Advanced English Grammar & Vocabulary: Conditionals, Sustainability, and Off-Grid Life

Posted on Nov 2, 2025 in English

Section A: Environmental Challenges (Listening Exercise)

Addressing Plastic Waste and Sustainable Clothing

Match the statements regarding environmental solutions and manufacturing processes (6 points).

  1. A – Ways to eliminate plastic waste already in the environment 2️⃣
  2. B – Natural organisms cannot destroy plastic fast enough 3️⃣
  3. C – We should return to using packaging materials from the past 4️⃣
  4. B – They can be manufactured from natural substances 5️⃣
  5. A – The processes used to make clothes are harmful 6️⃣
  6. B – They could improve the ways in which they make clothing ✅

Section A Answers:

  • 1 – A
  • 2 – B
  • 3 – C
  • 4 – B
  • 5 – A
  • 6 – B

Section B: Reading Comprehension – Off-Grid Living (6 points)

Matching Sentences to Text Structure

Match the missing sentences logically into the text about people who live “off-grid.”

Available Sentences:

  • A – Inevitably, people living off-grid use power carefully…
  • B – Around the world the pace of life has speeded up…
  • C – The life is hard but there are benefits…
  • D – They are usually self-sufficient…
  • E – As in many parts of the world…
  • F – In fact, a growing number of people…
  • G – Generally, off-gridders aren’t opposed to technology…
  • H – It isn’t difficult to understand why people make this choice…
  • I – In most cases, the decision to go off-grid is made freely…

Text with Correct Placements:

  1. 1️⃣ B – Around the world the pace of life has speeded up as technological innovation has progressed. (Fits after the heading “Why is this happening?” to explain what’s wrong with modern life.) ➡️
  2. 2️⃣ F – In fact, a growing number of people seem to be prepared to give up their modern comforts and adopt a lifestyle which would be familiar to their ancestors. (Fits before “These are not people who were born into isolated traditional communities…”) ➡️
  3. 3️⃣ I – In most cases, the decision to go off-grid is made freely, but sometimes it is the result of necessity. (Fits before “People look around for a different way to survive…”) ➡️
  4. 4️⃣ A – Inevitably, people living off-grid use power carefully because they have to create their own… (Fits before “It may be difficult to set up the equipment to turn the wind and sun into electricity…”) ➡️
  5. 5️⃣ G – Generally, off-gridders aren’t opposed to technology, but they only want the kind of technology that they can control and repair themselves. (Fits before “As well as technical knowledge, off-gridders also need practical skills.”) ➡️
  6. 6️⃣ D – They are usually self-sufficient, which means they grow their own food and buy very little from traditional shops. (Fits before “In addition to becoming farmers, many also become carpenters…”) ➡️ ✅

Section B Answers:

  • 1 – B
  • 2 – F
  • 3 – I
  • 4 – A
  • 5 – G
  • 6 – D

Section C: Vocabulary – Technology and Everyday Life (6 points)

Fill-in-the-Blanks Exercise

Word Box:

artificial – friendly – advances – wearable – updates – streaming – technophobe – game-changing – gadget – user-

Text:

  1. Advances in technology have affected our everyday lives in many ways. The world of sport is no different: technology such as fitness trackers and special wearable clothes are becoming increasingly popular. 1️⃣ 2️⃣
  2. In fact, they have become game-changing tools for health and fitness fans. With regular updates constantly improving. 3️⃣ 4️⃣
  3. Of course, a technophobe may not want to use them, but they hope that even they might change their minds! 5️⃣ 6️⃣ (Note: “hope” is not from the list, but fits grammatically.) ✅

Section C Answers:

  • 1 – advances
  • 2 – wearable
  • 3 – game-changing
  • 4 – updates
  • 5 – technophobe
  • 6 – (they) hope

Section D: Environmental Vocabulary (6 points)

Complete the Sentences with One Word

  1. Reusing clothes is one way to be more eco-friendly. 1️⃣
  2. Today at school we learned that cotton is a natural resource used to make clothes. 2️⃣
  3. You can reduce your carbon footprint by walking to school instead of going by car. 3️⃣
  4. This article says that global warming is causing floods and extreme weather. 4️⃣
  5. I believe every house should get its electricity from renewable energy sources like solar panels. 5️⃣
  6. Wood is a sustainable material which we use to make furniture and build houses. 6️⃣ ✅

Section D Answers:

  • 1 – eco-friendly
  • 2 – natural
  • 3 – carbon
  • 4 – global
  • 5 – renewable
  • 6 – sustainable

Section E: Grammar – Formal Conditional Clauses (4 points)

Rewrite Sentences Using Formal Conditions

  1. I’ll lend you my camera on condition that you return it tomorrow. 1️⃣ ➡️ (“On condition that” means “if,” but is more formal. Note: Removed redundant “back.”)
  2. Even if the weather is nice, I’m still not going for a walk. 2️⃣ ➡️ (Transformation from “Whether or not the weather is nice.”)
  3. James, provided that you let me pay, I’d love to go to dinner. 3️⃣ ➡️ (“Provided that” means “if.”)
  4. George, as long as you don’t come home late, you can go to the cinema. 4️⃣ ➡️ (“As long as” means “if.”) ✅

Section E Answers:

  • 1 – on condition that you return
  • 2 – Even if the weather
  • 3 – provided that you let
  • 4 – as long as you don’t

Section F: Second and Third Conditionals (3 points)

Transforming Statements into Conditional Sentences

  1. Original: They studied hard so they passed the exam. 1️⃣ Transformation: If they hadn’t studied hard, they wouldn’t have passed the exam. (3rd Conditional – hypothetical past event)
  2. Original: I don’t know the answer. I can’t help you. 2️⃣ Transformation: If I knew the answer, I could help you. (2nd Conditional – present unreal situation)
  3. Original: She didn’t apply for the job, so she didn’t get it. 3️⃣ Transformation: If she had applied for the job, she would have got it. (3rd Conditional – hypothetical past event) ✅

Section F Answers:

  • 1 – If they hadn’t studied hard, they wouldn’t have passed the exam.
  • 2 – If I knew the answer, I could help you.
  • 3 – If she had applied for the job, she would have got it.

Section G: Mixed Conditionals (3 points)

Combining Past and Present Hypothetical Situations

  1. Original: She wasn’t born in the UK so she needs a visa to work here. 1️⃣ Transformation: If she had been born in the UK, she wouldn’t need a visa to work here. (Past condition affecting a Present result)
  2. Original: Sasha is clumsy. That’s why she smashed the mirror. 2️⃣ Transformation: If Sasha weren’t clumsy, she wouldn’t have smashed the mirror. (Present condition affecting a Past result)
  3. Original: Tyron doesn’t understand English well. That’s why he didn’t enjoy the film. 3️⃣ Transformation: If Tyron understood English well, he would have enjoyed the film. (Present condition affecting a Past result) ✅

Section G Answers:

  • 1 – If she had been born in the UK, she wouldn’t need a visa to work here.
  • 2 – If Sasha weren’t clumsy, she wouldn’t have smashed the mirror.
  • 3 – If Tyron understood English well, he would have enjoyed the film.

Final Checklist

✨ All Sections (A–G) Completed:

  • ✅ Listening (A)
  • ✅ Reading (B)
  • ✅ Vocabulary (C)
  • ✅ Complete sentences (D)
  • ✅ Grammar transformations (E)
  • ✅ Second/Third conditionals (F)
  • ✅ Mixed conditionals (G)

Crops and Raw Materials Vocabulary

(Slovak/Czech translations provided for reference)

Crops:

  • Wheat – žito
  • Barley – jačmeň
  • Oats – ovoz
  • Rye – raž
  • Cotton – bavlna
  • Sugar Cane – cukrová trstina
  • Sugar Beet – Cukrová repa
  • Rubber Tree – Kaučukovník
  • Oil Palm – palma olejna
  • Date Palm – palma datľová
  • Cassava – maniok
  • Spices

Raw Materials:

  • Iron – železo
  • Lead – olovo
  • Aluminium – hliník
  • Bauxite
  • Uranium
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas – zemný plyn
  • Cobalt
  • Zinc
  • Copper – meď
  • Manganese – mangán