UNIT 5

THE FUTURE
OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES
Use of Language -Activating prior
 Complete a text with words related to future events. knowledge.
 Classify words that go with the verbs “start”, “get” and -Filling in the blanks.
“have”.
 Use “will” and “be going to” correctly to write about the
future.
Reading -Predicting.
 Find specific and predictable information in short and -Making Judgments.
simple texts such as predictions, goals, and plans. -Finding signal words.
Listening -Activating the listener’s
 Identify specific information. prior knowledge
-Predicting content
Writing -Generating ideas.
 Compose short texts using “will” and “going to” -Analyzing cause and
properly. effect.
 Write a short paragraph about future plans applying -Giving arguments.
correct time expressions, capitalization, and -Revising and editing.
punctuation.
Speaking -Describing events based
 Interact in a clear and simple way in situations that on images.
require a direct exchange of information on topics -Predicting.
related to predictions, goals, and plans. -Planning activities based
 Talk about predictions, plans, and goals differentiating on previously scheduled
the use of “will” and “going to” properly. events.
 Vocabulary Activity 1

Title: What will the future bring?

1.1 Vocabulary Preview

1.1.1 Check (  ) the things you think will happen in 50 years or mark (X) for the things you think
won’t happen in 50 years.

a. People will print their food _____

b. The planet will be over populated. _____
c. People will have virtual jobs. _______
d. People will travel to space on holidays. _____
e. The world will be greener. _______
f. Robots will replace humans. ______
g. Technology will help cure diseases. ______

1.1.2 Think of more predictions about the future and write them below.

I think the planet will/won’t…….

1.1.3 Look at the pictures and choose one of them. Will life in the future be positive or negative?
Talk to your partner. You can use the phrases from exercise 1.1.1 to help you.

I think, life in the future will/won’t be……

1.2 Vocabulary in context

1.2.1 Use the words in bold in exercise 1.1.1 and complete the text below. You may need to
change the form of the words.

The world, surely, will become (1) _________ , so a lot of inventions will arise to make life easier for
people. Researchers questioned 2,000 adults about the predictions they thought were most likely to
happen in the future. They predicted that in the future, few people will go to an office but will work
from home and have (2) ________work meetings. People will have advanced 3D printers that will let
you download a design for furniture or a food recipe and then (3) ' _________' the sofa, table or pizza at
home. There will also be less need for visits to the doctor. We will all have a home health capsule that
will tell us what the (4) ___________is and give us treatment. Or if you prefer there will be special
‘doctor’ (5)________ that will visit you at home. We will also be going into (6) ___________for
holidays and to get resources that we have used up on Earth. A prediction that was missing was whether
people would still need to study English.

Text adapted from: https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1602/160218-the-future.html

Vocabulary Activity 2

Title: Plans

2.1 Vocabulary preview

2.1.1 Write three things you are going to do after you finish university.
2.1.2 Work in pairs. Take turns to say your sentences. Are any of your sentences the same?

I am going to……

2.2 Academic Vocabulary

2.2.1 Fill in the blanks with words or phrases from the box.

a master’s program
a family
university
my own business
a qualification
children
a degree
a job
enough money

2.3 Vocabulary in context

2.3.1 Choose 6 phrases from exercise 2.2.1. Write them in order from 1 to 6 according to the
priority of your plans.

1._____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________
2.1.1 Discuss your answers with your partner.

Reading Activity 1

Title: 2050

1.1 Before Reading

1.1.1 Watch the video ¨Facts and Opinions¨, and then, decide whether the following
statements are facts (F) or opinions (O):
a. The planet will probably be destroyed by an asteroid next year. ____
b. Scientists are working hard on new technological devices. ____
c. Technology is an important part of our lives. ____
d. Robots will be more important than people in some years. ____
e. The future is uncertain. ____

1.2 While Reading

Pronouns
A pronoun is a simplified version of the noun it is standing in for.
Example 1: The teacher called his students.
The teacher called them.
Them is a pronoun representing the students in a simple construction that causes no confusion.
1.2.1 Skim the text the text in 1.3, circle the pronouns and identify the nouns to which they refer.

1.3 Reading

What will it be like in 2050?

Bitcoin will be the main currency
Most economists say that Bitcoin will be the principal source of currency transaction after the next global
economic crisis, which is predicted to happen in 1–2 years from now, 2019. Whether this will actually
happen or not, what is true is that by the year 2050 the large majority of people won´t use bills and coins
anymore. Government currency will be something of the past.
AI will surpass human intelligence
By the year 2050, computers will be 30 thousand times faster and smarter than they are today. Smarter
than human AI will be created and by that year the existence of non-human super-intelligence will be
certain. Nowadays, there are many AI companies that are in charge of creating computer-based
intelligence, so it won´t be crazy to see devices that will be considered more intelligent than people.
Radical birth control will be implemented
In countries like China, overpopulation is a huge problem, and the only cause of it is too high birth rates.
In most countries, people already think that having 1 or 2 children per family is more than enough, but in
some developing countries, the birth rate is very high: 5-6 children. In the future, governments will either
limit families in having only 1 child or forcefully sterilize people.

Robots will take over our jobs

 Just like in the movies, I am Robot, or AI, in a few years, robots will be able to perform all the physical
tasks that we perform, starting from cutting our hair to serving us at the restaurant and cooking our food.
Many jobs are already replaced by robots, so progress is inevitable and one day we will be part of the
future presented in the previously mentioned films.
Text adapted from: https://hackernoon.com/how-the-world-will-look-like-in-2050-bf12833120de

1.4 After Reading

1.4.1 Do you agree with what the text says? Make at least 3 predictions on your own about the
year 2050.

Reading Activity 2

Title: Plans

2.1 Before Reading

2.1.1 Read the following rhyme. Practice reading it as fast as you can and challenge your
classmates to find the fastest person in the class.
My Plans for the Future

I´m going to have a tattoo, I´m not going to be like you.

I´m gonna use one shoe, I´m not gonna be part of the crew.

I´m not going to drive a grue, I´m going to work in the zoo.

2.2 While Reading

2.2.1 Look at the collocations in bold in text 2.3. Then, find their meanings in a dictionary.
well paid: _____________________________________________________________
dead end: _____________________________________________________________
apply for: _____________________________________________________________
give up: ______________________________________________________________
resign from: __________________________________________________________
low paid: _____________________________________________________________

2.2.2 Now, read 2.3 and write the name of the person whose plans match with the ones in the
chart.
Plan Name
a. Be unemployed.
b. Be his/her own boss.
c. Take pictures of an ancient Coliseum.
d. Be single for the rest of his/her life.
e. Have a big family.

2.3 Text

Future Plans

When thinking about the future, university students tend to make plans on three main aspects: education,
traveling and having money. Three students were asked the question: what are your plans for the future?
Let´s read what their answers were:
Daniel, 22 years old.
Well, I am going to finish my career and then get a well-paid job, a part-time one. I want to enjoy life too.
Therefore, I am going to save money in order to travel to Europe and visit France and Italy. I am not going
to get married. I really don´t like children.

Lorena, 20 years old.

I will probably graduate in two more years, then I am going to start my own business. No dead-ends and
no boring routines. When I have enough money, I am going to look for a University in the United States,
and I will apply for a scholarship there. I am not going to give up on my dreams, I know I am going to be
very successful.

Miguelangel, 19 years old.

I don´t have so many plans for the future. I think people have to live life one day at a time. What I can say
is that I am not going to be ¨the right person¨ for any job, and I know that I would resign from any place
where I am low paid or where I am not comfortable at. I will definitely travel and have a family, three or
more children and a beautiful wife.

2.4 After Reading

2.4.1. Read 2.3 again and tell the class which character´s plans are somehow similar to yours.
 Listening Activity 1

Title: On Vacation

1.1 Before Listening

1.1.1. Look at the pictures and match the activities from the box with them.

1.2 . While Listening

1.2.1 Listen to Susana and Joel talking about their vacation plans. Fill in the blanks with the
expressions you hear in the correct form or tense.

1. They are going to start their vacation this ________________________.

 2. Joel _________________ somewhere hot and sunny,
3. Susana ________________________ to Aruba.
4. They ___________________________ at 4:00 in the afternoon.
5. They __________________________ reservations now.
6. They are going to stay there ________________.
7. They _____________________________ to Maracaibo on the 21st.
8. They ______________________ 2 more days to relax before returning to work.

1.2.2 Listen again and answer the questions about Susana and Joel’s plans.
1. When are they going to travel? _______________________________.
2. Where will they probably go? ________________________________.
3. Where are they going to stay? _______________________________.
4. How long are they going to stay for? _____________________________.
5. When will they probably come back? ___________________________

1.3 After Listening

1.3.1 In groups of three, talk about your dream vacation. Share each other’s dream vacation to the
class.

Listening Activity 2

Title: After graduation.

2.1 Before Listening

2.1.1. Brainstorming. Complete the chart with the expressions from the box.

I’m going to After I’ll probably………

……… graduation………

GET MARRIED AND HAVE CHILDREN TAKE A GRADUATE COURSE

TRAVEL ABROAD TAKE A BREAK START MY OWN BUSINESS

BUY A HOUSE AND A CAR GET A JOB

 2.2 Listening

2.2.1 Listen to some people talking about their plans after they get their degree and answer “T” for
TRUE or “F” for FALSE.

1. Cristina is going to study another major. _______

2. Saul probably won’t work in his father’s company. _______
3. Alejandro hopes to find a job, as soon as possible. _______
4. Elena is going to settle down in another country. _______
5. Jorge won’t have his own business. _______
6. Luis is going to do a master’s program. _______

2.1.2 Listen again and match the people with their plans.

1. “I hope to find a job right away”. Cristina

______________ Saul
2. “I’m going to take a break. I need to relax”. Alejandro
__________
Elena
3. “I’m going to help my father’s company grow
Jorge
bigger”. _________
4. “I’m going to start my own business”.
Luis
________________
5. “I want to learn more about tax policies in
the USA”. __________
6. “I plan to find a job in Canada and settle
down there”. __________

2.3 After Listening

2.3.1 In groups of three, discuss your future plans and the things that you should be doing to
accomplish them.

Grammar Activity 1

Title: Future with will

1.1 Grammar review

1.1.1Talk to your partner about the predictions below and decide if they are positive or negative
and explain why.

1.2 Grammar focus

1.2.1 Read the statements below and circle the auxiliary verbs that express future events.

1. By the year 2050, computers will be 30 thousand times faster and smarter than they are today.
2. The large majority of people will not use bills or coins anymore.
3. He won’t work in his father’s company.
4. I’ll probably travel abroad.

1.2.2 Complete the rules with a word you circled in exercise 1.2.1.
A) To write about future events we use ______.
B) The contraction of will is ________.
C) The negative form of will is _______ _____.
D) The contraction of the negative form is ________.

1.3 Grammar summary

Future with will

Affirmative Negative Yes/No Short answers
questions
I, you, he, she, He will get a job. She won’t get Will countries fight Yes, they will.
it, we, you, they We will use married. for water? No, they won’t
Bitcoins. People won’t use
will = ‘ll bills and coins.
 will not = won’t

Information questions
What What will you do after graduation?
Where Where will people go on vacation in the future?
When
Who

We use “will”
1. To make predictions.
Examples: In ten years from now, families will have only one child.
2. To talk about possible future plans.
Example: After graduation, I’ll probably study a Master’s. FUTURE TIME EXPRESSIONS

3. To make promises.  Next week, next

month, etc
Example: I’ll study hard next year.
 Tonight
4. To make offers.  Tomorrow
Example: A: This bag is very heavy. B: Don’t worry! I’ll help you  In 2050

1.4 Grammar practice

1.4.1 Complete the dialogues with the correct form of will.

1. A: ________ robots replace humans?
B: I don’t think so. There ____ be more robots, but they ______ replace us.
2. A: I didn’t understand the class, and tomorrow we have a test.
B: Take it easy! We______ study together.
3. A: Where are you going?
B: home
A: I_____ give you a ride.
4. A: What _____ you do after class?
B: I _____ study for the exam. I _______ go anywhere.

1.4.2 Write some predictions for you and your partner about the aspects in the table.
In ten years from now…
Me My partner
physical appearance I will be…
 work
love
family
studies

Grammar Activity 2

Title: Be going to

2.1 Grammar review

2.1.1 Look at the activities below and check the things you are going to do after you graduate.
Then compare your answers with your classmate. Are they the same or different?

get married travel abroad take a year off

look for a job study a Master’s participate in an exchange program

2.2 Grammar focus

2.2.1 The sentences below were taken from the reading activity 2. Read the sentences and answer
the following questions: What are the three people talking about?

1. I am going to finish my studies and then get a well-paid job.

2. She is going to start her own business
3. Daniel is not going to get married.
4. Miguel Angel, Daniel, and Lorena are going to do different things.

2.2.2 Look at the sentences in exercise 2.2.1 and complete the rules.
1. We use ________ to talk about future plans.
2. We use ________ after be going to.

2.3 Grammar summary

Form : be going to + the base form of the verb

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE
I am going to travel abroad. I am not going to travel abroad.
She is going to go on vacation soon. She isn’t going to go on vacation
They are going to get a new job. They aren’t going to get a new job.
YES/NO QUESTIONS SHORT ANSWERS
Are you going to travel abroad? Yes, I am. / No, I am not.
Is she going to go on vacation soon? Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
Are they going to get a new job? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t
USE
1. We use “be going to” to talk about future plans and intentions.
Example: My boyfriend and I are going to get married after we graduate. I already bought the
dress.
2. We use “be going to” to talk about predictions that have evidence.
Example: Look at the sky. It’s dark! It’s going to rain.
2.4 Grammar practice

2.4.1 Answer the following questions using your own information.

1. What are you and your friends going to do after class?
________________________________________________
2. Where are you going to go on vacation?
________________________________________________
3. What is your mother going to do tomorrow morning?
________________________________________________
Remember:
4. When is your father going to retire?
We use “be going to” for
_________________________________________________
definite plans and “will”
5. Who are you going to spend Christmas with? for possible plans or
_________________________________________________ spontaneous decisions.
2.4.2 Circle the correct answer to complete the dialogue

A: Have you made any plans for this weekend?

B: One thing is sure, I 1)____ camping on Saturday.
 A: Great! Where 2)___ go?
B: I 3)____ probably go to Cajas National Park.
A: Who 4)____ go with?
B: I invited some friends, but I’m not sure all of them can come.
A: Why don’t you invite Mike. He loves camping.
B: That’s a great idea. We 5)___ fishing, and I’ve heard he is good at it.
A: Of course he is. The last time we went fishing, he caught a big trout.
B: What about you? What are you going to do?
A: I guess, I 6)__ help my mom. She has a restaurant, and it’s really crowded during the weekend.
B: That sounds boring!
A: No it is not. In fact, this weekend we 7)____ have a special program with live music.
B: Really? Who will be performing?
A: I don’t think, it 8)_____ be a modern singer. My mom loves music from the 80´s.

1. A. will go B. am going to go C. will going

2. A. are you going to B. will you go C. are you going
3. A. will B. am going to C. be going to
4. A. are you go B. are you going to C will you
5. A. will go B. be going to C. are going to go
6. A. am going to B. will C. will be
7. A. will B. is going to C. are going to
8. A. isn’t going to B. won’t C. isn’t going
 Writing Activity 1

Title: Predictions about the future

1.1 Pre writing

1.1.1 Watch the trailer of the futuristic movie “In time” through the following link.
Check (✓) the correct statement according to the video:

Humans will use money to buy time _____

Time will be the currency _____
Humans will live until the age of 25 _____

1.1.2 Work with a partner. Answer the following questions about the trailer of the movie
“In time”:
What age won’t you be able to exceed?
_______________________________________________________________
How will humans get paid for their work?
_______________________________________________________________
Why will poor people die?
______________________________________________________________

1.1.3 Write a short and interesting prediction for the situation presented in the movie.
E.g: The main character will run out of time to save his girlfriend.
_______________________________________________________________

1.2 Writing

1.2.1 Write an initial draft about your predictions for the near future regarding money
transactions, virtual reality, entertainment, etc. Include a topic sentence, supporting
ideas, and a concluding sentence. Use some of the ideas from the box below.

global development economy technology advertising medicine food

video games web/internet fashion nature architecture sport
transportation health religion entertainment

1.3 After Writing

1.3.1 Exchange drafts with another classmate. Check and underline the topic
sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

Writing Activity 2
 Title: Hopes and Dreams

2.1 Pre writing

2.1.1 From the following list of weekend plans, underline the ones you are interested in
doing next weekend.

play soccer play paintball watch a movie visit some relatives

go to a concert go to a park go cycling go to the gym
go to a bar
meet some friends go to the disco go to a karaoke travel to
another city

2.1.2 Think about what your plans for next weekend are, then complete the schedule
with some ideas using “will” or “going to”. E.g:
FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

“I’m going to have lunch

with my grandparents at
AFTERNOON
“El Che” restaurant”.

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

MORNING

AFTERNOON

EVENING

2.2 Writing

2.2.1 You are going to think about your future plans. Consider your initial draft from
1.3.1. Then, write a final draft about your future plans, hopes, and dreams. Use the
ideas below.
Be specific with details. Where? When? Use the connectors: First, however,
How? Who? How many children? Married or moreover, besides, therefore, after that, next,
Single? Specializations? Where? How? Pets? then, before, and, finally. And adjectives of
Travels? Where? When? Sports, Places you feelings: Worried, interested, excited,
are going to visit, job. disappointed, nervous, scared, confused,
 proud, confident.

Here are some examples of ideas and sentences:

 I often think about my future…. When I finish…/I never think about my future but I will
try to…./ My future plans are: First/ When I finish….
 Now the most important thing is ….
 I don’t know where I’m going to live in the future. I would like to have a flat/house./ I
would like to live near the beach/downtown because… /I’m going to live in …….
because…
 I’m interested in studying a specialization in …/ I’m worried because …./

2.3 After writing

2.3.1 Secretly, write 5 predictions about a classmate’s future plans. When you finish
read them and check how many you got correct.

Speaking Activity 1

Title: What’s next?

1.1 Before Speaking

1.1.1 In groups of three, look at the pictures and describe what is happening. Then
decide on the most likely scenario. Look at the example.

In picture three, a thief is

trying to steal the car.
1.2 Speaking

1.2.1 Take turns to predict what will happen next to the people in the pictures. Then,
decide on the most likely prediction. Look at the example.

The man in the restaurant

will probably call the
police, and …

1.3 Let’s share

1.3.1 Each group chooses one of the pictures, describes the scene, and then gives
their predictions. Look at the example.
 We have chosen picture three. A
thief is trying to steal the car, but a
man is looking at him through a
window, so the man will surely …

Speaking Activity 2

Title: Daily planner

2.1 Before speaking

2.1.1 Look at the daily planner below and think of one thing you are planning to do
each day for the next week. Write a short note on the planner indicating each activity.
Look at the example.

MY DAILY PLANNER

WEEK OF _________________

MONDAY THURSDAY

TUESDAY FRIDAY

Visit my grandparents

WEDNESDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

2.2 Speaking

2.2.1 Walk around the class inviting your classmates to one of your planned activities
in 2.1.1. You can accept or refuse your classmate’s invitation. If you refuse, you have
to provide a valid excuse. Look at the example below.
 2.3 Let’s share

2.3.1. Take turns to tell the class what you are going to do at a specific time and with
whom. Look at the example.

Mark and I are going to play

soccer on Saturday morning.