People and art

Not everyone likes art. People who like to spend a lot of time admiring art are often termed culture vultures (a fairly idiomatic term), while the idiom for people who dislike art is philistines.

 There is of course art and art. People who appreciate the more elitist forms of art may be said to have highbrow tastes, while those who prefer the less intellectual art forms may have lowbrow tastes.

What makes art special?

Another big question. Some people think that it is important for a work of art to be original or creative. Others would say that what matters is how it appeals to our imagination.

One or two idioms

 Perspective shows the depth of a picture – how many dimensions you see. If you have/keep a sense of perspective, then you see a problem/issue for what it is – often meaning that it is not as serious as it seems.

If you describe someone as being no oil painting, be careful. This means that they are ugly.

Grammar

UNREAL CONDITIONALS

English speakers use two constructions to express unreal condition and its consequence.

SECOND CONDITIONAL

Form IF +past simple or past continuous, would +bare infinitive
Use	Example
Impossible, unlikely or hypothetical conditions in the present or future and their results in the present or future	If a had this special hat I would look like an artist.
Giving advice	If I were you, I would think very carefully about your future. If I were a painter, I coulddraw your portrait.

You can also use might or could instead of would, depending on the meaning.

Grammar practice

1. Write six sentences based on a given scenario to complete a story that shows a chain of events. Each event has an effect on the next event. Use the verb in the main clause of the one sentence as the verb in the if-clause in the next sentence. Circle the verb in both clauses.

Scenario: Imagine that you have just won a lottery. The grand prize is $1,000,000

1. If I won one million dollars in the lottery, I would buy an art gallery.

2. If I bought ______________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________

2. Play a game “If you had the chance”.

1. Sit on the chairs in a big circle

2. A teacher or a leader uses the construction “Would you …… if you had the chance?” to make up different statements, for example

“Anyone who’d try sculpture-making if they had the chance, move two the right”

All those who would, get up and move to the right and sit down on a seat or someone’s lap, if the seat is occupied. (As the game proceeds, several people may end up sitting stacked up on the top to each other.)

3. A teacher or a leader gives 4-5 sentences.

4. Those who have their own chair at the end of the game – win.