Part Three Formula 31 Speculating about Future Events and Outcomes Aims In this lesson you'll master the Formula for Specnlating about Future Events and Outcomes Describe some of the major changes you think will happen in your country in the next 20 years Do you think that people in the future will have solved many of the envisonmental and social problems that we are still facing today? What future predictions would you make about how technology in the future will develop and how it will afect the daily lives of humans? The formula To speculate about future events and outcomes, you should: Prono Be eee een Peer en nN eee ree es | Language steps 1. Use common present conditions & future outcomes phrases, Giver: that the level of vinemployment is high, I don't thitikmany people will fiud jobs. Taking into consideration the current sityation, think John will succeed, 42, Use the ruture perfect tense accurately with time phrases, ‘By the year 2030 scientists say that all ice caps will bave melted, {In about 20.years another 84 species of animals will bave died out. 3. Use the future continuous tense to predict and talk about continuous, uncompleted future actions. Know when to use the future continuous and future simple, By next century I believe that humans will be living nauch better, happier lives, In the future we may be all travelling around in flying cars! | swewwenhantrivietcom 329Native speaker words 1 Leve learn some notive speaker words which aro useful for answering this type of quoction, ‘These words can also help you understand the model answer below more thoroughly. ‘a measurement of the speed at After the Wall Street crash of 1929, ‘which something happens or the unemployment.rate increased dra changes matically as a result of the economic problems, shocking; worrying surprising The amount of mosquitoes in the garden this yea is alarming! the increase ofthe temperature of . Most people today are ofthe opinion the earth's surfce~ believed tobe that carbon dioxide emissions are the ‘danger related to pollution main cause of global warming. totum from something solid into The icecream melted because it was a liguid due to heat so hot outside, They should have put iin the fridge, athicclayer oficethat permanent The ice caps have been melting for lycoversareasatthe north and years and years asthe earth's tem- south poles perature has been increasing Model answer 1 Read the model answer from the IELTS candidate Sophia. Interviewer What do you think your country will be like in abort 20 years tim ST ea Me eee re ces Recerca CU pom Rn en ee eee a eR eR ee ces ee oc soc ee ene ee ees ee ee are constructing more and more office blocks, and traditional residential arew Pe er ee Peete nec eer eer ct OTT enero Interviewer Lets talk about our planet, Some people are not hopeful shout the future of Pern er RUURRU OE En ec een ee 330 wwwtenhantevieteomPart Three hi ce to global warming, itis very likely that we will fice serious problems in the Reem ema a eee ee eee eer eee ee and we will be paying the price for the damage we did to the environment Some say that we will possibly be living a very different lifestyle and others ceven suggest we may be living on other planets by then! Native speaker words 2 Lets learn some native speaker words which are useful for answering this type of question, These words can also help you understand the model answer below more thoroughly. Native | Partof Pe Soe) Petit tochange ftom one thing/ Caterpillars transform into butterflies. suddenly; noticeably ‘The weather changed dramatically: one minute dramatically adver’ itewas beautiful and sunny and he next minute it was pouring dow with rant ‘timepiece which is wom Making a good wristwatch is a fine art. That's wristwatch noun on the wrist ‘why many high-quality watches are very expensive. tocausesomethingo start He pressed the buton and activated the machine, | It made a loud noise asthe engine started, anclecronic feature that He always uses the voice contro function on enables auserto speak his mobile phones he just speaks the name of intoadevice instead of the person he wants to call and the telephone typing or pushing buttons recognises the name and dials the number! Model answer 2 Read the model answer from the IELTS candidate Mike, Interviewer Can you describe some of the changes you think will happen in the future because of technological development See Ree ree ee eee en ae ere nee will continue to ansform our lives dramatically. Hor instance, Lam quite sure that cell phones will be like wristwatches and will be activated by voice: J wwwwenhanttiviet.com 331Sen ncn nn Cm nn en nt ATO cee Un DRO ReN Ce eee eo UNG can een Language step 1 Present Conditions & Future Outcomes Phrases Ls hee lok thls part of Sophia's response vol think that given the current rate of development, Vietnam will be avery strong | 4nd modern country in quite a short time, At the moment the cities are becoming more and more modem, people are constructing more and more office blocks, | ‘and traditional residential, areas are disappearing at an alarming rate, akg all thesé fats into consideration I bave no doubt that Vietnam will be a safe, cleaner dnd mare beautifil anid conenient place to live inthe fiture..A lot of eceutsts | Axe suggesting that ci fo global warming its vey lily hat we wil fae serius | problems in the next 30 years. | ‘Notice that in talking about future predictions, Sophia describes what the present condi- tons are, and what future outcomes these may lead to. Let's look at these similar structures native speakers use: Given the + noun /noun phrase + future prediction ‘Taking into consideration /account + noun/noun phrase + future prediction Look at the following examples in the table and see how each of the parts of the sentence fits together. SE en ‘current situation 1am sure that the financial crisis will end ina few yean, the problems we ae facing I think we will have to take drastic meas ‘resto change things, the amazing technological Iam sure we will be living on other advances this century planets in a short time, Oryou can use these structures: Given that + clause + future prediction Considering that + clause + future prediction Since + clause + future prediction 332 wwwahantrvietcomPert Three Again, look at some examples of these structures in the table below: ‘hey are making so much effort am sure they wil clean up the city before all the touts come, Considering that they have been working hard have no doubt they will al get the scholarships. since they are currently putting more money I think that in 10 years most of the | {nto education, schools wil be very modern. (Gp Exercise 31.1: Gap Fill & Matching ‘Write the phrases below in the correct spaces, and then match the sentence halves 1-5 with the sentence halves A-E, Pee Seen ee 1, Given = 2 the state of the economy in the Middle East... 3, Given that 5 4, Given that the authorities on restoring old buildings. 5. Since they ‘A. wd think we will see a great improvement in working conditions in the next few years, B, wud am sure there will be less poverty in the world by 2020. C. «1 think it will be in trouble after about 50 years and everyone stops using oil. D. ul believe the future for our country will be a bright one. B. ..T believe that we will have an even greater tourist industry in the coming few years. Language step 2. The Future Perfect & Tine Phrases ‘Let’s have a look at how the two IELTS candidates, Sophia and Mike, use the future perfect tense and time phrases. | Sophia ..They say that bythe year 2030, the Ice caps wt have melted and we will be pay- ing the price for the damage we did to the environment... | Mike ..l/am also convinced that technology will contribute enormously to advances in i the medical industry. For example, I think that in about 50,years, we will have ound a cure for cancer and other serious diseases. wowwanhantsvietcar 333Like Mike and Sophia, to predict future outcomes you should use the future perfect tense, The future perfect is used to talk about things that will have been completed or fin- ished at or by a certain point in the future. ‘The structure of the future perfect is: will + have + past participle, Examples: Iwill have eaten my dinner by 5 p.m. ‘We will bave solved many environmental problems in... ‘We can use the future perfect with the following time phrases: in the future in the next few years in about 40 years in the next two decades ‘ina short time in only a couple of years {in our lifetime by the year 2055 by 2080 by next century by the time + clause fo ‘Take a look at the following examples, which combine the future perfect and time phrases: ‘They say that by the year 2030,the ice caps will bave melted. Some believe that by the time we are old, mankind will have cut down all the rainforests on earth Some scientists say that by the late 2050s, man will have built cities on the moon. Many beliove thet it only afew years, another 200 opecios of endangered animals will bave become extinct, Tam pretty sure that in 100years, we will have succeeded in finding a cure for cancer. 334 swoevesshantsviet camPart Three (Gp Exercise 31.2: Multiple Choice Choate the appropriate Future perfect farms and time phrases from the chaices below ta complete the sentences, 1, Some people believe that 20 years, we acroplanes that can go around the world in only a few hours. ‘Av inthe future; wil invented B.in the next; will have invent (Cin about; wll have invented 2, 1am convinced that the 22nd century, humankind all the animal lives on the planet. A. by; will destroyed. B, by; will have destroyed Cin about; will be destroyed 3. Lam quite sure that » our government most transport problems facing the nation. A. ina very short time; will have solved. Bin the futur; wil having solved C.in only a couple of years; will have solve 4, A lot of medical research has been done in recent years. I think that » Scientists ccures for most known diseases. ‘A. ina short time; will have find B. by next century; will have discovered . in the next few years; will discovered 5. Alot of my friends believe the world is getting worse and worse, but I don’t agree. I think that in just or two, we the problem of world poverty. A. our lifetime: will had solved B. a short time; would have solved C. adecade; will have solved Language step 3 The Future Continuous Let's see how the IELTS candidate Sophia uses the future continuous tense. ‘They say that by the year 2030, the ice caps will have melted and we will be ‘paying the price for the damage we did to the cavironment, Some say that wewill possibly be living a very diferent lifestyle and others even suggest we may be li | ingon other planets by then! wunenhantrivietcom 335Notice how Sophia talks about what things they think people will be doing in the future as continuing future actions, as opposed to finished actions, The future continuous is used to talk about something that we think will happen in the future and will continue to happen for a period of time, rather than a sudden or finished event in the future, ‘The structure of the future continuous is: will + be + verb-ing. Examples: The Vietnamese countryside will be developing for many years to come, By 2015 I will be studying in England. ‘We can also use the future continuous with the following time ph in the future inthe next few years about 40 years inthe next two decades ina short time in only a couple of years in our lifetime by the year hy 2080 by next century by the time + clause Examples: Thelieve that in ahout S0iears, we will be living on the moon, I think that in about 100,years, we will be driving flying cars like we see in the movies, Some people are convinced that by the 22nd century, humans will be living on the moon, ‘Many are of the opinion that in only a short time, everyone in the world will be using a hhome computer. Wate eae 3 5 hesme thas ast eee eee ee ee ee re me oot eat en ee ee AS Peer econ Perera esate ces ears eee SG Eo eC enc 336 ‘raw ahantevietcomPart Three (Gp Enercise 31.3: Sentence Completion Complete the sentencea below by writing the correct future forme of the words in brackota, 1, Some believe that in a few years, we (pay) the price for the damage we have inglicted upon the natural environment. 2, I think that in one or two decades, people (use) mobile phones inserted into their brains. 3, Because fashion is constantly changing, many people think that in the future, people (wear) very different clothes than we wear today. 4, Due to the increasing levels of air pollution, many are sure that in only 10 years or s0, we (have to wear) special masks when we go outside. 5. A lot of my colleagues are of the opinion that in only a short time, everyone in the world (have) a home computer and a mobile telephone. 6, Many people think that itis not feir that London (host) the Olympic Games again in 2012. 7. Inthe near future, we (all drive) around in environmentally friendly cars which do not pollute the atmosphere. A. T helieve that if we continue to invite artists and musicians from all over the world to our country, everyone (ove) art and music. Extra language point Expressing Likelihood with the First Conditional Another extremely useful way of predicting future outcomes is to use the first conditional. Remind yourself of its structure: {f+ present verb + will + verb [Foe continue to teeat the planet in this way, we will kein serious rrouible inthe furore {fF we don't address the current traffic problems soon, we will face serious problems in the near future, ‘To make your predictions sound more like a native speaker, you can use the following types of likelihood expressions in your first conditional sentences. {tis likely /quite likely /highly lkely/very likely extremely likely itis probable/quite probable/highly probable itis possible/quite possible Examples: {Few continne ta treat the planet in thi way, it ic nery liply thar we nl ho in evinne rhe in the future. wane nhantevietcom 337{If we don’t address the current traffic problems soon, itis bighly probable that we will face serious problems in the near future, Remember that we can also reverse the first conditional structure, Examples: It is extremely likely that people will be a lot more open-minded in the future if our society continues vo weleome art and culture from all over the world, It is quite possible tat the world willbe a realy clean and harmonious place in the future if we take measures to take care of our planet, 338 weve ahantrivietcom