Interchange Book 3 – Unit 10 (Referring to time in the past - Predicting the future with will)

Summary

This video lesson covers key expressions and grammar for discussing past actions and predicting the future in English. It explains how to use terms like 'ago,' 'since,' 'for,' 'during,' and 'from...to' for talking about past events. It also demonstrates how to make predictions using 'will,' 'future continuous,' and 'future perfect.' The lesson includes examples such as historic events, achievements, and natural disasters, and finishes with a conversation about space exploration, illustrating how to predict future possibilities using these structures.

Takeaways

• ⏳ This unit covers expressions for referring to time in the past and predicting the future using 'will'.
• 🔙 Use 'ago', 'from...to...', 'during', 'in', and 'for' to talk about completed actions in the past.
• 📅 Use 'since' and 'for' to describe actions that started in the past and continue in the present, e.g., 'I have worked here since 2018.'
• 🎯 Specific years, decades, and durations are expressed using 'in', 'during', 'from...to...', and 'for', e.g., 'Pokemon became popular in 1998.'
• 🏆 Definitions of key historical event terms like 'achievement', 'assassination', 'discovery', 'election', and 'revolution' were provided.
• 🔍 Examples were given for different terms, e.g., 'The creation of the COVID-19 vaccine was a great achievement.'
• 🛰️ A conversation about the future predicts space exploration developments, like setting up research centers or resorts on the Moon.
• 🚀 'Will' is used for predictions about the future, e.g., 'Families will travel to space on vacation.'
• ⏩ Future continuous expresses actions in progress in the future, e.g., 'My friends and I will be working from home.'
• ✔️ Future perfect indicates actions that will be completed by a certain time, e.g., 'By 2050, a company will have built a hotel in space.'

Q & A

What are some ways to refer to finished actions in the past?

You can use 'ago', 'from...to', 'during', 'in', and 'for' to talk about finished actions in the past. For example, 'I moved here 10 years ago' or 'I was in high school from 2008 to 2011.'

What is the difference between using 'since' and 'for' when talking about actions?

'Since' is used to indicate when an action started and is still continuing, while 'for' refers to the duration of the action. For example, 'I have worked here since 2018' and 'I have worked here for 5 years.'

How can 'will' be used to predict the future?

'Will' is used to make predictions about future events or actions. For example, 'Most people will drive electric cars' predicts a future event.

What is the structure of sentences using 'will' to predict the future?

The structure is: subject + will + verb + complement. For example, 'Families will travel to space on vacation.'

When should you use the future continuous tense?

The future continuous tense is used to indicate an action that will be in progress at a certain time in the future. For example, 'My friends and I will be working from home.'

What is the difference between the future continuous and the future perfect tense?

The future continuous describes actions in progress in the future, while the future perfect indicates actions that will be completed before a certain time. For example, 'I will be working' (continuous) vs. 'I will have completed the project by next week' (perfect).

How can you use 'since' and 'for' to refer to actions still happening in the present?

You use 'since' to indicate when an action began (e.g., 'Women have competed in the Olympics since 1900') and 'for' to indicate the duration (e.g., 'They have been married for 29 years').

What are some examples of achievements mentioned in the script?

Examples of achievements include the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine and Edward Jenner discovering the first vaccine.

What historical event examples are provided in the script?

The script gives examples like Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, the invention of color TV in the 1950s, and the founding of Google 23 years ago.

How is the future perfect tense structured?

The structure of the future perfect tense is: period of time + subject + will have + past participle + complement. For example, 'By 2050, a company will have built a hotel in space.'