SECOND CONDITIONAL

We use the second conditional to talks about imaginary situations

We often use it to talk about the opposite of what is true or real

For example:

“If my car had GPS, life would be so much easier (but my car doesn’t have a GPS”.

“If I had enough money, I’d get one for my car”.

The second conditional talks about the present or the future.

The if clause can be first or second in the sentence.

Positive and negative

This is important use this structure:

IF +subjective + PAST SIMPLE, subjective + ‘d (would) / wouldn’t + INFINITIVE

For example: If my car had one, life would be so much easier

                        If we didn’t have it at home, I wouldn’t get any sleep at all.

Questions

The phase can came at the beginning or end of the sentence

For example: What would you do?...

The short answers to these are yes or no. For example: Yes, I would. No, I wouldn’t 

ABOUT THE COMPUTERS VOCABULARY

We have some definitions about computers that is useful:

Delete: remove something form a computer’s memory: “I usually delete my emails after I’ve read them”

A file: any piece of information stored on computer: “I can’t find the files I saved yesterday”

Create: make something new: “How do you create a new document?”

A folder: a place on computer where you put documents, pictures, etc: “I keep all my pictures in a separate folder”.

Forward: send an email, document etc. to someone else’s computer: “Could you forward me that email from the bank?”

Reply: answer: “Have you replied to Mrs Fisher’s email?”

A back-up copy: an extra copy of computer information: “Don’t forget to make a back-up copy of all your work”.

Log on: to connect your computer to a system of computer, usually so you can start working: “I’ll forward that email to you as soon as I’ve logged on”.

A password: a secret word that allows you to use a computer: “Oh no! I’ve forgotten my password!”

Click on: press a button on the mouse in order to do something on a computer: “To go to the company’s website, click on this link”

An icon: a small picture on the computer screen that you click on to make the computer does something: “This icon means ‘print’”.

An attachment:  a document, picture, etc. that is sent with an email: “Did you read the attachment I send you?”

A link: a connection between documents or parts of the Internet: “Click on this link for more information”.

Online: connected to the internet: “Are you online?”

Download: to copy computer programmers, information, music, etc. into a computer’s memory especially from the Internet: “It’s really easy to download music from the Internet”.

Software: computer programmes: “I’ve just downloaded some new software so that I can read Japanese websites.

Broadband: fast connection to the Internet that is always on: “ The Internet is much faster if you have a broadband”.

Some situations about the vocabulary:

1)      You can save, copy, print or delete a file or document.

2)      You can create, open or have a folder

3)      You can get, send, forward or reply an email.

4)      You should make a back-up copy of your important documents

5)      You can log on by entering your password.

6)      You can click on an icon, an attachment, a website address or a link on a web page

7)      You can search online and download software, pictures or music from the Internet

8)      If you have broadband, you can go for something on the Internet very quickly.

ZERO CONDITIONAL

We can use the zero conditional to talks about things that are always true:

“If you have children, you worry about them all the time”.

The zero conditional can be used with the Present Simple:

“If children stay indoors all the time, they become unfit”.

FIRST CONDITIONAL

We can use the first conditional to talk about the result of a possible event or situation in the future.

The if clause talks about things that are possible, but not certain

We make the first conditional with:

If + Present Simple, will/won’t + infinitive

The if clause can be first or second in the sentence:

I’ll be exhausted after a year if I start teaching again.

We often use might in the main clause to mean ‘will perhaps’:

“But you might have to wait until next year if you don’t apply soon”

We can use unless to mean ‘if not’ un the first conditional:

“Unless I do it now, I’ll be too old” = if I don’t do it now, I’ll be too old

INDIRECT AND DIRECT QUESTIONS

In more formal situations we often use indirect questions because they sound more polite.

For example: Could you tell me whether he’ll back soon?

Sound more polite than: Will he be back soon?

Compare the following direct and indirect questions:

Direct: What did she want? - Indirect: Do you know what she wanted?

Direct: Where was it? - Indirect: Do you remember where it was?

Direct: Will they come? - Indirect: I wonder if they will come.

-          We use if or whether in indirect questions when there isn’t a question word.

-          In indirect questions, if and whether are the same: Do you know if/ whether we asked Alex Ross to come?

-          We don’t use if and whether with: Do you think…? Do you think he’s changed his password?

-          In indirect questions, the main verb is in the positive form. We say: Do you know if we asked Alex Ross to come. NOT: do you know if did we ask Alex Ross to come?

More examples:

Can you tell me
Could you tell me
I'd be interested to hear
I'd like to know
Would you mind telling me