Grammar A16 The future with will

1 Read the passage and complete the sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE words or a number
for each answer.

Green shopping in the US

A survey of 6,036 people in the US showed that people aged 55 and older purchased the most green
products for the home, contrary to beliefs that environmentally conscious buying is largely done by
young people. Another survey of 30,000 people found that respondents gave 'a sense of responsibility'
as the leading motive and 'to give back to society' and 'make the world a better place' as the other
reasons for buying eco-friendly goods. Researchers think what will happen is that eventually green
(environmentally friendly) products will not be a small market. It will become an expectation among all
consumers that all products will be environmentally friendly. The main question isn't 'Will the green
market become mainstream?' but 'When will the green market become mainstream?'

1 The passage says that people think that environmentally friendly products are most often bought by

2 The main reason for buying environmentally friendly goods is a ..................................

3 Eventually, consumers w ill............................................ all products to be eco-friendly.
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Look for... IELTS
Will Will or shall? will in listening or reading
We use will to make: We use shall: passages about future trends or
• predictions about the future (Activity 3) • to show that scientific developments.

• for promises, quick decisions and offers we are

(Activity 6) determined to do something
We can use will with words and phrases that refer The economic conditions o f the next two years will
to the future like next (week / month I year), be very bad, but I know that we shall come through
later, tonight, this (afternoon / evening ! year / the hard times.
Summer I Winter), in 10 years’time. • to make (formal) suggestions
We can use will with still and as ever to I d like to see that film too. Shall we go together?
emphasise that we do not expect any changes or We only use shall with I or we.
that the changes will not have any effect.
(Activity 3)

Form
Affirmative Negative
!
Subject will verb Subject will not (won’t) verb

All products will be environmentally friendly. Environmentally friendly products won’t be a small
market.
Question
Yes / No questions Wh- questions
Will the green market become mainstream? When will the green market become mainstream?

2 Read the passage in Activity 1 again and find six examples of will.

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3 Complete the passage with will and a verb from the box.

be (x 3) work not use do not work have need not be

Working in the future

Predicting thefuture of work is not a science. Most
employment in Britain in 20 years’ time (1 )........................
s till.................... the same as it is now: themajority of us
(2 ) still ....................for other peopledoinga
job that is recognisable today. So what (3).....................
different? Although we (4) ..................... the same jobs, we
(5 )..................... in the same way - there will be more
flexibility of working hours and where we work. Everything
that can be done from home, (6 )...................... Companies
will be smaller and more specialised; offices will be for
‘face time’ only, when meeting other people is essential.
That (7 )..................... wider benefits, too. Half the
greenhouse gas emissions in Europe are the result of office
work - people’s journeys to their workplace, heating and air
conditioning. While homeworkers (8 )..................... s till.......................to keep warm, we (9 ).......................as
much energy. But (10) .................... we ...................... happy in our jobs? Sadly, in spite of all the corporate
attempts to please us, and the chance to work from home a couple of days a week, it seems likely we
(11) happier than we are now.

Match the questions with the answers.

1 What time will the sun set this evening?
2 What’s your schedule for this week?
3 What time does the tutorial start?
4 Wrhere will the first experiment be held?
5 Wrho will be the next head of state?
a Well, tomorrow I’ll be in London...
b That will be Prince William.
c It begins at 3 pm, after the lecture.
d It won’t get dark until around 7.30 pm.
e It will take place in laboratory 3.

Complete the replies using the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
1 Oh no, we’ve run out of milk again.
Don’t w orry,..................... (go) to the shop.
2 Did Sally bring her holiday photos to show us?
No, she’s forgotten - ..................... (bring) them next week.
3 And what can I get you for your main course today?
..................... (have) pizza, please.
4 Ali, you’re late again. Why can’t you be on time for once?
I’m sorry, ............................ (happen) again.
5 I can’t put this bag onto the luggage rack; it’s much too heavy.
Let me take it.....................(lift) it up for you.

6 Decide whether the replies to 1-5 in Activity 5 are offers, promises or quick decisions.
Now check your answers. p170

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 Grammar A17 Going to / be about to / be due to

1 Read the passage. Choose TWO correct letters A-F.

c locks around the world are about to change. The world's

official tim ekeepers are going to add a single second or leap
second to atomic clocks on Wednesday, the last day of the year.
The leap second
This will be the 24th leap second since 1972, w hen the practice began. It is going to be the first leap
second since 2005.
The move will help match clocks to the Earth's slowing spin on its axis. Because of tidal friction and
other natural phenom ena, that rotation is slowing down by about two-thousandths of a second a day.
The extra second is due to be added in co-ordination with the world's atomic clocks on New Year's
Eve at 23 hours 59 m inutes and 59 seconds Co-ordinated Universal Time or UTC. This is the
tim escale kept by the precise atomic clocks around the world.
In today's digital world, the smooth operation of everything from cash machines to the Internet
depends on the exactly tim ed transm ission of electronic data. Leap seconds can crash mobile
phones and com puter networks. However, the passing of the leap second on December 31st w on't
make m uch of a difference to most people. We're not going to notice it.

The leap second

A was first added to atomic clocks in 2005. D usually causes machinery to break down.
B may be removed from atomic clocks in future. E can affect the transmission of electronic data.
C was introduced in 1972. F may vary from the Earth’s rotational time.

Going to
Wre use going to to talk about
• our plans and intentions
• future actions which are already decided
The world’s official timekeepers are going to add a single second or leap second to atomic clocks on the
last day o f the year.
• to talk about things whichwe can see now are certain to happen.
We re not going to notice it.

Form
Affirmative Negative Question
am going to 1 Yes / No questions
1 am
Are you going to
I t / He/ She is going to notice. I t / He/ She is not going to notice.
notice it?
You / We / They are going to You / We / They are
Wh- questions
The world’s official timekeepers We are not going to notice it.
When are you
are going to add a single second Note: going to notice it?
or leap second to atomic clocks It / He / She isn ’t going to notice.
on the last day o f the year. You / We / They aren’t going to notice.

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Be about to / be due to
We use be about to and be due to to talk about planned future events that we expect to happen very soon.
About 10 is often used with just.
Clocks around the world are about to change.
The extra second is due to be added in co-ordination with the worlds atomic clocks.

Form
Affirmative Negative Question
Yes / No questions
I am about to I am not about to
Is the data about to change?
due to / due to
Are the clocks due to change?
It / He / She is about to I t / H e /She is not about to
go. go.
due to / due to Wh- questions
When are the clocks due to
You / We / They are about to You / We / They are not about to
change?
due to / due to
Why are the clocks about to
change?

2 Read the passage in Activity 1 again and find examples of going to, due to and about to.

3 Choose the correct alternative.

1 The world’s atomic clocks are about to be changed / due to be changed on December 31st.
2 Are you going to do / about to do anything special on New Year’s Eve?
3 I don’t think we are going to notice / about to notice an extra second!
4 Wait! It is 23 hours 59 minutes and 57 seconds so the clocks are just about to change / due to change!
5 I hope my mobile phone isn’t due to crash / isn’t going to crash on New Year’s Day!
6 Do you think there is about to be / going to be a leap second next year too?

4 Write C for correct or / for incorrect next to each sentence.

1 Be quiet! The concert is just about to start! n
2 Are you due to go to the shops later? Can you get some bread? ' '
3 I haven’t got time to discuss it now. The train is about to leave in five minutes. □
4 The plan is that we are all going to meet up on Friday night. Do you want to come too? □
5 WThen are you about to take your driving test? □
6 Quick! Pass me a tissue. I’m just due to sneeze! □
7 When is the meeting about to finish? I thought it was scheduled to be over by 2 pm! ; ;

5 Correct the incorrect sentences from Activity 4.

Now check your answers. p170

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