Grammar in Speech

4. Read the following article and say what modal verbs could be used to describe the given situation. £1,000 Fine for Knocking Down Castle

A Scottish laird who demolished his 200-year-old castle without permission has been fined £1,000.

Alistair Dickson, 53, was found guilty after a trial at Stirling sheriff court of arranging the destruction of crumbling Lanrick Castle, near Doune, despite warning from the local authorities that he could not demolish the Grade B-listed building.

Conservationists later attacked the fine as too lenient. They said it left the way open for landowners to destroy other historically significant buildings.

Dickson, who inherited the castle from his mother in 1984, had been accused during the trial of allowing Lanrick Castle, the former home of the Clan Gregor, to fall into decline. He claimed he had the building knocked down for public safety reasons.

The court heard that before demolition last February, Dickson had been served a notice from Stirling council officials warning that the castle was structurally unsafe and that action was required to secure it.

The council was criticized by the court yesterday for telling Dickson initially that he would either have to build a fence around the castle or demolish it, but later informing him that he was not authorized to demolish the structure.

Sheriff Wyllie Robertson, referring to the “inaptitude” of the council notices, said: “It frankly beggars belief that such a situation could arise.”

The court was told Dickson had consulted private contractors about putting fencing around the castle and they had told him it was not an effective deterrent. Dickson had said he repeatedly chased children from the castle fearing for their safety.

But Sheriff Robertson said Dickson had ample opportunity to erect a perimeter fence around the castle, which was granted listed status in 1971, but had made a “minimum effort” to do so. “I am unable to accept Mr Dickson was motivated by any reasonable concerns as to the safety of the public,” he said.

Brian Parnell, convener of Stirling Civic Trust, which had fought for seven years to save the castle, said it was disappointed at the outcome. “Unscrupulous owners will now think, ‘For a few hundred pounds, I can get this down.’ It will undoubtedly encourage demolitions elsewhere.”

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

Role play. You are taking part in a debate arranged at a local TV station in Doune and are discussing the problem of preserving historically significant buildings in the area.

Role 1. You are Kristy Scott, a TV reporter, leading the debate. Introduce the problem to be discussed and ask the participants to present their ideas.

Role 2. You are Brian Parnell, convener of Stirling Civic Trust. Say what castle owners can (cannot) or must do to preserve historically significant buildings. Cite the example of Lanrick Castle and say what its owner was to have done to save it.

Role 3. You are Sheriff Robertson. Criticise the work of Stirling council officials on the example of Lanrick Castle. Say what they should have done to save it and what they must do to prevent possible destruction of other historically significant buildings. Specify what castle owners are to do to save such buildings.

Role 4. You are Patricia Lester, a Stirling council official. Say what the council can (cannot) do to preserve historically significant buildings. Explain why you were unable to save Lanrick Castle.

Role 5. You are Alistair Dickson. Explain why Lanrick Castle couldn’t be preserved. Say what the authorities should do not to let historically significant buildings fall into decline.