Sustainable living: giving advice and talking about consequences
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Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- What is one small change you have made in your daily routine to be more eco-friendly, and why did you decide to do it?
- If a friend asked for your advice on living more sustainably, what is one simple tip you would give them?
- What do you think is the biggest challenge for people in your country who want to protect the environment?
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Making the Office Greener
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
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Key vocabulary for sustainable living
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you discuss sustainable living and give advice more effectively.
Examples
To cut down on — to reduce the amount of something you use or consume.
Usage note: This is a common phrasal verb. We often say 'cut down on waste', 'cut down on electricity', or 'cut down on single-use plastic'.
Carbon footprint — the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a person's or organization's activities.
Usage note: This is a key term for this topic. We often talk about 'reducing your carbon footprint' or having a 'low/high carbon footprint'.
To make a difference — to have a positive effect on a situation.
Usage note: Use this encouraging phrase to talk about the positive results of actions. For example, 'Every small change you make can make a difference'.
Long-term effects — the results or consequences that happen over a long period of time.
Usage note: This is useful for talking about the future consequences of our actions on the environment. You can contrast it with 'short-term effects'.
Eco-friendly alternative — a different choice or product that is better for the environment.
Usage note: Use this phrase when suggesting a greener option, for example, 'A reusable water bottle is an eco-friendly alternative to buying plastic ones'.
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Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.
Word bank
01We should all try to the amount of plastic we use every day.
02Flying less is one of the most effective ways to lower your .
03Instead of using plastic bags, carrying a reusable one is a more option.
04Scientists are worried about the long-term of climate change on our planet.
05Even small changes in our daily habits can have a big on the environment.
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Grammar: First conditional for consequences
Grammar
We use the first conditional to talk about the real and likely results of an action in the future. It's perfect for discussing the consequences of our environmental choices and explaining why sustainable habits are important.
Examples
If we reduce our energy consumption, we will lower our carbon footprint.
Use 'if' + present simple for the condition, and 'will' + infinitive for the likely future result.
The office won't save money on bills unless we turn off the lights.
You can also use 'unless' to mean 'if... not'. It helps to talk about negative consequences.
Will we make a difference if just one person recycles?
You can also form questions by starting with 'will' and putting the 'if' clause at the end.
Key points
- Use the present simple tense in the 'if' clause, not the future with 'will'.
- The result clause uses 'will' or 'won't' to talk about a real possibility.
- Common mistake: 'If we will save water...' is incorrect. Always say 'If we save water...'
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Find the mistake
Read the sentences below about sustainable living. Can you spot the error in each one?
Each sentence contains one error. Find and correct it.
01If we will use reusable bags, we will reduce plastic waste.
Corrected version
If we will use reusable bags, we will reduce plastic waste.
02We should try to cut down in the amount of electricity we use at home.
Corrected version
We should try to cut down in on the amount of electricity we use at home.
03The long-term affects of climate change are a global concern.
Corrected version
The long-term affects effects of climate change are a global concern.
04Buying local food are a good way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Corrected version
Buying local food are is a good way to reduce your carbon footprint.
05How about to start a compost bin for kitchen scraps?
Corrected version
How about to start starting a compost bin for kitchen scraps?
06It's important to find an eco-freindly alternative to plastic bottles.
Corrected version
It's important to find an eco-freindly eco-friendly alternative to plastic bottles.
07Every small action can makes a big difference for the environment.
Corrected version
Every small action can makes make a big difference for the environment.
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Useful phrases: Planning a green initiative at work
Vocabulary
When you're working with colleagues to make your office more sustainable, you need to suggest ideas, agree, and raise concerns politely. These phrases will help you have a productive conversation and make a clear plan together.
Examples
"What if we tried to use less paper by printing double-sided?" — Use this to introduce a new suggestion in a friendly, open way.
Register: Neutral/Informal. Perfect for brainstorming sessions with colleagues. You can also say "How about we try...?"
"I'm on board with that. And we could also encourage people to use digital documents." — This shows you agree with an idea and want to build on it.
Register: Neutral/Informal. "I'm on board with that" is a natural and positive way to say "I agree."
"That's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure everyone will remember to do it." — Use this to express a concern without being negative or aggressive.
Register: Neutral. The phrase "I'm not sure..." softens the disagreement, making it more polite than saying "That won't work."
"Could you walk me through how the new recycling system would work?" — This is a polite way to ask for more details about a plan before you agree.
Register: Neutral/Formal. "Walk me through" is a common and friendly business phrase that means "explain in detail from start to finish."
"So, are we all agreed? The next step is to write a proposal for management." — Use this to check for agreement and move the plan forward.
Register: Neutral. This is a great phrase for making a conversation productive and turning ideas into concrete actions.
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Our impact on the planet
Read the passage about how individual actions can help the environment.
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the word bank.
Word bank
Many people wonder if one person can really a difference to the environment. The answer is yes! Every small action helps to reduce our personal carbon . For example, we should try to down on the amount of plastic we buy. Instead of a single-use bottle, choosing an eco-friendly like a reusable one is a great start. These simple choices have positive long-term on the health of our planet.
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Words to take with you
Vocabulary
These expressions are not in the article but will help you discuss this topic more fluently.
Examples
To go green — to start living in a way that is better for the environment.
Use this phrase to talk about the general decision to change your lifestyle. For example: 'Our family decided to go green last year, so we started cycling more and eating less meat.'
Single-use plastic — plastic products that are designed to be used only once before they are thrown away.
This is a common collocation. You can talk about reducing your use of items like single-use plastic bottles, coffee cups, and shopping bags. For example: 'The new café doesn't use any single-use plastic.'
To conserve energy — to use as little energy, like electricity or gas, as possible so that it is not wasted.
This is a slightly more formal way of saying 'save energy'. It's often used when giving advice or talking about official policies. For example: 'You should turn off the lights when you leave a room to conserve energy.'
Waste reduction — the process of making less rubbish or garbage.
This noun phrase is useful for talking about goals or plans, especially in a community or office setting. For example: 'Our company's main environmental goal this year is waste reduction.'
To have a knock-on effect — when an event or action causes other events or actions to happen one after another.
This is a great phrase for talking about consequences, both positive and negative. For example: 'Shopping locally has a knock-on effect because it supports small businesses and reduces transport pollution.'
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Key vocabulary for sustainable living
Learn some more useful words for talking about the environment.
Match each item on the left with the correct item on the right.
Drag or click to match
Definitions
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Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Who do you think has a bigger responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint: individuals or large companies? Why?
- Think about your country or culture. What is one traditional habit or practice that is an eco-friendly alternative to a modern way of living?
- If your school or workplace wanted to become more sustainable, what is one change you would suggest? Why do you think this would have the biggest long-term effects?