[Link].

will;
will; going
going to;
to; present
present continuous;
continuous; present
The future
present simple
simple
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A Context listening

A1 Elliot is talking to his friend Kelly about the weekend. Look at the pictures. What are
Elliot’s plans? What are Kelly’s plans?

A2
12Listen and check if you were right.

Why is Kelly annoyed with Elliot?
A3 12 Listen again and complete the sentences below.
1 What does Kelly say about tonight? ‘We ’re going to see the new James Bond film.’
2 What does Elliot say about tonight? ‘I for exams tonight.’
3 What does Kelly say about Saturday and Sunday? ‘We the weekend at
the seaside.’
4 What are Elliot’s plans for Saturday? ‘I a designer at 10.30 on Saturday.’
5 What does Elliot tell us about his journey from Rome? ‘My flight Rome at
11 pm on Saturday and it in London at 1 am.’
6 What does Elliot say about Sunday? ‘I expect I asleep all day on
Sunday.’
7 What does Kelly agree to do? ‘OK. I a coffee with you.’
8 What does Elliot say about the future? ‘I really rich. I a fast
car and I you all to the seaside …’
A4 Look at your answers to A3 and find the sentences which contain:
1 present simple 2 going to 3 present continuous 4 will future?
5 a timetable 6 what someone believes about the future
7 plans someone has already made 8 what someone decides at that moment?

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B Grammar
To talk about the future, we use will, going to, the present simple and the present continuous.

B1 Will
+ I/you/he/she/it/we/they will (’ll) + verb I’ll pay.
– I/you/he/she/we/it/they will not (won’t) + verb She won’t pay
? Will I/you/he/she/it/we/they + verb? Will you pay?

We use will
◆ to say what we know or believe about the future (often with maybe, I think, I expect and I hope):
I’ll be 17 next week. (= he knows this)
Everybody will do shopping by computer in a few years’ time.(= he believes this)
I expect I’ll be asleep all day.
◆ when the speaker decides something at the moment he/she speaks.
I’ll have a coffee with you. (= she decides now) ➡C1

B2 Going to

+ am/is/are going to + verb We’re going to see the film.

– am/is/are not going to + verb I’m not going to see the film.
? am/is/are … going to + verb? Are you going to see the film?

We use going to
◆ when we can see that something is certain to happen:
The plane is going to land.
◆ to talk about plans:
We’re going to see the new James Bond film. (= we decided earlier)
! We can often use going to or will to talk about the future:

I’m going to be 17 next week. = I’ll be 17 next week.

We use will more often when we write, but going to when we speak. ➡C2, C3

B3 Present continuous
We use the present continuous (see Unit 4)
◆ for plans already made when we know or guess the time:
What are you doing tonight? (= what plans have you got?)
I’m meeting a designer at 2.30. (= he has an appointment)
! We can often use the present continuous or going to to talk about plans:

We’re spending the weekend at the seaside. = We’re going to spend the weekend at the seaside. ➡C4
B4 Present simple
We use the present simple (see Unit 4) for timetables (trains, planes etc.) and for programmes
(films, classes etc.):
My flight leaves Rome at 11 pm on Saturday and it arrives in London at 1 am.
The film starts at nine o’clock. ➡C5

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 The future

C Grammar exercises

C1 Complete each sentence with a verb from the box and the correct form of will.
be become come leave need phone

1 I think I’ll phone Rob because I haven’t heard from him for a long time.
2 I (not) my bag here because it’s got my camera in it.
3 My grandmother 65 on her next birthday.
4 No thanks, I (not) to the swimming pool with you because I’ve got a cold.
5 During the next hundred years the world warmer and warmer.
6 How much money (you) for the weekend?
C2 Write a sentence with going to about each picture. Use the verbs in the box.
be join play rain wash win 1 2

1 I’m going to wash the kitchen floor.

2 Number 5 (not) .
3 4

3 They famous.

4 (you) the gym?

5 6
5 I football.

6 It (not) .
C3 Read this conversation and fill in the gaps with the correct form of will or going to.
Colin: Hello Darius. (1) We’re going to go (we/go) to a music festival this summer.
Darius: Are you? That sounds good.
Colin: Do you want to come? (2) (we/buy) tickets this afternoon.
Darius: (3) (I/think) about it.
Colin: (4) (Paul and Ros/come) too. It’s quite cheap.
Darius: (5) (I/check) my diary. When is it?
Colin: 5–8 August.
Darius: OK, OK, (6) (I/buy) a ticket.

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C4 Melissa wants to interview Liam O’Neill, a famous DJ. MONDAY Liam
She is talking to Joe, his assistant. Look at the diaries Listen to new CDs (with Joe)
and fill in the gaps using the present continuous. evening
- give an interview to the Daily Post
Melissa: I can meet Liam any time on Monday. What
at 7.30
(1) is he doing during the day?
Joe: We (2) to new CDs all day. He
can’t see you then. TUESDAY
morning
Melissa: And what (3) in the evening?
- go to the TV studio early (stay all day)
Joe: He (4) to the Daily Post at 7.30. evening
Melissa: Oh. And where (5) on Tuesday? - present the TV show
Joe: He (6) to the TV studio early and - the production team have a meal together
he (7) there all day.
Melissa: Oh, that’s great. I (8) the day at MONDAY Melissa
the TV studio.
Joe: But in the evening he’s (9) his
TV show. He can’t see you before that. But the
TUESDAY
production team (10) a meal
Spend the day at
together after that. Perhaps you can join them? the TV studio
Melissa Really? That’s great! Thank you so much.
C5 Read this conversation between a hotel receptionist and a guest. Underline the best
form of the verb.
Guest: Excuse me. I (1) ’m staying / stay here till Friday. I’m (2) going to look / I’m
looking around the city now but I want to do some walking in the
mountains while I’m here.
Receptionist: OK. There’s a guided tour tomorrow. It (3) is leaving / leaves from outside
the hotel at 10 am and it (4) is returning / returns at 5 pm.
Guest: Oh good. I think I (5) ’m doing / ’ll do that.
Receptionist: Would you like to order a packed lunch? Cheese or chicken sandwiches?
Guest: I (6) ’ll have / have cheese please. And are there any evening activities in the
hotel?
Receptionist: There’s a concert tonight which (7) is starting / starts at 7.30.
Guest: Oh I (8) ’m meeting / ’ll meet an old friend at 6 and I don’t think I (9) ’m / ’ll
be back in time.
Receptionist: OK. (10) Are you going to have / Do you have dinner in the hotel tonight?
Guest: No thanks.

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 The future

D Exam practice
Reading Part 1
Look at the text in each question.
What does it say?
Mark the letter next to the correct explanation – A, B or C.

1 A The shop is open longer on Monday than on

) Wednesday.
Sale starts Monday. B The shop is open the same hours as usual
Shop opens normal time during the sale.
er
but closes late every day
except Wednesday. C The shop is open the same number of hours
each day during the sale.

2 A Lewis will probably arrive at the concert after

Lewis Jack.
Can you give me a lift home from the
concert tonight? I’m working late so I
B Lewis will probably pick up Jack on his way to the
expect I’ll miss the beginning of it.
concert.
Don’t wait for me outside. C Jack will probably meet Lewis inside the concert
Jack hall.

3 Dear Mum A Paula is travelling from the coast to the city.

We’re staying in the
B Paula is walking in the mountains before she
mountains tomorrow night
goes to the city.
after we’ve spent the
day walking. Then, before C Paula is staying on the coast before she travels to
we travel to the coast, the mountains.
we’re going to spend two
days in the city.
Paula

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4 A You can talk to Mr Johnson at lunchtime if you
want.
Mr Johnson has a
B Mr Johnson is going to arrange a meeting for this
meeting this morning. afternoon.
Please do not disturb
C You cannot talk to Mr Johnson until this
him until after lunch. afternoon.

5 A Kezia has to fetch her mobile from Jenny’s house.

Kezia
B Jenny hopes to give Kezia her mobile before she
Jenny rang. You left your mobile at her
goes to college.
house. She’ll probably bring it here on
her way to college. C Kezia should meet Jenny at college to get her
Alex. mobile back.

Grammar focus task

Look at the exam questions. Find some verbs which have a future meaning.
1 Find two verbs which tell us about a timetable. Write them here.

2 Find two verbs which tell us about plans someone has already made. Write them here.

3 Find two verbs which tell us about what someone believes about the future. Write them
here.

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