Lesson Focus

This unit focuses on the future, with a special emphasis on environmental issues and predictions. It introduces global initiatives like Earth Hour and discusses the consequences of our actions on the planet.

Key Vocabulary to Master

• Environmental Terms: annually, commitment, planet, global, environmental impact, challenges, biodiversity, habitats, depleting, resources, replenished, pollution.

• Prediction Language: will have changed, will have affected, will cause, will worsen.

Grammar Focus: Conditional Sentences ('If' Clauses)

This is a critical grammar topic for the O/L exam. This unit covers all three main types.

• Type 1 (Probable/Possible): A real possibility in the future.

  • Structure: If + Simple Present, ... will + Verb

  • Example: If we cut down trees, the climate will change.

• Type 2 (Improbable/Imaginary): An unlikely or hypothetical situation in the present or future.

  • Structure: If + Simple Past, ... would + Verb

  • Example: If I were the president, I would ban polythene bags.

• Type 3 (Impossible/Past Regret): A situation in the past that did not happen.

  • Structure: If + Past Perfect, ... would have + Past Participle

  • Example: If he had listened to the warning, he would have been safe.

Important Points for the O/L Exam

• Paper I (Grammar): Conditional sentences are a very high-priority topic. You will almost certainly get questions asking you to complete sentences using the correct conditional structure.

• Paper I (Writing): An essay on an environmental topic like "Protecting Our Planet" or "The Dangers of Pollution" is a common question.

• Paper II (Reading): A passage about an environmental or scientific topic is very likely. You'll need to understand cause-and-effect relationships, often expressed using conditionals.

Tips & Tricks for Studying

1. Cause and Effect Chains (Type 1): Write a chain of possible future events: "If it rains heavily, the roads will flood. If the roads flood, I will be late for school."

2. Imaginary Advice (Type 2): Think of a problem in your town. Give imaginary advice using Type 2: "If I were the Mayor, I would build a new library."

3. Past Regrets (Type 3): Think about a small mistake you made last week. Write a sentence about it using Type 3: "If I had studied more, I would have gotten a better mark on the test."