Module 2: The Future (Advanced) Units 9-14

9. will and be going to

10. Present simple and present continuous for the future
11. Future continuous and future perfect (continuous)
* 12. be to + infinitive; be about to + infinitive
*13. Other ways of talking about the future
*14. The future seen from the past

EXERCISES (part 2)
B1 Complete the two short texts using the most appropriate expressions with future meaning.
Text A
(1) (2)
Here in Augusta the final day of the US Golf Masters ________________________ begin, and we could be
(3)
_______on the verge of_________ a historic win. Tiger Woods, who _____is due to_____ start his bid for a place
in the history books in forty minutes, could complete the grand slam – winning all four golf masters tournaments in
one year. Woods starts today in the lead and he is (4) _______unlikely to _________________ give up that lead easily.
(5)
This is going to be an exciting day, folks, so be ____________sure to____________ book your place in front of the
TV and settle down for a thrilling day’s viewing!

Text B FILM News

(6)
Hollywood’s king and queen – Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts – ____________are to____________ star opposite
(7)
each other in Ridley Scott’s new blockbuster. No interviews or press releases are _____imminent__________, but
rumour has it that the film will be another Roman epic, following hot on the heels of the success of Gladiator,
(8)
Scott’s last film. Filming ________is due to________ start in September, but because of other commitments the
(9)
two stars are __________unlikely to______________ join the set until next year. One thing is certain: with that
combination of director and stars, the film is (10) _________sure to________ be a success!
B2 Complete the conversation with the correct forms of the phrases from the box. Use each phrase only once.

anticipate be on the point of expect guarantee to hope to

be about to be likely to be sure to plan to should

MARY When do Brian’s exams start, then?

ANNA Well, he (1) _________is about to_______________ start them. The first one is tomorrow in fact.
MARY Do you (2) ____________expect____________ him to do well?
ANNA We think he will. He’s taking nine subjects, and he’s quite optimistic. He (3) _________hopes to__________
pass at least six of them – he’s very good at those six subjects. We think that he (4)
________should_________ pass two of the others: French and arts – he’s studied very hard, but he’s not
naturally gifted in those subjects! We’ve got no hopes at all for music. He (5) ______is sure to________ fail it.
I don’t know why the school entered him for it.
MARY What does he want to do next year?

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ANNA That depends. If he does well, he (6) _______plans to_________ stay on at school for two years and study
sciences.
MARY Can he stay at the same school?
ANNA Well, that’s the problem. No, he can’t, because his school only takes pupils up to sixteen. But we’ve just
heard that they (7) _____are on the point of____ opening the new sixth form college in Fareham. We (8)
_______anticipate__________ being able to send him there, but we don’t know for certain.
MARY And if he doesn’t pass enough of the exams?
ANNA Well, he might leave and look for a job. Sandy – you know, my elder sister – says she (9) ______is likely to
____ have a vacancy for a trainee in her business, but obviously she can’t (10) ________guarantee
to_____________ take him. We’ll just have to see.
B3 For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in the meaning to the original
sentence, but using the word or phrase given. This word or phrase must not be altered in any way. The exercise
begins with an example (0).
0 The result of our appeal against the parking fine should arrive in the post tomorrow.
Due The result of our appeal against the parking fine is due to arrive in the post tomorrow
1. Do not disturb the chimpanzees during feeding time.
disturbed The chimpanzees should not be disturbed during feeding time.
2. Turn that music down! It’s so loud that it’ll definitely wake all the neighbors.
bound Turn that music down! It’s so loud that it’s bound to wake all the neighbours
3. Scientists in the human genome project feel that they are about to discover the secret of life.
discovering Scientists in the human genome project feel that they are on the verge of discovering the
secret of life
4. Will you promise that you won’t get drunk again tonight?
not to
5. It is probable that the written-sweeping contract will be withdrawn from Dustbugs.
likely to the wrote-sweeping contract is like ly to
6. Everyone in the village lived in fear of the volcanic eruption, which was imminent.
impending ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. The designer believes that he will be able to finish the specifications by tomorrow afternoon.
envisages ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. I really don’t think that the examiner will accept a handwritten script these days.
unlikely to ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Please make your purchases and proceed to a check-out. The store is going to close in five minutes.
about ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10. If we want medical research to provide cures for all known diseases, it must be adequately funded.
is …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

B4 Complete the lines of each dialogue, using was / were going to, was/ were about to or was / were to and an
appropriate ending.
0 A: Look, the shoe shop has closed down.

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 B: Oh, that’s a pity. There was a pair of shoes in the window that I liked. I ____________________________.
1 A: Hi, Karen. It’s Graham here.
B: Graham, I don’t believe it! You must be a mind reader! I was ____________________________.
2 A: Where’s Dad?
B: He’s gone back to work. They had an emergency at the factory.
A: Oh no! I’ve got some really tough maths homework and he was ____________________________.
3 A: Ms Sandford. This is the police. We’re trying to trace Frank Simmonds. I gather he works for you.
B: Well, today was his first day. He was _________to start_____________ at nine this morning, but he didn’t
turn up.
4 A: Thanks for coming around. I’m sorry, but there’s a spider in my bath.
B: A spider! Is that all? I don’t believe it. And I’m starving! When you called me we were ___about to___
have dinner.
5 A: Where’s Noel? I thought you’d invited him?
B: We did invite him and he was ______coming______, but he has had to work late.

B5. In this letter some of the lines have a word that must be corrected (example 0), some have a word that must be
replaced (example 00), and some are correct (example 000). If a line is correct, put a tick ( ✓). If a word must be
replaced or corrected, underline that word, and write the new, correct word.

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 
________ THE ________
Broadbank Hotel
Sunnyside Promenade
Barton-on-Sea
Hampshire
Dear Guest

0 The Management of Broadbank Hotel wish to inform you that the hotel is too ………
to…………....
00 close on 5 December this year. It is about to reopen next year as part of the ……due………....

000 Value4U chain of hotels. …………………....

1 As you know, the Lister family has been involved in Broadbank Hotel for …………
ok………....
2 over twenty years now and the due closure is a blow to all of us. We realized impending

3 some months ago that we will need to find some kind of financial support for the ……
would……………
4 forthcoming season. We started to look at ways of doing this and we were go to …were to go…
go…………....
5 work with an investment company to upgrade the hotel with the addition of a …………
ok………....
6 gym, swimming pool and sauna complex. We were on the verge of sign a ………
signing…………
7 contract, which was to allowed us to retain control of the hotel, but we were ………
allow…………....
8 unable to complete the deal on time. We were likely to send Christmas cards as ………
going…………...
9 usual to all our regular clients, with information about offers of the spring, but of ………
ok…………....
10 course, that is now not possible. Unfortunately, we are sure to be able to set up ………unlikely
…………....
11 another hotel in the near future. …………………....

12 The Value4U chain envisages reopen the hotel by 1 March, and they ……
reopening……
13 are about to contact you when that happens. It just remains for us to thank you ……
certain…………
14 for your support in the past, and to wish you every success for the future. We …………………....

15 hoped to be able to write to you with news of a new venture at some point …………………....

16 in the not-too-distant future. …………………....