AVOIDING ONLINE MISTAKES
4.3
41
GRAMMAR
FIRST CONDITIONAL
7
Look at the highlighted first conditional sentences
in the text. Complete these statements about the first
conditional using the words in the box.
will
present simple imperative real
could might
1
We use the first conditional to talk about
possibilities in the future.
2
In the
if
-clause we can use the
.
3
In the main clause we can use modals like
,
and
, but we can also use the
to give advice.
8
Complete these sentences using your own ideas.
1
If I pass my exams,
.
2
If I show you how to use Twitter,
?
3
What
if I press this key?
4
If it’s nice weather,
.
5
If it rains,
.
6
If I go to London,
.
7
, we will miss the plane.
8
If my computer crashes,
?
Ê
Language reference and extra practice pages 132–133
9
a
Write a list of tips on how to avoid making
mistakes online. Use the first conditional beginning
with
if
and an imperative.
If you share personal information, be careful.
9
b
Compare your list with a partner.
SPEAKING
10
a
Work with a partner and choose a topic from
the following list: social network sites, email, instant
messaging, texting. Make a list of Dos and Don’ts. For
example, here is a list for emails:
DOS
DON’TS
• Get to the point
quickly.
• Fill in the subject
line.
• Use appropriate
language.
• Use poor grammar and
spelling.
• Reply to all without
checking.
• Use all capital letters for a
word. (It reads like you’re
‘shouting’.)
10
b
Now swap your list with another pair and
evaluate their list. Which Dos and Don’ts do you think
are the most useful?
TIP
1
Remember that if you post personal
information online, you could lose
control of it. A friend of mine posted
photos of us on holiday. He put
them on his homepage with some
inappropriate comments, and they were
very embarrassing. I’m friends with my
boss and she saw them. She was not
impressed at all. A lot of young people
post embarrassing pictures for fun,
but I know someone who lost their job
because of this.
TIP
2
My son was not careful about posting
and sharing personal information. He
revealed his date and place of birth,
phone number and home address. He
even told his friend where the spare set
of keys were hidden. Needless to say,
our home was broken into! If you share
personal information online, be careful
and don’t share information that can
help people steal your identity or find
out where you live. Don’t accept every
request to become a friend.
TIP
3
Be careful when you click ‘Reply
to all’. If you reply to everyone in a
message group, then everyone in
that group will read that email. This
is quite a common mistake and can
ruin relationships with friends and
colleagues. I once included my boss
on an email she should not have seen.
So, take extra care when you respond,
and do not get confused between
posting on a wall and sending a
private message.
TIP
4
Every site allows you to choose your
privacy settings. Decide how visible
you want your profile, contacts,
photos and videos to be and then
learn how to set the the right level of
control. Familiarise yourself with the
sites’ policies about information you
post. My sister had her boss on her
LinkedIn site but showed herself as
LOOKING FOR WORK on the site.
Her boss was not impressed.
TIP
5
If you include letters, numbers and
punctuation in a password, it will be
hard to break. Use different passwords
for different accounts and don’t
choose your birthday like my friend
did. Never share your password with
anyone. If someone wants to steal
your identity, they might look at your
social media pages. So do not post a
picture with your pet’s name on your
Facebook page if this is a secret word
you share with your bank.
TIP
6
If you want to create a good
impression, proofread your writing.
Even better, get someone else to
check what you have written. There’s
nothing worse than a silly spelling
or grammar mistake. And check that
your language is appropriate. I usually
reject candidates if they make spelling
mistakes on their job applications.
