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55
Of course, as children we did not always listen to Dad. We had our broken
bones, near chokings, electric shocks, car accidents and illnesses, some of which
might have been avoided if we had heeded his advice and not jumped from the
tops of slides, run around while eating, yanked the plug while the vacuum
cleaner was on, driven too fast and kissed dogs.
When my brothers and sisters and I reminisce these days, we recall Dad’s
telling us not to jump on the trampoline in the gym class, because of the
possibility of spinal injury, and the driving directions he devised to minimize
left turns. Now we find ourselves uttering similar admonitions. We phone my
brother to tell him that we read about someone dying from the same allergy he
has; or my sister to warn her about the high lead content of certain mini-blinds.
And now Dad has a new generation to guide. His grandchildren have
caught on quickly, knowing to wag their fingers and say “That’s dangerous!” at
the sight of cleaning fluid. “That’s too big a bite – you’ll choke<” three-year-old
Margaret tells her two-year-old cousin at a holiday dinner-table. As everyone is
leaving, we all laugh when my niece bids Dad good-bye: “Be careful, Daddy!”
After a weekend visit to my parents, I have my father drop me off at the
quiet suburban train station for my trip back to Manhattan. As I wait, I can see
his car in the parking lot; I know that he is watching to see that I board safely,
without falling into the space between the platform and the train. Sometimes he
parks the car, steps out and walks up the stairs to the opposite platform. We
wave at each other across the tracks. He stands there until the train comes and he
sees me leave.
When I am seated, I watch him drive off, wanting, as I do more and more
often now, to protect him from the world’s sharp edges, the way he has always
tried to protect us. I wish I could give him the reassurance his worrying and
caring gave me. As the train pulls away, I whisper, ”Be careful, Dad.”
Since you have come across Conditional sentences in the article above, you are
offered to do a short exercise on this grammar.
Task: respond appropriately to these statements using the clues in brackets.
1. The management didn’t act soon enough to prevent the strike. (would)
2. The weather forecast was inaccurate, so we didn’t take the right
precautions.(might)
3. We didn’t know which horse would win, so we didn’t bet any money.
(would)
4. The temperature didn’t fall below zero last night, so the crops weren’t
damaged. (might)
5. He didn’t know the latest figures, so he failed to succeed in making
report. (would)
6. She didn’t warn him about the arrival, so he didn’t come to the
railway station to meet her. (would)
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