The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
What does your dream office look like?
Maybe you imagine fun perks like a ping-pong table and free espresso. Or maybe you just want a quiet space where you can focus without interruption! ☕️
Today, we’re exploring how to talk about the ideal workplace in English. Whether you want to convince your manager to allow remote work—or just get better coffee in the break room—today’s issue will be really helpful for you.
Ready to test your skills? Let’s start with a quick warm-up quiz! 🎲
Fantastic phrasal verbs
Learn to suggest changes in the office with 6 phrasal verbs.
Go on, give it a try.
Your Dream Office
Let’s look at how to make suggestions in the office. See how Diana and Marco chat about their ideal workplace while they grab a coffee.
Diana: I'm so exhausted today. If our company cut down on useless meetings, we would finish our work so much faster.
Marco: I know, right? And if we did away with mandatory office days, I could work from anywhere too. I wonder if there’s good WiFi connection on the beach?
Diana: That would be amazing. If management rolled out flexible hours too, everyone would be much happier. What would you do first if you were CEO for a day?
Marco: Easy! If I were the boss, I would buy a real espresso machine for the break room on day one! ☕️
Take a look at the highlighted sentences from Diana and Marco’s chat:
"If our company cut down on meetings, we would finish faster."
"If I were CEO, I would buy a real espresso machine."
How does it work?
These sentences use the Second Conditional to talk about imaginary, hypothetical, or unreal situations in the present or future.
If + Past Simple, would / could / should + infinitive
Notice something strange?
In formal English, we usually write "If I were..." or "If he/she were..." instead of "was".
Example: "If I were you, I would ask for a raise."
Would vs. Could vs. Should
These three words are often confused. Let’s check that you understand how they can change the meaning of your imaginary scenario:
Verb | Meaning | Example |
Would | Result / Certainty (in a dream scenario) | "If we had flexible hours, I would sleep more." |
Could | Possibility / Ability (you have the option) | "If we worked remotely, I could work from the beach." |
Should | Advice / Obligation (the right thing to do) | "If management asked my opinion, I should speak up." |
Mini Practice 🗒
Now it’s your turn! Complete these sentences in your head:
If my company (phase out) __________ long emails, we (save) __________ time.
If I (be) __________ the boss, I (bring in) __________ 4-day workweeks.
💬 Over to You!
Finish this sentence and hit Reply:
"If I were CEO of my company for one day, I would..."
Tell me your dream office rule or what change you would make—I read every single email and reply to as many as I can! 📩
Quick fix 🔧
Have you ever felt frustrated because you couldn’t understand what someone was saying in English?
Maybe you already have a good level of English but you still struggle to follow fast, real-life conversations.
Don’t worry—you’re not alone, and there’s a clear reason for this!
Check out this week’s video below, and let’s fix it together.
5 Star Offices ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Are these the most luxurious offices in the world?
Check out this article from The Times and take a look inside the world’s most luxurious offices.
Which one is your favourite?
Your task 🗒 Try to find 5 new words in the article.
All right, that’s it for this week’s edition. Let me know if you enjoyed it and I’ll see you next time.
Have a great week.
All the best,
Dan
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