Liz Explains LAST, NEXT, THIS week!

Do you sometimes feel confused about when to use "next," "last," and "this" when talking about days of the week in English? Here’s a short lesson that will help you.

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How to Use “Next,” “Last,”and “This” When Talking About Days of the Week

Many of my Japanese students find it challenging to use terms like "next," "last," and "this" when talking about days of the week in English. To help explain these terms, I've created a simple activity that includes a quiz. Let's learn and practice together!

In Japanese, when you say "last" something, it means the most recent one. For instance, if today is Friday and you say "last Wednesday," it refers to this past Wednesday. However, in English, "last Wednesday" means the Wednesday before the most recent one. Similarly, "next Sunday" in Japanese would mean the upcoming Sunday, but in English, it refers to the Sunday after the upcoming one. This concept can be tricky to grasp, even for native English speakers, who sometimes need to clarify by asking, "Do you mean this coming Wednesday or the Wednesday after?"

Examples

Let's practice with some examples. Suppose today is Friday the 15th. If I say, "My birthday was last Sunday," it could be unclear. To clarify, let's say today is Wednesday. If I say, "My birthday was last Sunday," it means my birthday was on the 3rd, not the 10th. If my birthday was on the 10th, I would simply say, "My birthday was Sunday."

When saying "this past Sunday," it definitely refers to the most recent Sunday, which would be the 10th. If I say, "His birthday was two weeks ago yesterday," it means his birthday was on the 28th of the previous month. On the other hand, if I say, "My birthday is a week from Saturday," and today is Wednesday the 15th, my birthday is on the 23rd.

For future events, such as "The meeting is next Tuesday," if today is the 13th, the meeting would be on the 19th. However, if today is Sunday the 17th and I say, "The meeting is next Tuesday," it refers to the Tuesday after the upcoming one. Remember, using "last," "next," and "this" can sometimes be confusing. It's often easier to specify by saying "the 19th" or "next week's Tuesday" to avoid any ambiguity.

I hope this explanation helps you understand how to use "next," "last," and "this" more accurately when talking about days of the week. Feel free to ask any questions if you're still unclear. Happy learning!