Robots with Shotguns
Two friends discuss robots with shotguns. The Grammar focus is on Adverbials and Phrasal Modals.
Rianna: “This stuff with robots is not nothing.”
Pearl: “Haha, I get it. It’s something!”
Rianna: “Seriously, you’ve seen all the movies.”
Pearl: “Are you worried about Terminator stuff?”
Rianna: “Some police departments have robots. In San Francisco, they might give them shotguns.”
Pearl: “That’s not going to happen.”
Rianna: “Did you read about it?”
Pearl: “Yes, but I don’t believe it. Not in California, anyway. Maybe in Texas.”
Rianna: “Fringe groups are always trying to overthrow the government. If we have chaos, maybe it could happen in California.”
Pearl: “We can always call Arnold for help.”
Rianna: “True. Or Linda Hamilton.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
I get it means I understand your joke. Its acronym is IGI. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Fringe groups are groups of people within a political party who hold extreme minority views. See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Phrasal Modals
“That’s not going to happen.” Modals have Phrasal Modal counterparts, and the Phrasal Modal used here, is going to, is the counterpart of the Modal “will, shall.” Two more examples of this: the Phrasal Modal counterpart for the Modal “can, could” is be able to, and the Phrasal Modal counterparts of the Modal “must” are have to, or have got to, or need to.
INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE
New Idioms are “No big deal” and “Same difference.” The Grammar focus is on Adverbials.
Alice: “Can you believe this news out of San Francisco?”
Bonnie: “What is it? I didn’t see it.”
Alice: “The police department wants permission to equip robots with shotguns, to weaponize robots. They want legal permission to kill humans if they have to.”
Bonnie: “But what does that mean, exactly?”
Alice: “When police or public citizens are in big danger and there is no other way to protect them. They want permission to use robots with lethal force against humans.”
Bonnie: “That’s a dystopian can of worms. Where did you read this?”
Alice: “It was on NPR. Can you imagine living in a society where the police are authorized to kill people with robots?”
Bonnie: “Is this a law they are trying to get passed?”
Alice: “There is already a law, AB481, which requires every police force to make clear statements on the use of their military-style weapons. That includes robots. San Francisco has 12 robots and they are requesting this from local authorities, which means the SF Board of Supervisors.”
Bonnie: “I’m sure I’ve already seen countless movies with armed robots running around killing people.”
Alice: “The Terminator was made in 1984, wasn’t it?”
Bonnie: “That was a cyborg. These are robots.”
Alice: “Same difference. This has all been around for decades.”
Bonnie: “It might be no big deal in a war context, but the San Francisco police department? That’s a different kettle of fish.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Dystopia means an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Can of worms is an idiom which means a complex or difficult problem. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Same difference means the same, no difference at all. See online Idioms Dictionary.
No big deal means something not difficult or troublesome. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Different kettle of fish means a completely different matter
or type of person from the one previously mentioned. See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Adverbials
“The police department wants permission to equip robots with shotguns.” This sentence ends with a Prepositional Phrase functioning as a sentence-final adverbial of manner. Note: If the sentence had been “Robots with shotguns fired on gangsters today, “with shotguns” would have been a Prepositional Phrase functioning adjectivally, describing the robots. But in our key sentence, it describes how the robots were equipped.
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