Special problems you need to know

1. Provided/providing that

‘In constitutional theory Parliament is said to have legislative sovereignty

and, provided that the proper procedure is followed, the statute passed must be obeyed and applied by the courts.’

Provided (providing) are conditional conjunctions. They have the same meaning as if.

Exercise 1. Complete the following sentences.

1. You can walk where you like, provided you …

2. He won’t tell you anything else provided you…

3. You can borrow my computer provided you…

4. You can cancel the ticket provided you…

5. I’ll lend you the money you want provided that…

6. Provided ….., we’ll go for a picnic in the hills.

7. I’ll take you to the concert on Sunday provided…..

2. Although - opposition

'An Act of Parliament can do no wrong, though it may do several things that look pretty odd.

‘However, this conventional view has been affected more recently by the UK membership of the European Communities.’

Remember that although (though, even though) introduce a contradiction in a sentence or clause of cause-and-result. Even though and however are used to emphasise a contrast.

Example: Even though it was cold, I went swimming.

It was cold, however, I still went swimming.

Exercise 2. There have been several examples of although (though, even though) and however in the texts so far. Combine the ideas in the two sentences. Use although (though or even though) or however.

a. The rules come into existence in varying ways. In most cases there must have been an agreement between at least some of the members of the community that the rule was desirable.

b. The authorities cannot hold a person for a large amount of time before releasing them or bringing them before court. It took some time after Alice’s release for the Habeas Corpus Act to reach the statute books as the Civil War was taking place at the time.

c. If a defendant commits the crime of burglary by breaking into a house and stealing, the State prosecutes the defendant for that burglary. It is also possible for the victim to bring a private prosecution if the State does not take proceedings.

d. There is a private prosecution. The State still has the right to intervene and take over the matter.

e. The victim will not necessarily be given any compensation, since the case is not viewed as a dispute between the burglar and the householder. The criminal courts have the power to order that the offender pays the victim compensation.

f. A tort occurs where the civil law holds that. There is no contract between them, one person owes a legal responsibility of some kind to another person, and there has been a breach of that responsibility.

g. A defendant in a criminal case has been acquitted. A civil case based on the same facts against that defendant can still be successful.

j. Concepts of morality differ from culture to culture. Most will outlaw extreme behaviour such as murder.

k. There is no contract or agreement between the parties. The law can impose rights and duties on people.

3. General difference – to differ from and different from

‘Its procedure and practices differ in detail from those of the Commons, and its powers over legislation are quilified…’

Remember that differ is a verb and must change forms to agree with the subject.

Avoid using BE with differ. Avoid using that, of, or to after differ and different.

1. This one is different from the rest.

2. This one differs from the rest.

Exercise 3. a. Choose the incorrect word or phrase and correct it.

1. Sharon is different of the other women I know.

2. Do you have anything a little different to these?

3. Jane’s apartment is very differs from Bill’s even though they are in the same building.

4. Customs differ one region of the country to another.

e. A previous decision can often be distinguished where the material facts of the earlier case are differ from the present ones.

Remember that that of and those of are used instead of repeating a noun to express a logical comparative.You can’t compare the climate in the north with the south. You must compare the climate in the north with the climate in the south. Сomparisons must be made with logically comparable nouns.

Exercise 3. b. Correct the following sentences.

a. The oxygen concentration in the lungs is higher than the blood.

b. The terms used in one textbook may be different another text.

c. There is disagreement among industrialists as to whether the products of this decade are inferior to the past.

d. The time in New York City differs three hours from Los Angeles.

e. The campus at State University different from Сity College.