After having visited the magnificent Temple of Literature, Paco is walking back to the hotel astonished by the lively streets of the French Quarter. He thought that the temple would close later, so he is wandering about the city. He would like to buy The Quiet American and so he is looking for a bookshop, too.

Elaboración propia. Derechos cedidos a la Consejería de educación. Junta de Extremadura

An hour later, he is approaching the hotel through a narrow street full of food stalls. Paco is thinking about Phuong and he is eager to see her again, he thinks...'If she were free tomorrow, I would invite her to do something, I don't know if she would accept.' Crossing the streets in Hanoi is a hazardous issue, so Paco concentrates on it and stops thinking.

Finally he finds a bookshop and enters. There are a lot of books everywhere and he does not find Graham Greene's one, so he asks for help to the assistant.

Assistant: Hello, sir. Would you like to buy a book?

Paco: Yes, please. I'm looking for The Quiet American.

Assistant: Sure. I'll take it in a minute...here you are.

Paco: How much is it?

Assistant: It's 75,000 dongs.

Paco: Here you have. Goodbye.

Assistant: Thanks. Goodbye, sir.

Now Paco has got his copy of the book, he returns to the hotel to feel like a prestigious writer in a prestigious hotel.

Read the passage and identify the modal verb would. Below you have got some words to help you understand the passage.

Answer this question about the text:

a. Briefly describe the French Quarter

Paco has got up early although yesterday night he was reading till late because he was engaged by the novel. He is ready for a shower but he is in a bad humor with the so many instructions to use it: 'If you press this button, you get warm water'; 'If you want warmer water, press the same button longer'; 'If you press shortly, the water is cold'....

After a 'now cold, now warm, now torrid shower', he goes downstairs to the Hotel lobby with the hope of meeting Phuong. Unfortunately she is not there! He wants to visit the Hoa Lo prison, ironically nicknamed 'Hanoi Hilton' by the American soldiers during the American War and in the evening he would like to go to a water puppet theatre.

Elaboración propia

He asks for information at the desk, the receptionist tells him that...

Receptionist: There is a special performance tonight at 21.00. If you buy two tickets, you get a free one. If you are interested, tell me and I will book it for you.

Paco: Yes, I am. By the way, isn't Phuong working today?

Receptionist: No, she isn't. It's her free day but she is going to come here to look for a jacket.

Paco: Ok, if she comes, give her this note, please.

Receptionist: I will, sir. Don't worry.

Paco: Thank you.

Paco goes out for his visit. In the note he has invited her to the water puppets theatre.

Identify the zero conditionals appearing in the passage.