English Conditional Sentences, Modals, and Reported Speech
English Conditional Sentences
Zero Conditional
Present simple for general truths and commands.
First Conditional
If + present simple, will + infinitive. Possible future events.
Example: If it rains today, I’ll stay at home.
Second Conditional
If + past simple, would + infinitive. Hypothetical situations.
Example: If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.
Third Conditional
If + past perfect, would have + past participle. Hypothetical past situations.
Example: If I had won the lottery, I would have traveled around the world.
Modal Verbs
Obligation: have to, must
No Obligation: don’t have to
Prohibition: mustn’t
Recommendation: should, ought to
Probability: (+) must + infinitive
(-) If phrase contains (perhaps, maybe, it is likely) = might, may
Job Application Letter
San Siro, 13 Barcelona, Spain 24th NovemberMARKETING FINESTRA S.L. Perdición, 113 Mollet, Spain
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to apply for a job with the marketing or business staff for a part-time position to fulfill my university contract for practices.
I am studying Business Administration and Innovation Management at TecnoCampus, Maresme, Mataró. I have been working in commercial management of marketing at ROSARIO FASHION SL since January 2010.
I have knowledge in Commercial Management and Marketing direction.
I have a good level of English and German, and a native level of Catalan and Spanish.
I enclose my CV as requested.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Javier Navarro Cuadros
Reported Speech
I can’t come. She said (that) she couldn’t.
| Present Simple I need a drink. | Past Simple He said (that) he needed a drink. |
|---|---|
| Present Continuous I’m feeling ill. | Past Continuous She said (that) she was feeling ill. |
| Past Simple / Present Perfect I enjoyed the party. | Past Perfect (had + past participle) He said (that) he had enjoyed the party. |
| Will I’ll phone later. | Would She said (that) she would phone later. |
| Am/is/are going to I’m going to buy it. | Was/were going to He said (that) he was going to buy it. |
New York Trip
In December 2010, I went to spend the holidays with my family in New York. It was my first time visiting the city, and I was impressed by the skyscrapers. I had never seen anything like that; it was amazing, and I took many pictures. It was also the first time I saw snow. On Christmas Eve, there was a big snowstorm, and everything was paralyzed. The trains were not running due to the ice on the railroads, schools were closed, and the kids enjoyed playing in the snow. What really caught my attention was that when it was snowing, the temperature was around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and it wasn’t that cold.
We also visited other interesting places in New York, such as the MOMA museum, the Rockefeller Center, and Central Park, among others. The place I liked the most was the Rockefeller Center because I had the opportunity to go ice skating. I had a lot of fun, even though I fell a couple of times. My parents were so happy to see how much I enjoyed it. After a long afternoon, we went to Uno’s Pizzeria, where I had the best pizza in the world.
It wouldn’t have been the best vacation if my parents hadn’t taken me to the mall. I bought a lot of clothes, shoes, and souvenirs for my friends. I was so happy that I couldn’t believe it, and I told my parents that next year I was going to get good grades so they would bring me back to New York, and they agreed. Those were my best Christmas holidays.