Mastering English Conditionals and Essential Vocabulary

English Conditional Structures

Zero Conditional

Structure: If + Present Simple, Main Clause: Present Simple

Use: Expresses generally true facts, actions, and their results.

First Conditional

Structure: If + Present Simple, Main Clause: Will / Won’t + Infinitive

Use: Describes real or possible events in the present or future.

Second Conditional

Structure: If + Past Simple, Main Clause: Would / Wouldn’t + Infinitive

Use: Describes present or future situations or events that are unlikely or hypothetical.

Third Conditional

Structure: If + Past Perfect, Main Clause: Would / Wouldn’t + Have + Past Participle

Use: Describes impossible or hypothetical past situations or events. The third conditional is used to imagine a different past outcome based on a change in a past situation.

Alternatives to "If" (First Conditional)

• Provided / Providing that: Something must happen for something else to happen.
• In case: Being prepared for something that might happen.
• As long as: The condition will ensure the other situation is true.
• Unless: Meaning "if not" (if something doesn't happen).

Expressing Wishes: "I Wish" / "If Only"

• Past Simple: Used for things we would like to be different now or in the future.

• Past Perfect: Used for things that happened in the past and we regret.

• Would + Infinitive: Used to express a wish for a change in the future (often about someone else's behavior).

Essential Vocabulary

Communication and Action Verbs

• Capture: capturar
• Criticise: criticar
• Figure out: resolver, entender
• Get across: comunicar, transmitir
• Highlight: resaltar, destacar
• Illustrate: ilustrar
• Interpret: interpretar
• Point out: señalar
• Reject: rechazar
• Reveal: revelar

Phrasal Verbs for Social Interaction

• Butt in: entrometerse
• Keep something to yourself: guardar algo para sí mismo
• Move on: seguir adelante
• Open up: abrirse, sincerarse
• Own up: confesar, admitir
• Stick up for: defender

General Vocabulary and Expressions

• Appreciate: apreciar
• Come up with: proponer, idear
• Crawl: gatear
• Drop in to: visitar brevemente, hacer una visita
• Eventually: finalmente, a la larga
• Fascinating: fascinante
• Hold out: resistir, aguantar
• Set something in motion: poner algo en movimiento
• Silently: en silencio
• Thoroughly: a fondo, completamente
• Well worth the entrance fee: bien vale la pena el precio de la entrada

Creative and Design Professions

• Animator: animador
• Architect: arquitecto
• Artisan: artesano
• Camera Operator: operador de cámara
• Cartoonist: caricaturista
• Cinematographer: director de fotografía
• Graphic Designer: diseñador gráfico
• Illustrator: ilustrador
• Sculptor: escultor
• Videogame Designer: diseñador de videojuegos