Conditionals

What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if clauses'. They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past) . They are made using different English verb tenses.

There are four kinds:

The Zero Conditional:
(if + present simple, ... present simple)
If you heat water to 100%, it boils.

We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'):

• If + present simple, .... present simple.

This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main cluase.

The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning.

For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)

Here are some more examples:

If people eat too much, they get fat. If you touch a fire, you get burned. People die if they don't eat. You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen. Snakes bite if they are scared If babies are hungry, they cry

The First Conditional:

(if + present simple, ... will + infinitive)

If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema.

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause:

• if + present simple, ... will + infinitive

It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true.

• If it rains, I won't go to the park.
• If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
• If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
• She'll be late if the train is delayed.
• She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
• If I see her, I'll tell her.

First vs. Zero Conditional

The first describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general.

For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the sitting)

But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about what will happen today, another day might be different)

The Second Conditional:

(if + past simple, ... would + infinitive)

If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.

The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:

• if + past simple, ...would + infinitive

(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'we'. It's strange, but correct!)

It has two uses.

First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.

• If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
• If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
• She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
• She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:

• If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him).
• If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

How is this different from the first conditional?

This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more unlikely.

For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much money, it's just a dream, not very real)

But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much more likely that'll have enough money to buy some shoes)

The Third Conditional

(if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle)

If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:

• if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle

It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.

• If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
• If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick).
• If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
• She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
• She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
• He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

Best Wishes Phrases

Good luck, good health, hood cheer. I wish you a happy New Year.
 
With best wishes for a happy New Year! 
 
I hope you have a most happy and prosperous New Year.
 
With the compliments of the season.
 
May the season's joy fill you all the year round.
 
Season's greetings and best wishes for the New Year.
 
Please accept my season's greetings.
 
To wish you joy at this holy season. Wishing every happiness will always be
with you.
 
Good health, good luck and much happiness throughout the year.
 
May the joy and happiness around you today and always.
 
Please accept my sincere wishes for the New Year. I hope you will continue
to enjoy good health.
 
Allow me to congratulate you on the arrival of the New Year and to extend to
you all my best wishes for your perfect health and lasting prosperity.
 
Best wishes for the holidays and happiness throughout the New Year.
 
With very best wishes for your happiness in the New Year.
 
Please accept our wishes for you and yours for a happy New Year.
 
May the coming New Year bring you joy, love and peace.
 
Wishing you happiness during the holidays and throughout the New Year.
 
A happy New Year to you.
 
Season's greetings and sincere wishes for a bright and happy New Year!
 
I give you endless brand-new good wishes. Please accept them as a new
remembrance of our lasting friendship.
 
Good luck and great success in the coming New Year.
 
On the occasion of the New Year, may my wife and I extend to you and yours
our warmest greetings, wishing you a happy New Year, your career greater
success and your family happiness.
 
May everything beautiful and best be condensed into this card. I sincerely
wish you happiness, cheerfulness and success.

Funny New Messages in Windows 7

The following are new messages that Microsoft have introduced with Windows 7:

1. This will end your Windows 7 session. Do you want to play another game?
2. Kennel stack overflow problem.  Your new Patch is now available.  Call at the vet's and collect your dog.
3. BREAKFAST.SYS halted... Cereal port not responding.
4. Suggested Action.  Emigrate.
5. Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take action to help solve your problem.  This will involve remote execution of the user.
6. The media is corrupt.  Therefore, don't read the manual - bribe a reporter.
7. Windows Update Service Problem.  Waitress is sick.
8. A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.  Smash forehead on keyboard to continue.
9. Path not found.  Try the grass shortcut.
10. An operations error occurred. Enter any 11-digit prime number to continue.
11. Press any key to continue, or any other key to quit.
12. Press any key except... no, No, NO, NOT THAT ONE!
13. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del now for IQ test.
14. Windows 7 object doesn't support this property or method. Close your eyes and press escape three times.
15. Bad command or file name!  Go stand in the corner.
16. User Error: Replace user.
17. No network provider accepted the given network path.  In plain English, we have not got a clue what's wrong.
18. Windows 7 message: "Error saving file! Format drive now? (Y/Y)"
19. 'Known issue' - it's just the solution that is unknown.
20. This network connection does not exist, and neither does any help.
21. This is a message from God Gates: "Rebooting the world. Please log off." 
22. Object already non-existent. Are you sure you still want to delete?  (N/N)
23. The network location cannot be reached. To 'shutdown' your system, type 'WIN.'
24. COFFEE.SYS missing... Insert cup in cup holder and press any key.
25. CONGRESS.SYS corrupted... Re-boot Washington D.C? (Y/N)
26. File not found. Should I fake it? (Y/N)
27. Bad or missing mouse. Spank the cat? (Y/N)
28. Runtime Error 6D at 417A:32CF: Incompetent User.
29. Error reading FAT record: Try the SKINNY one? (Y/N)
30. Windows7_error 16547: LPT1 not found. Use backup. (PENCIL & PAPER.SYS)
31. Workaround.  The workaround does not work, but it makes us fell better to include it.
32. Windows VirusScan 1.0 - 'Windows7 found: Remove it? (Y/N)'
33. Welcome to Microsoft's World - Your Mortgage is Past Due...
34. If you are an artist, you should know that Bill Gates owns you and all your future creations. Doesn't it feel nice to have security?
35. Your hard drive has been scanned and all stolen software titles have been deleted. The police are on the way.
36. We are reading your error report, but we are not understanding.
37. Hold down the Numb Lock. Phone 555-1212-4590 and ask for Lulu.
38. You can provide feedback by completing the form.  However, you are wasting your time because it goes to a sink account that we never read.
39. Disclaimer: We would like to thank Bart Simpson, who had the least to do with these solutions and was therefore of the most help.

Talking about Taxes

"A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well." tax - money paid to the government, which is based on your income or of the cost of goods or services you have bought capital gains tax - tax on the profits made from selling something you own  corporation tax - tax paid by businesses on their profits direct tax - the money that a person must pay to the government themselves, such as income tax, rather than through someone else indirect tax - a tax charged on goods and services rather than on money that people earn  inheritance tax - a tax paid on money or property you have received from someone who has died  road tax - annual tax on motor vehicles that use public roads  sales tax - US a tax paid by people when they buy goods or services; value-added tax  sin tax - (informal) a tax on items such as cigarettes, alcohol, gambling and other things which are considered unnecessary luxuries in life; luxury tax  tax allowance - the amount of income on which you do not have to pay tax  tax-deductible - a sum that can be taken away from the total amount of income you must pay tax on  tax disc - a small round sign which you put in the corner of the front window of your car or other vehicle to show that you have paid the tax to use it  tax evasion - ways of illegally paying less tax than you should  tax exile - a wealthy person who lives outside his or her own country in order to minimise taxes  tax haven - a place where people pay less tax than they would pay if they lived in their own country  tax relief - the system of allowing someone not to pay tax on a part of their income  tax return - a form supplied by the government body (taxation authority) for the citizens to file with them the details of their income, expense, deductions, etc thereby computing the tax liability, within a specified date of the year  tax-exempt - not subject to tax by federal, state, and/or local authorities  after-tax - an amount (usually income) after taxes have been subtracted  before-tax income - income before taxes are deducted  liable to tax - subject to tax  tax bracket - the rate at which an individual is taxed  flat tax – a system that taxes everyone at the same rate, regardless of their income bracket  progressive tax - a tax that takes a larger percentage from the income of high-income people than it does from low-income people Now we put new vocabulary into context, so you can see how you might use these terms yourself. The expressions are in boldface in the text.  What do you earn after tax?  Luxury tax is a tax placed on products or services that are deemed to be unnecessary or non-essential.  Income and property taxes are good examples of direct taxes.  Employers can deduct the total cost of the gift from their taxes, and employees don't have to declare the cost of the gift as part of their taxable income.  A third of my income will go in tax.  Tax brackets are set based on income levels; individuals with lower income levels are taxed at a lower rate than individuals with higher income levels.  Supporters of a flat tax argue that it gives people incentive to earn more, because they wouldn't be penalized by graduating to a higher tax bracket.  Most income taxes are considered progressive.

Apologizing in English

In English there are a few expressions used when apologizing to others.  There are times when we apologize to take responsibility for an act committed or to show empathy.  When an apology is given to show empathy;  it's because someone has experienced a great loss and an apology is a used in a effort to comfort the person on the receiving end. Now we are going to look at how to apologize in English and how to accept an apology.

Jamie was late meeting his dad David for dinner.  

Jamie:  I'm sorry I'm late, dad.  The highway was congested and when I arrived it was tough finding a parking spot. 

David:  I understand that the situation could not be helped, but you know it's rush hour.  You could have left a little earlier.  I left work early so that I could be here on time.

Jamie:  I am sorry!  I don't know what else to say.  I tried my best.

David:  Well, we lost our table.  When they are this busy they don't keep the reservation for longer than an hour past the time you are supposed to be here. 

Jamie:  I should have called. 

David:  I called and you did not answer your phone.  However, you are often late, Jamie.  You  need to work on being more punctual.

Jamie:  My phone didn't ring.  I did not get your call.  Can we just try to find another restaurant?

David: I'm up for that!

Now your turn! 

Use the expressions of apologizing and and responding to an apology to practice.

Expressions of Apology:

"I'm sorry."

"I apologize."

"I regret what has happened."

"I regret putting you in that situation."

Responses to Apology:
"I understand."

"I am sorry too."

"That's/It's okay."

"I accept your apology."

"No problem."

"Don't worry about it."

You:  I am sorry that I _________ ( broke your cup) use your own example .

Your Friend:  That's okay. _______ (I can replace it ) comment."

source:http://learnenglishonline101.blogspot.com/

English through music - Chris De Burgh

Everywhere I Go

 Year Released: 2010

Everywhere I go,

Everywhere I go I see an image of her face,

She talks to me, 

She talks to me in a thousand ways;

 Everyone I know, 

Everyone I know is calling on the telephone,

“Are you ok, are you alright, 

‘cos you’re never at home?”

Well I couldn’t be better, 

I found my way,

She is an open door to a brand new day;

 Everywhere I go I see her face again,

Everywhere I look I see her smile and wave,

Everywhere I hear her voice is calling,

This time, I finally opened my eyes to a beautiful angel, 

Oh, who’s been caring for me like a mother for a child;

 Everywhere I go,

Everywhere I go I see the shadow of a light, 

It shines on me, it shines on me from another time;

 So many dark days, and lonely nights,

Until she found the way, to change my life;

 Everywhere I go I see her face again,

Everywhere I look I see her smile and wave,

Everywhere I hear her voice is calling,

This time, I finally opened my eyes!

 Everywhere I go I see her face again,

(Everywhere I go),

Everywhere I look I see her smile and wave,

(Everywhere I look),

Everywhere I hear her voice is calling,

This time, I finally opened my eyes, to my beautiful angel, 

Oh, who’s been caring for me like a mother for her child, 

Everywhere I go;

 This time, I finally opened my eyes,

Everywhere I go.

  download the music here

100Most Frequently Used English Idioms

about to (do something)

- to be on the point of doing something
I was about to leave when the phone rang.

according to (someone or something)

- as said or told by someone, in agreement with something, in the order of something, in proportion to something
According to our teacher, there will be no class next week.
We did everything according to the terms of our agreement.

account for (something)

- to provide an explanation or answer for something
The bad weather accounts for the fact that few people came to the meeting.

after all

- considering the fact that something happened, something that is usually assumed
"You don't need to phone him. After all, he never phones you."

all of a sudden

- suddenly, without advance warning
All of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain.

as a matter of fact

- actually
"As a matter of fact, we have been to the history museum many times."

as far as

- to the extent or degree of something
As far as I know the movie will start in a few minutes.

as for

- with regard to, concerning
"As for me, I think that I will return home now."

as if

- in the same way that something would be, that
The drink tastes as if it were made with orange juice.
It seemed as if the whole town came to the concert.

as long as

- provided that, on condition that
"As long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car."

as soon as

- just after something, when
I phoned my friend as soon as I finished dinner.

as to

- with regard to, according to
"As to your question, I will answer it tomorrow."
The players were put into groups as to their ability.

as well

- in addition, also, too
I plan to take a computer course this summer as well.

as well as

- in addition to
"Please bring your swimming suit as well as your towel."

back and forth

- backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way
The argument went back and forth before the judge made a decision.

better off

- to be in a better situation than before
My friend would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one.

break down (something)

- to divide something into parts, to separate something into simpler substances
We tried to break down the problem for further study.
The sugar began to break down soon after it was swallowed.

break up

- to separate, to divide into groups or pieces, to put an end to something
Nobody wanted to break up their groups.
We usually break up into small groups during our class.

by the way

- incidentally
"By the way, could you please bring your laptop computer tomorrow."

carry out (something)

- to put something into action, to accomplish something, to do something
The scientist wanted to carry out several experiments before discussing the new medicine.

come on!

- please, hurry, go faster
"Come on, I only have a few minutes before I must go."
"Come on, stop doing that."

come up

- to happen unexpectedly
I will not be able to go to the party if something else comes up.

come up with (something)

- to produce or find a thought/idea/answer
I tried to come up with a name for the new magazine.

deal with (something)

- to be concerned with something, to take action about something
We will deal with the boxes tomorrow.

end up (doing something or going somewhere)

- to do something that one had not planned to do, to go somewhere one had not planned to go
We ended up going to a restaurant after the movie last night.

figure out (someone or something)

- to try to understand someone or something, to solve something
I finally figured out how to use the new DVD player.

fill in (something)

- to write words in blank spaces
"Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist."

find out (something)

- to learn or discover something
My mother is angry at me because she found out that I had quit my French class.

first of all

- the very first thing
First of all we prepared the garden and then we planted the seeds.

for good

- permanently
The city will close the public swimming pool for good next week.

for sure

- without doubt, certainly, surely
"I will go to the movie with you for sure next week."

get back to (something)

- to return to something
I was happy to get back to my work after my holiday.

get into (something)

- to become interested or involved in something
I do not want to get into an argument with my friend.
We will get into the details of the plan tomorrow.

get into (somewhere)

- to enter somewhere
My friend wants to get into a good university.
I bumped my head as I was getting into the car.

get out of (somewhere)

- to leave somewhere, to escape from somewhere
I want to hurry and get out of my house.

get rid of (something)

- to give or throw something away, to sell or destroy something, to make a cold or fever disappear
I bought a new television set so I want to get rid of the old one.

get through (something)

- to complete something, to finish something
My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams.
I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.

go ahead

- to begin to do something
"Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer."

go on

- to continue
The game will probably go on for an hour after we leave.

go over (something)

- to examine or review something
The accountant will go over the books tomorrow.
We plan to go over that question tomorrow.

go through (something)

- to discuss something, to look at something, to do something
The teacher decided to go through the exercise before the test.

go with (something)

- to choose one thing rather than another
We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the large one.

hang out (somewhere/with someone)

- to spend one`s time with no great purpose, to spend leisure time with friends
Recently my friend has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him.

have (something) to do with (something)

- to be about something, to be on the subject of something, to be related to something
"The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it."
That problem has nothing to do with me.

hold on

- to wait a minute, to stop, to wait and not hang up the phone
"Please hold on for a minute while I lock the window."

in a way

- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat
In a way I want to go to the new restaurant but in a way I don`t really care.

in case

- if, if something should happen
I will take my umbrella in case it rains.

in common

- shared together or equally, in use or ownership by all
I had nothing in common with the other members of the class.

in detail

- giving all the details, item by item
The saleswoman explained about the new product in detail.

in effect

- for practical purposes, basically
The man's silence was in effect a way of disagreeing with the other people in the meeting.

in fact

- actually, the truth is
The man has been to China before. In fact he has been there three times.

in favor of (someone or something)

- to approve or support someone or something
Everybody is in favor of the new police chief.
My company is not in favor of changing our holiday schedule.

in general

- in most situations or circumstances
In general, most of the people in our apartment are happy with the new manager.

in order to

- for the purpose of
They have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some major repairs.

in other words

- in a different (usually more direct) way
"In other words, if you do not finish the assignment by Wednesday you will not pass the course."

in place

- in the proper place or location
Everything in the room was in place when we arrived for the meeting.

in some ways

- in some unspecified way or manner, by some unspecified means
In some ways I know what my friend means but in some ways I do not.

in terms of (something)

- with regard to something
In terms of our agreement with the other company we were not allowed to sell the products online.

in time

- early enough
I did not come home in time to meet my cousin.

keep (someone or something) in mind

- to remember and think about someone or something
I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind.

kind of

- somewhat, more or less, moderately
I was kind of tired when I arrived home last night.

look for (something)

- to try to find something, to hunt/search for something
My friend has been looking for her credit card all morning but she can`t find it.

look up (something)

- to search for something in a dictionary or other book
I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book.
I looked up the word in the dictionary.

make a difference

- to cause a change in a situation
It does not make a difference whether our boss comes to the meeting or not.

make sense

- to seem reasonable
His new proposal really does make sense.

make sure

- to make certain, to establish something without a doubt
I want to make sure that my friend is going to meet me tomorrow.

more or less

- somewhat, to some extent
I more or less have decided to study business next year.

no matter

- regardless
No matter how hard that I try, my piano teacher is never satisfied.

not at all

- certainly not
I am not at all happy with my new computer.

of course

- certainly, definitely, naturally
"Of course you can use my car if you want to."

on the other hand

- however, in contrast, looking at the opposite side of a matter
He is very intelligent but on the other hand he is very lazy and always gets low marks at school.

on time

- at the scheduled time, exactly at the correct time, punctually
Our train arrived exactly on time.

once again

- again, one more time, once more
I tried once again to phone my boss at his home .

open to (something)

- to be agreeable to learn or hear about new ideas or suggestions
Most members of the class were open to the teacher's ideas.

pick up (something)

- to get or receive something
I will pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow.
I picked up a copy of the newspaper at the station.

point out (someone or something)

- to explain or call attention to someone or something
My teacher was very kind when she pointed out the mistakes that I had made.

put out (something)

- to produce or make something (a product/brochure/report/CD/movie/paper)
The company puts out a newsletter every month for the employees.

regardless of (something)

- without considering or thinking about something, without regard to something
Regardless of the weather we are going to go fishing tomorrow morning.

right away

- immediately
"I forgot to bring my book but I will go home and get it right away."

rule out (someone or something)

- to decide against or eliminate someone or something
The police ruled out the man as a possible bank robber.
We decided to rule out Monday as the day to have our meeting.

run into (something - a fact/trouble/problems/difficulty)

- to experience something, to encounter something
The mechanic ran into trouble when he was fixing my car.
I ran into some interesting facts when I was researching my essay.

set up (something)

- to establish something, to provide the money for something
The newspaper company provided the money to set up the new travel magazine.
The company set up a unique situation to test the new product.

show up

- to appear, to arrive, to be present
"What time did your friend show up for the party?"

so far

- until now
So far no one has entered the speech contest at the television station.

so to speak

- as one might or could say, this is one way to say something
We had a good time at the restaurant, so to speak, although the service was not very good.

sort of (something)

- to be almost something, to be similar to something, to be not quite something
"Did you finish cleaning the kitchen?"
"Sort of, but not really."

stick with (something)

- to continue doing something, to not quit something
My brother has been able to stick with his trumpet lessons since he was a child.

take advantage of (someone or something)

- to use someone or something for one's own benefit
We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the beach.

take care of (someone or something)

- to look after or give attention to someone or something
You should take care of your health or you will become sick.

take out (something)

- to remove something from somewhere, to extract something
The teacher told us to take out our books.
I took out some onions from the refridgerator.

take over (something)

- to take control of something, to take command of something
The large company wants to take over some of the small companies in our area.

take place

- to happen, to occur
The soccer game took place on the coldest day of the year.

to the extent that

- to the degree that, in so far as
I plan to provide information about the new company policy to the extent that I am familiar with it.

turn in (something)

- to give something to someone, to hand something to someone
I arrived at school early so that I could turn in my essay.

turn out

- to be found or known, to prove to be true
It turned out that more people came to the party than we expected.

up to

- until, as far as a certain point, approaching a certain point
Up to last week I had never been inside a bowling alley.
There were probably up to thirty people at the meeting.

up to (someone) to decide/do (something)

- to be responsible to choose or decide something
It is up to the company president to decide when the meeting will start.

used to

- accustomed to
My friend is not used to living in such a big city.

with respect to (something)

- referring to something, concerning something
I do not know what the company will do with respect to the old computer system.

work out (for the best)

- to end successfully
I hope that everything will work out for my friend when she moves to London next week.