Conditional - Use of Would
| Modal Use | Positive Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future | Negative Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future | |
| would conditional | 1. If I were president, I would cut the cost of education. 2. If I had been president, I would have cut the cost of education. 3. If I were elected president next year, I would cut the cost of education. | 1. If I were president, I would not raise taxes. 2. If I had been president, I would not have raised taxes. 3. If I were president, I would not sign the tax increase next week. |
Exercise on Conditional Sentences
Modal Verbs
| Modal Verb | Meaning | Expressing | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
must | to have to | 100 % obligation | I must stop when the traffic lights turn red. |
| to be very probable | good probability | He must be very tired after such enormous work | |
can | to be able to | ability | I can swim |
| to be allowed to | permission | Can I use your phone please? | |
| it is possible | possibility | Smoking can cause cancer ! | |
could | to be able to | ability in the past | When I was younger I could stay up all night and not get tired.. |
| to be allowed to | more polite permission | Excuse me, could I just say something? | |
| it is possible | possibility | It could rain tomorrow! | |
may | to be allowed to | permission | May I use your phone please? |
| it is possible, probable | possibility, probability | It may rain tomorrow! | |
might | to be allowed to | more polite permission | Might I use your phone please? |
| it is possible, probable | weak possibility, probability | I might come and visit you in America next year, if I can save enough money. | |
need | necessary | necessity | I need to buy a new car. The old one broke down. |
should/ought to | used to say or ask what is the correct or best thing to do | 50 % obligation | I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache. |
| to suggest an action or to show that it is necessary | advice | You should / ought to revise your lessons | |
| to be very probable | good probability | He should / ought to be very tired after such enormous work |
Modal Verbs: Advice
Please provide appropriate advice in the form of a short paragraph for the following use cases. It's important that you use as many modal verbs as possible including should, must, need to, have to.
- A coworker looking to move to the island of La Reunion and work there.
- A couple looking to move to Montpellier and looking for a place to live in the center of Montpellier
- A person looking to improve his health. Advice about diet, stress and exercise.
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Idiomatic Expressions
1. When flat-screen televisions first came out, they were selling at a premium.
2. I don't need the exact numbers right now. Just give me some back-of-the-envelope calculations.
3. When worldwide demand for software decreased, Microsoft had to do some belt-tightening.
4. When demand was down, U.S. automakers had to bite the bullet and cut jobs.
5. After Gina spent her whole summer working as an intern for American Express, failing to get a full-time job offer from the company was a bitter pill to swallow.
6. Eli Lilly made a lot of money with the prescription drug, Prozac. It was a real blockbuster.
7. Sara scored brownie points with her boss by volunteering to organize the company's holiday party.
8. With strong sales every year and a great brand name, Mercedes is a cash cow for DaimlerChrysler.
9. Jamie Oliver, star of the TV show The Naked Chef, cashed in on his popularity by writing cookbooks and opening restaurants.
10. You want to climb the corporate ladder? It helps to be productive and to look good in front of your boss.
11. Comparing a night at EconoLodge with a night at the Four Seasons is like comparing apples to oranges. One is a budget motel, and the other is a luxury hotel.
12. It's crunch time for stem cell researchers in Korea. New government regulations may soon make their work illegal.
13. Your company fired you shortly after you had a heart attack? Well, it's certainly a dog-eat-dog world!
14. When preparing financial statements, accuracy is very important. Be sure to dot your i's and cross your t's.
15. Sales have been very slow lately. Do you have any ideas for drumming up business?
1. Enron executives finally had to face the music and admit that they were involved in some illegal activities.
2. Let's fast track this project. We've heard rumors that our competitors are developing similar products.
3. Procter & Gamble generated lots of buzz for its new toothpaste by giving away free samples to people on the streets of New York City.
4. Carlos turned down the project, explaining that he already had a lot on his plate.
5. Car salesmen are famous for using the hard sell on their customers.
6. The company jumped the gun by releasing a new product before the results of the consumer testing were in.
7. We had to jump through hoops to get our visas to Russia, but we finally got them.
8. I know it's difficult going to class after work, but just keep your eye on the prize. At the end of next year, you'll have your MBA.
9. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about the project I'm working on. My boss told me to keep it under wraps.
10. It's true that I don't know him well, but my gut tells me that James is the right person for the sales director position.
11. It's risky to spend so much money developing a new brand, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
12. It's your fault. Don't try to pass the buck!
13. Don't rely on others to get your job done. You need to pull your weight.
14. After losing millions of dollars drilling for oil in Nebraska and finding nothing, the oil company finally pulled the plug on its exploration project.
15. You think we can start selling our products through our website next month? Time for a reality check! Nobody at our company knows anything about e-commerce.
What do they mean?
It took Carolyn Fellwock and Charlie Watson only 11 months to tie the knot after meeting on Yahoo Personals – and three years more to call it quits. – Wall Street Journal
Have a good relations with you boss. That does not mean kiss up to your boss. If it gets too far along a bad path, it means you don't get the good assignments, don't get the promotions and don't have a chance to advance your career. Plus, you may just be miserable. Make sure your relationship with your boss is open and honest, casual yet also professional. – The News & Observer
Steve Girdler, director of services at Kelly UK, agrees that Sugar's methods are impressive. "Sometimes I think we can be too soft in our assessment of graduates. But what's the point when we know that in reality, business can be a dog-eat-dog world?" - The Guardian
It took Carolyn Fellwock and Charlie Watson only 11 months to tie the knot after meeting on Yahoo Personals – and three years more to call it quits. – Wall Street Journal
No one is predicting that the iPod economy will be slowing soon. Mr. Baker said: "We'vebarely scratched the surface with the video iPod." - The New York Times
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B. Tell me how to do....
Telling someone how to do something that we know how to do is never as easy as we think. If you get puzzled looks, there is a good probability they did not understan or follow your instructions. Well, today, you are going to explain to me how to do something. What should you choose for a topic? Anything you want as long as it is not too simple. Pick something that you know how to do well like a particular recipe, something about sports, something in the computer, a particular part of your job, etc.
If you are still struggling to find something to explain in class, go through the following article, read it and then write down a good way to explain it to someone who does not know anything abou it: http://www.marcandangel.com/2008/06/02/50-things-everyone-should-know-how-to-do/
You can have as long as 15-20m to come up with the story that you will use to explain it to me in class. Be ready to answer LOTS of question
