Reading Worksheet ⇆ Set printer to double-sided before printing
Reading Worksheet

Four Years and Counting

B1 Future Perfect: Completed Milestones by a Future Point Education and University Life 25 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • Are you studying, or have you ever studied at a college or university? What was it like?
  • What do you think are the biggest challenges for students in their first year at university?
  • Look at the title 'Four Years and Counting'. What do you think the blog post will be about?
  • If you were to make a list of things you will have achieved in two years, what would be on it?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
placement (n.) a period of time spent working at a company or organisation as part of a course She will have completed a six-month placement at a law firm.
moot court (n.) a practice competition for law students in which they argue a fictional legal case She will have participated in two national moot court competitions.
graduation (n.) the ceremony at which students officially receive their degrees By graduation, she will have passed fifteen formal exams.
case (n.) in law, a legal dispute or file that goes through the courts She will have learned to read cases in both English and French.
predict (v.) to say what you think will happen in the future She cannot yet predict how she will have changed by the end of her degree.
reflect (v.) to think carefully about something, especially past or future experiences Fatima reflects on everything she will have experienced by graduation.
Reading Text
Blog Post ~285 words

Four Years and Counting

My name is Fatima Al-Hassan. I am a second-year law student at the University of Leeds, originally from Jordan. I have two years left before I graduate. But lately I have been thinking a lot about where I will be — and what I will have done — by the time I walk across that stage. Here is my list.

By graduation, I will have studied six different areas of law, from criminal justice to international human rights. I will have written twelve major essays, each one teaching me to argue more clearly and think more precisely. I will have completed a six-month placement at a law firm in London, which I am already excited about.

I will have participated in two national moot court competitions — practising the arguments, the pressure, and the language of a real courtroom. I will have learned to read legal cases in both English and French. My language professor says I am already making good progress. I will have made friends from more than thirty different countries, which feels like one of the greatest privileges of my time here.

By the time I graduate, I will have spent at least 1,000 hours in the university library. I know this because I have already calculated it. I will have passed fifteen formal exams. I will have drunk an extraordinary amount of tea.

There are also things I will not have done by graduation. I will not have visited every country on my list — that journey is still ahead of me. I will not have finished learning French. But that is fine. 'By the time I collect my degree,' I tell myself, 'I will have worked harder than I ever imagined. And I will have changed in ways I cannot yet predict.'

Notice the Grammar

Read the second paragraph. Find three verb phrases that describe things Fatima will have completed by graduation. Write them. What is the form of each one? What does 'by graduation' tell you about when these things will happen?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words.

  1. Who is Fatima Al-Hassan?
  2. What is the main purpose of the blog post?
  3. How many years does Fatima have left before she graduates?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers based on the blog post.

  1. How many areas of law will Fatima have studied by graduation?
  2. Where will she have completed her six-month placement?
  3. How many hours will Fatima have spent in the university library?
  4. By graduation, Fatima will have learned to read legal cases in:  a) English and Arabic. b) English and French. c) French and German. 
  5. Name one thing Fatima will NOT have done by graduation.
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given) for each statement.

  1. By graduation, Fatima will have participated in two national moot court competitions.
  2. Fatima will have written fifteen major essays by the time she graduates.
  3. Fatima found her first year of university very difficult.
  4. Fatima will have made friends from more than thirty different countries.
  5. Fatima plans to become a judge after graduation.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words from the blog post.

  1. In paragraph 2, 'precisely' most likely means:  a) Quickly and efficiently. b) Accurately and clearly, with attention to detail. c) Creatively and with original ideas. 
  2. Fatima says making friends from thirty countries 'feels like one of the greatest privileges of my time here'. What does 'privilege' suggest about how she feels?
  3. Find a word in paragraph 3 that means 'a formal or official space where legal cases are heard'. 
  4. Fatima says she 'will have changed in ways I cannot yet predict'. What does this mean in your own words?
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the future perfect.

  1. Find five future perfect sentences from the blog post. Write them.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. Find the two 'will NOT have' sentences. Write them. What do these tell us?
    a)  b) 
  3. The future perfect in this blog post expresses:  a) Events that are happening right now. b) Things that will be complete or achieved before a future moment (graduation). c) Unlikely wishes about the future. 
  4. Write future perfect sentences: (a) 'She studies six areas of law.' → 'By graduation, ___.' (b) 'She writes twelve essays.' → (c) 'She passes fifteen exams.' →
  5. By the end of this school year, what will you have done? Write five sentences using future perfect.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss these questions with a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. Fatima says making friends from thirty different countries is 'one of the greatest privileges' of university. Do you agree that meeting people from other cultures is one of the best things about studying? Why or why not?
  2. She writes that she 'will have changed in ways I cannot yet predict'. Have you ever changed a lot after a new experience? What happened?
  3. Write your own short list: by the end of this year, what will you have done, learned, or achieved? Share your list with a partner.

Answer Key

Four Years and Counting — B1 — Future Perfect: Completed Milestones by a Future Point

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. A second-year law student at the University of Leeds, originally from Jordan.
  2. To reflect on everything she will have done and achieved by the time she graduates.
  3. Two years.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. Six.
  2. At a law firm in London.
  3. At least 1,000 hours.
  4. b)
  5. She will not have visited every country on her list, OR she will not have finished learning French.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — The article states this directly in paragraph 3.
  2. F — The article says twelve major essays, not fifteen.
  3. NG — The article does not mention her first year or describe any difficulties.
  4. T — The article states: 'I will have made friends from more than thirty different countries.'
  5. NG — The article mentions a placement at a law firm but does not say anything about her career plans after graduation.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. It suggests she feels lucky and grateful — she sees it as a special opportunity, not something she takes for granted.
  3. courtroom
  4. She knows she will be different after university, but she does not yet know exactly how — the changes are still unknown or in the future.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five sentences using 'will have + past participle', e.g. 'I will have studied six different areas of law.' / 'I will have written twelve major essays.' / 'I will have completed a six-month placement at a law firm in London.' / 'I will have participated in two national moot court competitions.' / 'I will have learned to read legal cases in both English and French.' / 'I will have made friends from more than thirty different countries.' / 'I will have spent at least 1,000 hours in the university library.' / 'I will have passed fifteen formal exams.' / 'I will have worked harder than I ever imagined.'
  2. 'I will not have visited every country on my list.' / 'I will not have finished learning French.' — These show things that will NOT be complete by graduation.
  3. b)
  4. (a) By graduation, she will have studied six areas of law. (b) She will have written twelve essays. (c) She will have passed fifteen exams.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: will have + past participle. Look for time expression with 'by'. Encourage specific, realistic

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.