пятница, 11 января 2013 г.

Grammar: unreal conditionals


A friend asks you what you would do if you won a million dollars in a lottery. You think it would be fun to spend the money on traveling, so this is how you answer.
You know what would be great is if I could take a few months off work and travel the world.

You know what would be (adjective)?

When you've thought of an interesting idea, you can introduce your idea with the expression "You know what would be ___?"
You know what would be fun? What if we all got together this winter and went skiing?
You know what would be horrible? Imagine what would happen if we lost the original files.
You know what would actually be the best way to get there is if you took 540 and got off on the Highway 50 exit.
You say "You know what would be ___?" when you think that your idea is interesting, and you want other people to become interested in the idea with you.

take (some time) off work

"Taking some time off work" can mean either:
  • taking a vacation for a week or more
  • not having a job for a few months
You can specify how long your vacation or unemployed period is like this:
I've decided to take a few months off work.

travel the world

To talk about traveling to a lot of different countries in different parts of the world, you can use the phrases "travel around the world" or just "travel the world".
"Travel the world" sounds a little more adventurous. Here's an example:
When I was a child, I dreamt of becoming a famous singer and traveling the world.