First Conditional with Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah is a versatile entertainer. She is a singer-songwriter, rapper, model, comedienne and actress. Over her career, she has won countless awards, including a Grammy in 1995 for Best Rap Performance. In her track “U.N.I.T.Y.” she speaks out against the disrespect of women in society and condemns sexist language that is often pervasive in mainstream rap music.
Instinct leads me to another flow
Everytime I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho
Trying to make a sister feel low
You know all of that gots to go
In this verse, Queen Latifah is disgusted by the disrespectful treatment of women.
I hit the bottom. There ain’t nowhere else to go but up
Bad days at work give you an attitude and you erupt
And take it out on me but that’s about enough
If you put your hands on me again, I’ll put your ass in handcuffs
In this verse, she opposes all violence against women. In other words, she says, “If you touch or hurt me again, I will call the police.”
Grammar
This grammar is called the first conditional. Use the first conditional to talk about future events that will likely happen. You may not know the future, but you are certain that something will happen.
If + subject + simple present verb, subject + will + base verb
Subject + will + base verb + if + subject + simple present verb
Wh~ will + subject + base verb + if + subject + simple present verb?
Use a comma (,) when the if clause is first. Do not use a comma when the if clause is second.
- If you practice English every day, you will improve. I am a teacher, and I meet many English learners. Hard-working students usually do well and improve. Lazy students will not be successful.
- You will lose weight if you exercise and eat healthy food. This is not a secret. If you are healthy, you will probably lose a few pounds or kilos. Magic pills usually do not work.
- What will happen if you drop the glass? It will probably break into small pieces if you drop the glass on the hard floor.
Vocabulary
- hit the bottom (idiom) – to reach an extremely low level. When his father died, he hit the bottom. He has been depressed for a long time.
- take it out on somebody (phrasal verb) – to treat a person badly because you are angry or upset, even if they have done nothing wrong. After he lost his job, he took it out on all his friends.
- can’t take something (idiom) – unable to handle an unpleasant or difficult situation. My boss keeps giving me extra work, but he gave his secretary a bonus. I can’t take it any more! I want to quit this job.
- fall in love (idiom) – to be very attracted to someone and begin to love them. My wife did not like me when we first met, but we quickly fell in love. Today, we are happily married!
- That’s enough! (phrase) – say this to tell a person to stop behaving badly. That’s enough! You are a very bad roommate, and I want you to stop playing loud music at midnight!