Text for Conditional and Wish Expressions Practice
As soon as Laura saw the email, she wished she had checked her inbox earlier. If
only she hadn’t ignored the notifications! The message was from a prestigious
university offering her a scholarship to study abroad, but the deadline was that
same day. Unless she managed to submit the required documents before
midnight, she would lose the opportunity of a lifetime.
She called her professor, hoping he would still be at his office. If he were there, he
could sign the recommendation letter she needed. Unfortunately, he had left an
hour earlier. Had she read the email in the morning, she wouldn’t have found
herself in such a predicament.
If her printer had not broken the previous week, she would have been able to print
her essay at home. However, now she had to rush to the library. She wished the
librarian had not been so strict about closing times because she arrived two
minutes late, and the doors were locked. If she had thought of another plan in
advance, she might have found an alternative.
By that time, she had only two hours left. If her best friend had not been working
late, she could have asked him for help. Instead, she tried to find another place
with a printer. She wouldn’t have panicked so much if she had remembered that
the student center had a 24-hour study room.
Laura sprinted across campus, but by the time she reached the student center,
the Wi-Fi was down. "If only I had printed the essay at home last week," she
muttered. It was too late to go anywhere else. She sat down, exhausted, knowing
that all she could do was wait for the next opportunity.
Comprehension Activities
A. Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Why did Laura regret not checking her email earlier?
a) She had forgotten to pay an important bill.
b) She had received a scholarship offer with a strict deadline.
c) She missed an invitation to a prestigious event.
d) She was late for an important exam.
2. What prevented Laura from getting the professor’s recommendation letter?
a) The professor had already left.
b) The professor refused to help her.
c) She didn’t have enough time to write it herself.
d) She didn’t know she needed one.
3. Why couldn’t Laura print her essay at home?
a) She had lost the file.
b) Her printer was broken.
c) She forgot to write the essay.
d) The power was out.
4. What was Laura’s main mistake?
a) She didn’t organize her time properly.
b) She overslept and missed an appointment.
c) She didn’t have the qualifications for the scholarship.
d) She refused to submit the application.
B. Fill in the Blanks (Conditionals and Wishes) Complete the following
sentences based on the text:
1. If Laura ___________ (check) her email earlier, she ___________ (have) more
time to submit the application.
2. She wishes the librarian ___________ (not be) so strict about closing times.
3. If her best friend ___________ (not work) late, he ___________ (help) her.
4. If only she ___________ (print) the essay at home last week!
C. Writing Activity Write a short paragraph (100-150 words) describing a time
when you missed an important opportunity due to bad timing or lack of
preparation. Use at least three conditional sentences and one expression with
"wish" or "if only."
