Reading a notice about water safety in English
An English notice posted at a school in Ouagadougou reads:
« Water points are open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Only containers with a tight lid may be filled. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. During the rainy season, the pump is tested every Monday and may be closed for up to two hours; a sign will be displayed the day before. »
A student, Awa, arrives at 5:30 p.m. with her 8-year-old brother and two open buckets. She says: « It's fine, we still have time, and the buckets will be full anyway. »
1. List every rule Awa is breaking, quoting the notice, and explain each in one sentence.
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Awa breaks three rules:
- « Only containers with a tight lid may be filled. » She brings two open buckets, which are not allowed: open containers risk contamination and spillage.
- « Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. » Her brother is 8, so he needs an adult. Awa's own age is not given, but if she is herself a minor she may not count as the required adult; the notice implies a responsible adult.
- Timing : she arrives at 5:30 p.m., which is within the 4–7 p.m. slot, so she is not breaking the opening-hours rule. Her statement « we still have time » is therefore correct on that point only.
Her sentence « the buckets will be full anyway » reveals she has misunderstood the lid rule: it is not about filling speed but about container type.
2. It is Monday in the rainy season. What extra information must Awa check, and how should she plan?
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The notice says: « During the rainy season, the pump is tested every Monday and may be closed for up to two hours; a sign will be displayed the day before. »
So on a Monday in the rainy season, Awa must:
- Look for the sign displayed the day before (Sunday), which announces the possible closure.
- Plan a margin of up to two hours: if the pump closes at 4 p.m., it may reopen at 6 p.m.; if it closes at 5 p.m., it may reopen at 7 p.m., which is exactly closing time.
- Come earlier in the slot (e.g., 4 p.m.) or use the morning slot (6–9 a.m.) to avoid the risk.
Key reasoning: the notice says « may be closed », not « will be closed » - so the closure is possible but not certain. A good plan accounts for uncertainty rather than assuming the worst or the best case.
3. Rewrite Awa's sentence in correct English, making it precise about what is and is not allowed.
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Original : « It's fine, we still have time, and the buckets will be full anyway. »
Problems : vague (« it's fine »), no reference to the rules, and a false assumption about the buckets.
Improved version :
« We still have time before the water point closes at 7 p.m., but we cannot fill these two buckets because they have no lids. I also need an adult to come with my brother, since he is under 10. »
Why this is better : it uses the notice's exact vocabulary (tight lid, under 10, accompanied), states clearly what is allowed (time) and what is not (open buckets, unaccompanied child), and replaces the vague « it's fine » with verifiable facts. It also keeps a polite, factual tone suitable for speaking to the person in charge.