Read the condition attached to an offer
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
For a student photography project, Tess received an assurance from a friend that a suitable backdrop would be available. The friend's offer was conditional on the fabric arriving before Friday, a requirement stated clearly in the message. Another classmate offered unconditional help with arranging the room, without attaching any requirement to that promise. Tess wrote the two commitments separately, since a reassuring statement could still depend on an event that had not happened and she needed to know what could be relied upon immediately.
The assurance about the backdrop was intended to give Tess confidence, but its wording did not erase the condition about delivery. A conditional offer became available when the stated requirement was satisfied; it was not simply a vague promise to decide later. The classmate's unconditional help had no such qualification attached to it. Tess confirmed that the fabric had arrived before planning the photographs around it, while the room arrangement could proceed under the promise already given without conditions.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.