Mastering English Vocabulary and Conditional Grammar

Essential English Vocabulary & Phrases

Common Terms & Translations

• Oil = petróleo
• Solar power = energía solar
• Cloning = clonar
• Flood = inundaciones
• Global warming = calentamiento global
• Wind power = energía eólica
• Gas = gas
• GM food = comida modificada genéticamente

Descriptive Adjectives & Nouns

• Bright = brillante
• Thames Barrier = el muro del Támesis
• Holiday = vacaciones
• Tidal wave = tsunami
• Huge = enorme
• Landmarks = edificios emblemáticos
• Homeless = vagabundo
• Crew = tripulación
• Submerged = sumergido

Verbs & Related Nouns

• To head = dirigirse
• Straight for = directamente a
• To run out = quedarse sin
• To save = ahorrar/salvar
• To fail = fallar
• To rise = subir/aumentar
• To release = liberar/soltar
• To pollute - pollution: contaminar - contaminación
• To recycle - recycling: reciclar - reciclaje
• To waste - waste: desperdiciar - basura/desperdicios
• To damage - damage: dañar - daños
• To destroy - destruction: destruir - destrucción
• To improve - improvement: mejorar - mejora
• To survive - survival: sobrevivir - supervivencia
• To demonstrate - demonstration: manifestarse - manifestación
• To develop - development: desarrollarse - desarrollo
• To protect - protection: proteger - protección

Useful Expressions & Phrasal Verbs

• Matter: importar
• Worry: preocuparse
• Mind: importar/molestar
• Sorry: lo siento
• Sure: seguro
• Nowadays = hoy en día
• Issues = temas
• Then / Next = luego
• Eventually = al final
• Actually = para ser exactos
• To throw away = tirar
• The sell-by date = la fecha de caducidad

Understanding English Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences describe hypothetical situations and their consequences. They are crucial for expressing various scenarios in English.

The Zero Conditional: Facts & General Truths

The Zero Conditional describes things that are always true, scientific facts, or general habits.

Structure: If + present simple, present simple

• If it is snowing hard, everybody stays at home.
• If you heat water, it boils.

The First Conditional: Real Possibilities

The First Conditional describes things that will happen or are likely to happen in the future if a certain condition is met.

Structure: If + present simple, will/won't + infinitive

• If we swim, we won't be late.
• If we walk so slowly, we'll be late.

The Second Conditional: Unlikely or Hypothetical Situations

The Second Conditional describes future events that are impossible or very unlikely to happen, or hypothetical situations in the present.

Structure: If + past simple, would/wouldn't + infinitive

• If I had a helicopter, I would fly to the school.
• If I flew to the school, I wouldn't be late.

Note on "To Be" in Second Conditional:

In the Second Conditional, especially in formal English or for expressing wishes, "were" is often used for all subjects (I, he, she, it) in the "if" clause, instead of "was." This is known as the subjunctive mood.

• Example: If I were you, I would study more.

The Third Conditional: Past Regrets & Missed Opportunities

The Third Conditional describes a past event that is different from what really happened, expressing regret or a missed opportunity.

Structure: If + past perfect, would have + past participle

• If you had arrived earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train.
• If I had taken an umbrella, I wouldn't have got wet.