Basic English Institute
Mr. A.: What are your views about the new tax on pipe-cleaners, B. ?
What does he ask ?
He asks what Mr. B's views are about the new tax on pipe cleaners.
Mr. B.: Being a pipe-smoker, I am naturally against it.
What is he ?
He is a pipe-smoker.
What is he against ?
He is against it.
How is he against it ?
He is naturally against it.
How is he naturally against it ?
Being a pipe-smoker, he is naturally against it.
For a long time there has been a tax on what we put into our pipes.
What has there been ?
There has been a tax.
On what has there been a tax ?
There has been a tax on what they put into their pipes.
How long has there been a tax on what they put into their pipes.
For a long time there has been a tax on what they put into their pipes.
Now we are going to be taxed for keeping them clean.
How do they keep them ?
They keep them clean
What are they going to be taxed for doing ?
They are going to be taxed for keeping them clean.
It seems hard on a man not to be able to have a quiet smoke without putting money into the nation's pocket.
How does it seem ?
It seems hard.
What does it seem hard on ?
It seems hard on a man.
What smoke is he able to have ?
He is able to have a quiet smoke.
What does he put ?
He puts money.
What does he put money into ?
He puts money into the nation's pocket.
What is he able to have a quiet smoke without doing ?
He is able to have a quiet smoke without putting money into the nation's pocket.
What does it seem hard on a man not to be able to do ?
It seems hard on a man not to be able to have a quiet smoke without putting money into the nation's pocket.
Mr. A: It wouldn't be so bad if, at the same time, they had put a tax on something used
only by women---hair-nets, for example.
How bad wouldn't it be ?
It wouldn't be so bad.
What had they put ?
They had put a tax.
How had they put a tax ?
At the same time, they had put a tax.
What had they put a tax on ?
They had put a tax on something.
Who is something used by ?
It is used by women
How is it used by women ?
It is used only by women.---hair-nets, for example.
In what condition wouldn't it be so bad ?
It wouldn't be so bad if, at the same time, they had put a tax on something used only by women---hair-nets, for example.
Women have the same political rights as men …
What rights do they have ?
They have the same political rights as men.
… and they are now making a request for everyone to be given equal payment for equal work.
What are they making ?
They are making a request.
What is everyone given ?
Everyone is given equal payment for equal work.
What are they making a request for everyone to be given ?
They are making a request for everyone to be given equal payment for equal work.
Rights are not now dependent on sex, as they were in past times, …
How dependent are rights ?
They are not dependent.
What are they not dependent on ?
They are not dependent on sex.
When are they not dependent on sex ?
They are not now dependent on sex.
In what times were they ?
There were in past times
How are they not now dependent on sex ?
They are not now dependent on sex, as they were in past times.
… and there is no good reason for not taxing men and women equally.
Who is the government taxing ?
It is taxing men and women.
How is it taxing them ?
It is taxing them equally.
What is there ?
There is no good reason.
What is there no good reason for not doing ?
There is no good reason for not taxing men and women equally.
Mr. B.: That is what I say.
What does he say ?
He says, "That is what I say.
Mr. C.: My dear B., it is quite clear that you and A. are not married men.
How clear is it ?
It is quite clear.
What men are B and A ?
They are not married men.
What is quite clear ?
It is quite clear that B and A are not married men.
Mrs. C. gets her pocket-money from me, …
What money does she get ?
She gets her pocket money.
Who does she get it from ?
She gets it from him.
… and the effect of putting a tax on women's goods would be to make her come to me for more money.
What do the government put ?
It puts a tax.
What does it put a tax on ?
It puts a tax on women's goods.
What does the effect make her do ?
It makes her come.
Who does it make her come to ?
It makes her come to him.
What does it make her come to him for ?
It makes her come to him for more money.
What effect is to make her come to him for more money ?
The effect of putting a tax on women's goods is to make her come to him for more money.
So I would be taxed and not she.
Who would be taxed ?
He would be taxed and not she.
On the other hand, I am not at all troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners because I am not a pipe-smoker.
What is he not troubled about ?
H is not troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners.
How is he not troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners ?
He is not at all troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners.
How is he not at all troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners ?
On the other hand, he is not at all troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners.
What is he not ?
He is not a pipe-smoker.
Why is he not at all troubled about the tax on pipe-cleaners. ?
Because he is not a pipe smoker.
Mr. B.: It's quite wrong for you not to be taxed because by chance you are not a smoker.
How wrong is it ?
It is quite wrong.
What is he not ?
He is not a smoker.
How is he not a smoker ?
He is not a smoker by chance.
Why is he not taxed ?
Because by chance he is not a smoker.
What is quite wrong ?
It is quite wrong for him not to be taxed because by chance he is not a smoker.
Mr. C. But you are quite free to give up your pipe.
How free is he ?
He is quite free.
What does he give up ?
He gives up his pipe.
What is he quite free to do ?
He is quite free to give up his pipe.
And if you did so, you would be in the same position as I am.
How did he do ?
He did so.
In what position would he be ?
He would be in the same position as C is.
In what condition would he be in the same position as C is ?
If he did so, he would be in the same position as C is
Mr. B: You are wrong there, old boy.
How is he ?
He is wrong.
How is he wrong ?.
He is wrong there.
If I gave up smoking I'd be giving up something which is a pleasure.
What did he give up ?
He gave up smoking
What would he be giving up ?
He would be giving up something.
What is something ?
Something is a pleasure.
What thing would he be giving up ?
He would be giving up something which is a pleasure.
In what condition would he be giving up something which is a pleasure ?
If he gave up smoking he would be giving up something which is a pleasure.
But a smoke gives you no pleasure,
What does a smoke give him ?
A smoke gives him no pleasure.
so you don't have to give up anything
What doesn't he have to give up ?
He doesn't have to give up anything.
Mr. A.: That's true.
What does he say ?
He says, "That's true."
And here's another thing.
What is here ?
Here's another thing.
If B. and I and all the others like us gave up our pipes, the nation wouldn't get any money at all from this tax.
What did they give up ?
They gave up their pipes.
What wouldn't the nation get ?
The nation wouldn't get any money.
What wouldn't it get any money from ?
It wouldn't get any money from that tax.
How wouldn't it get any money from that tax ?
It wouldn't get any money at all from that tax.
That's why it's a bad tax.
What tax is it ?
It's a bad tax.
What is that ?
That's why it's a bad tax.
The tax on salt, which they had in the past, was a much better idea, because no one is able to give up salt.
What did they have ?
They had the tax on salt.
When did they have it ?
They had it in the past.
What idea was the tax on salt ?
It was a much better idea.
What tax was a much better idea ?
The tax on salt, which they had in the past, was a much better idea.
What is no one able to give up ?
No one is able to give up salt.
Why was the tax on salt, which they had in the past, a much better idea ?
Because no one was able to give up salt.
Mr. C: You are making a great error.
What error is he making ?
He is making a great error.
Let us make a comparison between the salt tax and the present tax on
pipe-cleaners.
What does he suggest them to make ?
He suggests them to make a comparison
What does he suggest them to make a comparison between ?
He suggests them to make a comparison between the salt tax and the present tax on
pipe-cleaners.
The salt tax was bad for the very reason that salt is needed by everyone.
How was the salt tax ?
It was bad.
Who is salt needed by ?
It is needed by everyone.
What reason was the salt tax bad for ?
It was bad for the very reason that salt is needed by everyone.
If a person doesn't get salt, there is a danger that he will become very ill.
What doesn't a person get ?
He doesn't get salt.
What is there ?
There is a danger.
How ill will he become ?
He will become very ill.
What danger is there ?
There is a danger that he will become very ill
In what condition is there a danger that he will become very ill ?
If he doesn't get salt there is a danger that he will become very ill.
So, however poor a man was, he had to make payment of the tax or do without
something which is necessary to a healthy existence.
How was a man ?
A man was poor.
What did he have to make payment of ?
He had to make payment of the tax.
How did he had to do ?
He had to do without something.
How is something ?
It is necessary.
What is it necessary to ?
It is necessary to a healthy existence.
Without what thing did he have to do ?
He had to do without something which is necessary to a healthy existence.
In spite of what condition did he have to make payment of the tax or do without
something which is necessary to a healthy existence ?
However poor a man was, he had to make payment of the tax or do without
something which is necessary to a healthy existence.
The effect of the tax on pipe-cleaners is quite different.
What is quite different ?
The effect of the tax on pipe-cleaners is quite different.
My theory is that if a man is well off, the tax will not keep him from smoking.
How is a man ?
He is well off.
What will the tax not keep him from doing ?
It will not keep him from smoking.
In what condition will the tax not keep him from smoking ?
If a man is well off, it will not keep him from smoking.
What is his theory ?
It is that if a man is well off, the tax will not keep him from smoking.
If he is poor, he will give it up.
How is he ?
He is poor.
What will he give up ?
He will give it up.
In what condition will he give it up ?
If he is poor, he will give it up.
So the tax comes out of the pocket of the man who is most able to give the money.
What does it come out of ?
It comes out of the pocket of the man.
What is the man most able to give ?
He is most able to give the money.
What man does it come out of the pocket of ?
It comes out of the pocket of the man who is most able to give the money.
Mr. B.: I have little doubt that the poor man will make pipe-cleaners for himself and go on
smoking.
What does he have ?
He has little doubt.
What will the poor man make ?
He will make pipe-cleaners for himself.
What does he go on doing ?
He goes on smoking.
What doubt does he have ?
He has little doubt that the poor man will make pipe-cleaners for himself and go on smoking.
Mr. C.: Good.
What does he say ?
He says, "Good."
Then he'll not have to give up anything.
What will he not have to give up ?
He'll not have to give up anything.
It seems to me that this is a tax which will have everyone's approval.
What approval will a tax have ?
A tax will have everyone's approval.
What tax is it ?
It is a tax which will have everyone's approval.
What seems to him ?
It seems to him that it is a tax which will have everyone's approval.
Mr. B. : No tax has everyone's approval.
What has everyone's approval ?
No tax has everyone's approval.
Most taxes have no one's approval.
What have no one's approval ?
Most taxes have no one's approval.
Mr. A. : That's a fact.
What does he say ?
He says, "That's a fact."
Whatever sort of government a nation has, it will make a protest against being taxed.
What government does a nation have ?
It has any sort of government.
What will it make ?
It will make a protest.
What will it make a protest against ?
It will make a protest against being taxed.
Whatever sort of government a nation has, what will it make a protest against ?
It will make a protest against being taxed.
Taxes are the cause of the downfall of most governments.
What are taxes ?
They are the cause of downfall of most governments,
Mr. B. : It's only natural isn't it ?
How natural is it ?
It is only natural.
The money a man makes is a reward for his industry.
What does a man make ?
He makes the money.
What is the money ?
It is a reward for his industry.
What money is a reward for his industry ?
The money a man makes is a reward for his industry.
If the government takes away part of this reward, he will be less interested in
doing hard work.
What does the government takes away ?
It takes away part of that reward.
How interested will he be ?
He will be less interested.
What work does he do ?
He does hard work.
What will he be less interested in ?
He will be less interested in doing hard work.
In what condition will he be less interested in doing hard work ?
If the government takes away part of that reward, he will be less interested in
doing hard work.
Mr. C. : A surprising amount of money may be taken from our private pockets without having a bad effect on trade and industry, …
What may be taken from their private pockets ?
A surprising amount of money may be taken from their private pockets.
What effect does it have ?
It has a bad effect.
What does it have a bad effect on ?
It has a bad effect on trade and industry.
What may a surprising amount of money be taken from their private pockets
without doing ?
A surprising amount of money may be taken from their private pockets without having a bad effect on trade and industry.
… but it has a limit.
What does it have ?
It has a limit.
A wise government keeps inside that limit …
Where does it keep ?
It keeps inside that limit.
… and does not take more money from us in taxes than we are ready and able to give.
What does it not take ?
It does not take money.
Who does it not take money from ?
It does not take money from them.
How are they ?
They are ready and able.
What are they able to do ?
They are able to give.
What money does it not take from them than ?
It does not take more money from them than they are ready and able to give,
Mr. A. : The limit is very low for me !
How low is it ?
It is very low.
Who is it very low for ?
It is very low for him.
I'd be on the side of any government which made an agreement to put an end to all taxes.
What side would he be on ?
He'd be on the side of any government.
What did a government make ?
It made an agreement.
What did it put an end to ?
It put an end to all taxes.
What did it make agreement to do ?
It made an agreement to put an end to all taxes.,
What government would he be on the side of ?
He would be on the side of any government which an agreement to put an end to all taxes.
Mr. C. : That's a foolish thing to say.
What thing is it ?
It's a foolish thing to say.
A government has to have money.
What does it have to have ?
It has to have money.
If there was no money for the payment of the men and women working in
government offices, they would all be shut after a day.
What was there ?
There was no money for the payment of. the men and women.
Where do they work ?
They work in government offices.
What men and women was there no money for the payment of ?
There was no money of the payment of the men and women working in
government offices.
When would government offices be shut ?
They would be shut after a day.
How would they be shut after a day.
They would all be shut after a day.
In what condition would they all be shut after a day ?
They would all be shut after a day if there was no money for the payment of the men and women working in government offices.
And even if they kept open, they wouldn't get anything done without money.
How did they keep ?
They kept open.
What wouldn't they get done ?
They wouldn't get anything done.
What wouldn't they get anything done without ?
They wouldn't get anything done without money.
In spite of what condition wouldn't they get anything done without money ?
Even if they kept open, they wouldn't get anything done without money.
How would we get on with the making of roads, the building of bridges, and all the other work which is so necessary to trade and industry ?
What do they get on with ?
They get on with the making of roads, the building of bridges, and all the other work.
How is all the other work ?
It is necessary to trade and industry.
How necessary is it ?
It is so necessary.
What is it so necessary to ?
It is so necessary to trade and industry.
What work would they get on with ?
They get on with all the other work which is so necessary to trade and industry.
What does he question ?
He questions, "How would we get on with the making of roads, the building of bridges, and all the other work which is so necessary to trade and industry ?"
The government is responsible for all these things …
How is it ?
It is responsible.
What is it responsible for ?
It is responsible for all those things.
… and it has to have some way of getting money for them.
What does it have to have ?
It has to have some way.
What does it get ?
It gets money for them.
What does it have to have some way of doing ?
It has to have some way of getting money for them.
You and I and B would be worse off in the end, not better off, if we had no taxes.
How would they be ?
They would be worse off.
When would they be worse off ?
They would be worse off in the end, not better off.
What did they have ?
They had no taxes.
In what condition would they be worse off in the end, not better off ?
They would be worse off in the end, not better off, if they had no taxes.
Mr. A. : We would get on better if some of the government offices were shut.
How would they get on ?
They would get on better.
What are shut ?
Some of the government offices were shut.
In what condition would they get on better ?
They would get on better if some of the government offices were shut.
What makes me angry is that the government says "Give us your money or we will put you in prison."
What is that the government says "Give us your money or we will put you in prison." ?
What makes him angry is that the government says "Give us your money or we will put you in prison."
" Wouldn't it be better if we were all free to give as much or as little as seemed right to us ?
How were they ?
They were free.
How free were they ?
They were all free.
How did the amount of money seem ?
It seemed right.
Who did it seem right to ?
It seemed right to them.
How do they give ?
They give as much or as little.
How much do they give ?
They give as much or as little as seemed right to them..
What were they all free to do ?
They were all free to give as much or as little as seemed right to them.
In what condition would it be better ?
It would be better if they were all free to give as much or as little as seemed right to them.
What does he question ?
He questions, " Wouldn't it be better if we were all free to give as much or as little as seemed right to us ? "
Giving is a pleasure.
What is a pleasure.
Giving is a pleasure.
Most of us give money to hospitals or some society in which we are interested, …
What do most of them give ?
They give money.
What do they give money to ?
They give money to hospitals or some society.
What are they interested in ?
They are interested in hospitals or some society.
What hospitals or society do they give money to ?
They give money to hospitals or some society in which they are interested in.
… and I have no doubt we would readily give it to the nation.
What does he have ?
He has no doubt.
What would they give ?
They would give it.
What would they give it to ?
They would give it to the nation.
How would they give it to the nation.
They would readily give it to the nation.
What does he have no doubt about ?
He has no doubt they would readily give it to the nation.
But no man is pleased when money is taken from him.
Who is pleased ?
No man is pleased.
What is taken from him ?
Money is taken from him.
When is no man pleased ?
No man is pleased when money is taken from him.
It is my belief that if some future government made the decision to put an end to taxes, it would get more money than the present government gets from taxing us.
What did some future government make ?
It made the decision.
What does it put an end to ?
It puts an end to taxes.
What did it make the decision to do ?
It made the decision to put an end to taxes.
What would it get ?
It would get money.
What does the present government get ?
It gets money.
Who does it tax ?
It taxes them.
What does it get money from doing ?
It gets money from taxing them.
What would it get more money than ?
It would get more money than the present government gets from taxing them.
In what condition would some future government get more money than the present government gets from taxing them ?
If it made the decision to put an end to taxes, it would get more money than the present government gets from taxing them.
What is his belief ?
It is his belief that that if some future government made the decision to put an end to taxes, it would get more money than the present government gets from taxing them.
Then it might make a distribution among the poorest families.
What might it make ?
It might make a distribution ?
Where might it make a distribution ?
It might make a distribution among the poorest families.
Mr. C : There would be no chance of that.
What would there be ?
There would be no chance of that
There wouldn't even be enough for the normal everyday needs.
How wouldn't there be ?
There wouldn't even be enough.
What wouldn't even be enough for ?
There wouldn't even be enough for the normal everyday needs.
Some very good persons would give almost all they had, …
Who would give almost all ?
Some very good persons would give almost all.
What did they have ?
They had almost all.
What would they give ?
They would give almost all they had,
… but others wouldn't give anything, …
Who wouldn't give anything ?
Others wouldn't give anything.
… and my experience is that those who have most give least.
What do those have ?
They have most.
What do they give ?
They give least.
What persons give least ?
Those who have most give least.
What is his experience ?
It is that those who have most give least.
But even if there was no trouble about getting the money, I'd still be against getting it in that way.
What was there ?
There was no trouble.
What does the government get ?
It gets the money.
What trouble was there ?
There was no trouble about getting the money.
How does the government get it ?
It gets it in that way.
What would he be against ?
He'd be against getting it in that way.
How would he be against getting it in that way ?
He'd still be against getting it in that way.
In spite of what condition would he still be against getting in that way ?
Even if there was no trouble about getting the money, he'd still be against getting it in that way.
The idea of a government handing round the hat before it is able to get on with its business seems a poor one to me.
What does a government do ?
It hands round the hat.
What does it get on with ?
It gets on with its business.
When does a government hand round the hat ?
It hands round the hat before it is able to get on with its business.
What idea seems a poor one to him ?
The idea of a government handing round the hat before it is able to get on with its business seems a poor one to him.
Mr. B. : I am not in complete agreement with A.
What agreement is he not in?
He is not in complete agreement.
Who is he not in complete agreement with ?
He is not in complete agreement with A.
The general theory of having taxes is all right, …
What do they have ?
They have taxes.
What theory is all right ?
The general theory is all right.
What general theory is all right ?
The general theory of having taxes is all right.
… but whenever any special tax is under discussion I see strong arguments against it.
What is it under ?
It is under discussion.
What argument does he see ?
He sees strong arguments against it.
When does he see strong arguments against it ?
He sees strong arguments against it whenever any special tax is under discussion.
Mr. C.: laughing
What is he doing ?
He is laughing.
You and A. didn't put forward any very strong arguments against the tax on
pipe-cleaners.
What didn't they put forward ?
They didn't put forward any very strong arguments .
What didn't they put forward them against ?
They didn't put forward them against the tax on pipe-cleaners.
Mr. B.: No, that's true.
What does he say ?
He says, "No, that's true.
We were only making our private protest.
What protest were they making ?
They were making their private protest.
How were they making their private protest.
They were only making their private protest.
But the tax on pipe-cleaners is a very unimportant little tax.
What is a very unimportant tax.
The tax on pipe-cleaners is a very unimportant little tax.
In my view, taxes are only part of a much greater question.
What are they ?
They are only part of a much greater question.
In what view are they only part of a much greater question ?
In his view they are only part of a much greater question.
I have hopes that at some time in the future we may have better control of our
money.
What control may they have ?
They may have better control of their money.
When may they have better control of their money.
At some time in the future they may have better control of their money.
What does he have ?
He has hopes.
What hopes does he have ?
He has hopes that at some time in the future they may have better control of their
money.
It seems very foolish that the amount of money which may be used in a country in Europe is dependent on how much gold is got out of a mine in Africa.
Where may money be used ?
It may be used in a country in Europe.
What is gold got out ?
It is got out of a mine in Africa.
What is the amount of money dependent on ?
It is dependent on how much is got out of a mine in South Africa.
What amount of money is dependent on how much gold is got out of a mine in Africa ?
The amount of money which may be used in a country in Europe is dependent on how much gold is got out of a mine in Africa.
What seems very foolish ?
It seems very foolish that the amount of money which may be used in a country in Europe is dependent on how much gold is got out of a mine in Africa.
A country which has gold is not well off if it hasn't got goods.
What does a country have ?
It has gold.
How is a country ?
It is not well off.
What hasn't it got ?
It hasn't got goods.
What country is not well off ?
A country which has gold is not well off.
In what condition is a country, which has gold, not well off ?
A country which has gold is not well off if it hasn't got goods.
Wouldn't it be better if we made the amount of money dependent in some way on the amount of goods produced ?
How did they make the amount of money ?
They made the amount of money dependent.
What did they make the amount of money dependent on ?
They made the amount of money dependent on the amount of goods produced.
How did they make the amount of money dependent on the amount of goods
produced ?
They made the amount of money dependent on the amount of goods produced
in some way.
What wouldn't it be better ?
Wouldn't it be better if they made the amount of money dependent in some way on the amount of goods produced ?
When more goods were produced there would be more units of money in the
country, …
What were produced ?
More goods were produced.
What would there be ?
There would be more units of many.
Where would there be more units of money ?
There would be more units of money in the country.
When would there be more units of money in the country ?
When more goods were produced there would be more units of money in the
country
… and when less goods were produced there would be less money.
What were produced.
Less goods were produced.
What would there be ?
There would be less money.
When would there be less money ?
When less goods were produced there would be less money.
Mr. C. : That may not be a bad idea, ..
What idea may it not be ?
It may not be a bad idea.
… but it would be hard to get any government to make a change of that sort.
What do they make a change of ?
They make a change of that sort.
What do they get any government to do ?
They get any government to make a change of that sort.
How would it be ?
It would be hard.
What would it be hard to do ?
It would be hard to get any government to make a change of that sort.
And even if the change was made, you and A. would still go on protesting about your taxes!
What was made ?
The change was made.
What would they go on doing ?
They would go on protesting about their taxes.
How would they go on protesting about taxes ?
They would still go on protesting about taxes.
In spite of what condition would they still go on protesting about taxes ?
Even if the change was made, they would still go on protesting about their taxes.
Saburo Terada
Saitama Prefecture