Unit 17: Endangered animals
Talking about the future
Select a unit
- 1 Pop-ups
- 2 Hidden talents
- 3 Can't buy me love
- 4 Travellers' tales
- 5 The colleague from hell
- 6 Jurassic mystery: unpacking the past
- 7 Career changes
- 8 Art
- 9 Project management
- 10 The dog ate my homework!
- 11 The diary of a double agent
- 12 Fashion forward
- 13 Flat pack skyscrapers
- 14 Extreme sports
- 15 Food fads
- 16 Me, my selfie and I
- 17 Endangered animals
- 18 A nip and a tuck: cosmetic surgery
- 19 I'm really sorry...
- 20 Telling stories
- 21 Fakes and phrasals
- 22 Looking to the future
- 23 Becoming familiar with things
- 24 From rags to riches
- 25 Against the odds
- 26 Our future on Mars?
- 27 Where is it illegal to get a fish drunk?
- 28 Dodgy dating
- 29 Annoying advice
- 30 I'll have been studying English for thirty weeks
Session 2
Meet a busy businessman and a girl who plans to travel the world as we practise six ways of talking about the future. Oh, and hear about Finn's curry in 6 Minute Grammar.
Activity 1
Six ways forward
The future is now
How many ways of talking about the future do you know?
In this session we're going to look at six different ways. You may know some or all of them already, but it's good to do some revision every now and again. Later in the course we'll look at even more ways of talking about the future!
Read the text and complete the activity
One morning with Horatio
Let's start with a story. A story about a businessman... an incredibly busy businessman! Let's call him Horatio. Have a look at the six ways of talking about the future he uses (they're in bold).
"Hi, I'm Horatio. It's 6am and I've just got to the office. Let me tell you about the day ahead. I'm going to call our partner in Bangkok at 7am. Then I'm meeting three new clients for coffee. After that I plan to write our annual report. Today I finish work at 12 and after that I'll just spend the whole afternoon meditating. Peace and love, brothers. Yes, I'm pretty incredible... I've got to go in a minute, I'm about to do a video conference with Delhi... Oh, that's my phone, sorry. I wonder who that is? I'll just answer that."
To do
Did you notice the different ways? We're going to look at them in more detail in a moment. But first, let's do a test to see how well you understand how to use them already, using examples from Horatio's story.
Horatio time
7 Questions
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
The present continuous tense isn't always used to talk about the present...Question 1 of 7
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
This plan involves other people...Question 2 of 7
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
"I finish work at 12..." Looks simple, right?Question 3 of 7
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
The word 'timetable' should help you.Question 4 of 7
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
He says he has to go "in a minute"...Question 5 of 7
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
He 'plans' to do it...Question 6 of 7
Help
Activity
Use your knowledge of future forms, and the example of Horatio's story, to answer these questions. Don't worry if you don't get them all right: there will be a summary after the quiz.
Hint
Did he expect his phone to ring?Question 7 of 7
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
Summary
1) Will is used for statements and predictions about the future. It often expresses the future as fact – so it's used for very strong opinions or predictions. It can also be used for instant decisions made at the time of speaking.
- In 100 years' time, everyone will have an electric car.
- Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I'll take the car and you walk.
2) Be going to is used for present situations that extend into the future, or for something you want to do. There is often present evidence for the prediction.
- The government is going to raise fuel taxes.
3) The present continuous is used for arrangements. It's very similar to going to for intention.
- I'm cooking for six guests next week.
4) The present simple is used for timetabled events.
- The meal starts at six.
5) In addition, we can use be about to talk about that will happen in the near future.
- Quick, the film is about to start!
- We're about to leave. Get on the bus.
6) Some normal verbs also indicate plans and intentions for the future.
- I plan to study photography next year.
- I aim to be finished by 8pm.
- Mark intends to move to Berlin.
- We've arranged to meet next Monday.
- She decided to take the train tomorrow.
Form factor
Will: subject + will + base form of verb
Be going to: subject + am/are/is going to + base form of verb
Present continuous: subject + am/are/is + verb-ing
Present simple: subject + verb
About to: subject + am/are/is about to + base form of verb
Normal verbs: use as usual, followed by to + base form of verb
Next
So, do you feel you can use all that language correctly? Try it out in our next activity, as we meet a girl called Helga who plans to travel the world.
Session Grammar
1) Will - for statements and predictions about the future, and when making instant decisions made at the time of speaking
- In 100 years' time, everyone will have an electric car.
- Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I'll take the car and you walk.
2) Be going to - for intentions, arrangements and present situations that extend into the future
- The government is going to raise fuel taxes.
3) Present continuous tense - for plans and arrangements
- I'm cooking for six guests next week.
4) Present simple tense - for timetabled future events
- The meal starts at six.
5) Be about to - for the near future
- Quick, the film is about to start!
- We're about to leave. Get on the bus.
6) Certain verbs + to + infinitive - to indicate plans and intentions for the future
- I plan to study photography next year.
- We aim to finish by 8pm.
- Mark intends to move to Berlin.
- We've arranged to meet next Monday.
- She decided to take the train tomorrow.