If current trends continue, by the year 2010 carbon emission

[esledge]

Hi Experts - wanted to focus on the will vs would

Per the question, both 1990 and 2010 are both in the past tense.

Hence, isn't "Would" preferred given BOTH dates are in the past tense ?

Struggling to understand why "Will" is preferred over "Would" when both dates (1990 and 2010) are in the past tense in comparison to today (2021)

Those dates are in the past, but as nouns (that are within prepositional phrases), they are not "in the past tense."

Instead, focus on the true verbs in the sentence: If current trends continue, by 2010 carbon emissions will soar to a level higher than ... in 1990.

Some of the choices (ACE) also had a past tense verb was/were associated with 1990, but even without that verb, because continue is in the present tense, this sentence is written from the point of view of sometime between 1990 and 2010 on the timeline.

Thus, 2010 is in the future from this sentence's POV, and will soar makes sense for the prediction.

[JbhB682]

Hi Emily - At the moment, I have just memorized the rule

Outside the world of if-then statements
i) anything in the past tense : use "would"
ii) anything in the future tense : use "Will"

In the world of if-then statements specifically
i) If-then statement about the past tense compared to today (Feb 24th 2021) -- I am using "Would"

ii) if-then statement about the future,
ii.a) If present tense is used , use "Will" [ Next week, If I add 2 + 2, I will get four]
ii.b) if hypothetical tense is used, use "would" [Next week, if I were to add 2 + 2, I would get four]

I am only aiming for v40 or so -- is that good enough you think ?

[esledge]

Outside the world of if-then statements
i) anything in the past tense : use "would"
ii) anything in the future tense : use "Will"

ii) is right, but I'm not sure about i) above: you can use "would," but you don't have to (simple past with no helping "would" can work).
Correct: When my grandmother visited, should would often bake pies.
Correct: When my grandmother visited, she often baked pies.

In the world of if-then statements specifically
i) If-then statement about the past tense compared to today (Feb 24th 2021) -- I am using "Would"

ii) if-then statement about the future,
ii.a) If present tense is used , use "Will" [ Next week, If I add 2 + 2, I will get four]
ii.b) if hypothetical tense is used, use "would" [Next week, if I were to add 2 + 2, I would get four]

ii) sounds correct to me! As for i), if you are thinking of an example like the one below, I think that's right.
Correct: If he had taken the map she printed, he would not have gotten lost.

I am only aiming for v40 or so -- is that good enough you think ?

I think you are unlikely to see more than 1 SC question testing "would" conditionals, so yep.