This cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express relates to the story about a jobless mother of eleven who is having a new six-bedroom house built for her by the local council. It has now emerged that she also owns a horse, a fact which has further enraged the Express and the Daily Mail.
In the cartoon, one builder tells another, "As soon as we've finished her house, we'll build the stables ..."
VOCABULARY
1. A stable or stables is a building in which horses are kept.
2. Benefit or benefits is money given by the government to people who are poor, ill, or unemployed.
3. See if you can spot the following items in the cartoon: planks of wood, a skip, a wheelbarrow, a cement-mixer, hard hats, sand, scaffolding, ladder, lorry, bricks, spade.
GRAMMAR
'As soon as' means 'when something happens - immediately afterwards'. 'As soon as' is very similar to 'when' it emphasizes that the event will occur immediately after the other. We usually use the simple present for future events, although present perfect can also be used. Both of the following are correct:
• As soon as he arrives, we'll start the meeting.
• As soon as he's arrived, we'll start the meeting.
See About.com for more on using adverb clauses with time expressions.
