shocking mirror of our

Social trends. Nowadays we are bombarded with all sorts of programs throughout the day, with HD definition and great sound. TV is actually a very powerful and strong medium of communication. We usually watch it alone at home or we can share it with friends or members of the family. Anyway, we usually watch it at home with small groups of people.

It remains a quite isolated form of enjoyment even when we watch a football match in a pub with friends. It is an attraction for teenagers (TV series), adolescents (documentary, sports...), mothers (cooking, hobbies...), fathers (football, news...): TV is for everybody.

There is a State TV and we pay an annual fee for it. When we want to have more opportunities to watch programs, we can pay a monthly subscription for private TVs (like SKY). It is a way to stay more at home instead of going outside the walls of our home!

Nowadays, we can also watch TV programs using a computer (e.g. while traveling).

Why do we care so much about television?

Why do we still watch TV? What do we watch on TV and what do we never watch? And why? 'The Age of Television' study was conducted by research and strategy consultancy MTM, commissioned by Thinkbox. Its findings are based on a qualitative analysis of 150 days of TV and video viewing filmed through camera glasses worn by 30 people, and a quantitative study of 6,000 people in the UK. It explains the different reasons why people watch live TV and on-demand TV (both from broadcasters and subscription services like Netflix). It has also revealed why people use online video platforms like YouTube. There are 8 different 'need states' which people watch TV and video to satisfy. In order of time spent, they are: 2. Unwind (26% of viewing time): relax and de-stress from the pressures of the day 3. Distract (18%): instant gratification to fill time, counter boredom, have a break 4. Comfort (16%): shared family or couple time with familiar shows 5. In touch (12%): feel aware of

what's happening in the world.

6. Experience (10%): watching together, watching live or joining social conversation about what's on

7. Indulge (9%): pursue personal interests, hobbies and passions, sometimes guilty or niche pleasures

8. Escape (7%): lose yourself in another world

9. Do (2%): seek out useful, practical information

Despite the explosion in ways to watch, live TV accounts for over half (56%) of all the video the UK watches, some 2 hrs, 38 mins a day. it satisfies the

The study explains its enduring popularity because widest range of our viewing needs for more time than any other type of viewing.

People in the UK use the largest chunk of their video viewing time as a means to relax ('Unwind'). Live TV accounts for over half (56%) of this time, as the wide variety of TV shows and genres complements the rhythms of everyday life.

By its nature, live TV excels for watching together and watching shows that are best seen when other people are watching ('Experience').

accounting for over two thirds (68%) of all time people spent in this need state. playback / on-demand viewing accounts for 18% of this 'Experience' viewing. Online video like YouTube accounts for just 11%. The same is true for viewing that makes you aware of what is happening in the world ('In touch'), for which live TV accounts for 77% of all viewing, online video 13%, and playback / on demand 10%. Why do we watch payback/on-demand TV? We have never had more choice and control. Broadcaster payback TV (like that recorded on Sky+) and Broadcaster on-demand services like All4, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Sky Go, and UKTV Play account for 15% of the average person's video consumption (41 minutes a day). On top of this many households have subscription VOD services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, which account for 6.4% of viewing (18 mins a day). Where playback / on-demand TV plays an important role is in helping people to lose themselves in another world and

immersethemselves in highly involving shows ('Escape'). In total, playback /on-demand services account for 32% of this viewing.This is especially the case for younger viewers, where playback /on-demand viewing is more used than live TV for satisfying theneed to 'Escape', accounting for 42% of 16-34s' viewing in thisneed state compared to live TV's 24%.

LESSON N.9

MODAL VERBS

Modal verbs = verbi servili

They are defective verbs, they do not exist in all the tenses. Theycan't be transformed, they are the same in all the forms. They arefollowed by the bare infinitive form. In the negative andinterrogative forms they don't need auxiliary verbs.ability, permission, advice, criticism, obligation,Modals ->necessity, of certainty...degrees(will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might,ALL MODALS)

must) and the semi-modals ought to have only one formMODALS are followed by the bare infinitive or the bare perfect infinitive

depending on the person and tense. ABILITY CAN is used to: - express ability now or generally <strong>can</strong> Example: "I can run a kilometer in four minutes." - express decisions made now about future ability <strong>can</strong> Example: "We can meet at the gym tomorrow if you like." COULD is used to: - express ability in the past <strong>could</strong> Example: "I could do 50 press-ups with one hand when I was younger." - express ability in the present, in the future, or general hypothetical situations <strong>could</strong> Example: "If only I could quit smoking!" COULD + INFINITIVE FORMS is used to: - express ability in past hypothetical situations <strong>could have roasted</strong> Example: "I could have roasted the potatoes, but I decided that boiling them was healthier." ADVICE MAY, COULD, CAN are used to ask for and give permission now, for the future, or generally <strong>May/Could/Can</strong> Example: "May/Could/Can I see the doctor, please?" ABILITY SHOULD and OUGHT TO are used to ask for and give advice now, for the future, or generally.Generally, one ought to/should cut down on the amount of red meat one eats. Criticism: One ought to/should have made more of an effort with his diet. Obligation and Necessity: One must/have to/need to make more of an effort with his diet.