Life

Intermediate Unit 4a
Predictions

Presentation

Use will, may and might to make predictions. may / might

Use may (not) or might (not) when you are less confident
will / won’t about a prediction:
Use will / won’t when you’re confident about the prediction. It might/may not rain. (= it’s possible that it will rain but
It’ll rain on Saturday. it’s also possible that it won’t.)
It won’t rain on Sunday. TIP  here is no difference in meaning between may or
T
might, but might is used more in everyday spoken
will / won’t + adverbs
English.
Use will with the adverbs certainly and definitely when
you are 100% certain something will happen:
will / may / might + be able to
I’ll definitely be free on Saturday.
Use will / won’t / might / may not + be able to to make
Use will with the adverb probably when you are 70% predictions about ability:
certain something will happen:
I’ll be able to come on Saturday.
I’ll probably be busy on Sunday.
I may not be able to come on Sunday.
Notice the position of the adverb with will / won’t:
It’ll definitely be sunny on Sunday.
(The adverb comes after will.)
It definitely won’t rain on Sunday.
(The adverb comes before won’t.)

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 Intermediate Unit 4a
Exercises

Exercises
1 Put the words in order to make sentences with predictions.
1 the / mobile phones / important technology / become / will / most / in our lives
2 won’t / use / computers / we / in our daily life
3 definitely / disappear forever / will / traditional letters
4 we / won’t / in the future / probably / emails / send
5 might / it / snow / tomorrow
6 I / may / be / to come / not / able
2 Complete the sentences with the adverb in brackets.
1 Computers in the future will look very different. (probably)
2 In fact, they won’t look anything like computers as we know them today. (probably)
3 But they will be part of everything we use. (certainly)
4 Our televisions will include computer technology that can download films and programmes directly from
the internet. (definitely)
5 We won’t change the way we use personal music players. (definitely)
6 But new technology will make it possible to download music directly onto the players without using a
computer. (probably)
3 Rewrite the sentences using the modal verb in brackets.
1 It’s possible that Sue will get a new job. (may)
Sue .
2 I don’t think I’ll go to the meeting tomorrow. (might)
I .
3 It’s possible that Luis won’t be here tomorrow. (may)
Luis .
4 There’s a chance Jess and Marcos won’t get married this year. (might)
Jess and Marcos .
5 We’re thinking of asking Katie to look after the children. (may)
We .
6 We probably won’t take a summer holiday this year. (might)
We .
4 Read this interview with an expert on transport in the future. Choose the correct options.
Interviewer:  ood morning Doctor Lacey. In one of your articles you say we 1definitely won’t / may not have
G
cars by the end of the century. Why are you so certain?
Lacey: Actually I didn’t say that. I said we 2will definitely / definitely won’t have cars that use traditional
fuel. There isn’t enough oil in the world. But it’s difficult to say what we will use in its place.
We 3will / might use water or air, but it’s hard to predict.
Interviewer: What about planes? Do you think they 4will be able to / are able to fly without oil?
Lacey: Well, I think all cars 5will / might definitely fly in the future, so it’s possible that we 6may / may not
need planes in the future.
Interviewer: Really? When do you think this will happen?
Lacey: It 7probably won’t / definitely won’t happen in my lifetime – I have no doubt about that – but I
think my grandchildren 8will probably / probably won’t fly their cars to work.
Interviewer: And what about travel through time?
Lacey: No, that’s impossible. We 9won’t be able / may not be able to do that.

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Life
Intermediate Unit 4b
Future forms

A: Hello! I didn’t know you’ve got two children. How old is your youngest child?
B: She’s two. She’ll be three on Sunday. We’re going to have a party. There’ll be fun
and games for the kids, and food and drink for the adults.
A: Where are you having it?
B: At the café in the park. There’s lots of space, so we’re going to have some music and
dancing as well.
A: That sounds like it’ll be great fun!
B: Would you like to come? The party starts at five.
A: Thanks but I’m going to New York that day for work. Anyway, I hope you all
have fun.
B: Thanks. We will. And give me a call when you get back from New York.
A: Yes, I will!

Presentation

Use different forms to talk about the future. When you use the present continuous to refer to the
future, use a future time expression. Otherwise the
Present continuous present continuous refers to the present.
Use the present continuous to talk about a fixed We’re having a party. (=now, at the time of speaking)
arrangement to do something at a specified time in the
We’re having a party on Sunday. (= in the future)
future. It often involves other people.
We’re having the party at the café in the park. will / won’t
We also use present continuous to ask about plans. Use will + infinitive without to for a decision made at
the time of speaking.
Where are you having the party?
A: Your friend left a message to call her back.
going to B: Right. I’ll call her now.
Use going to for a plan or intention decided before the
moment of speaking. going to or will?
We’re going to have some music and dancing. You can use going to and will to talk about a making
(=We decided this a few days ago.) decision but there is a difference:
You can say going to go but we normally say going: She left a message so I’m going to call her back.
(= decision made before speaking)
I’m going to go to New York. = I’m going to New York.
I didn’t know she’d called. I’ll call her back now.
Present continuous or going to? (=decision made at the time of speaking)
You can use either form to talk about plans and Present simple
arrangements in the future, but the present continuous
Use the present simple for an event that is timetabled
usually specifies the time:
or scheduled.
We’re having a party on Sunday.
The party starts at five. The flight leaves in the morning.
We’re going to have a party.

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 Intermediate Unit 4b
Exercises

Exercises
1 Match 1–4 with a–d.
1 We’re going a arrives at ten.
2 We’re b to move house next year.
3 The lorry c moving house next week.
4 I’ll d meet you at your house.
2 Choose the correct forms.
1 Are they ever going to finish / Are they ever finishing building the new road?
2 The timetable for the trains from Scotland says your train arrives / is going to arrive at midday.
3 A: Has Dorothy sent us an email with the directions to her house?
B: I don’t know. I check / ’ll check my inbox.
4 You ’ll join / ’re going to join the army! When did you make that decision?
5 What time do / are your parents normally get / getting home from work?
6 Sandy and Michelle come / are coming on holiday with us. Is that OK?
3 Tick (✓) the sentences where you can use the present continuous without changing
the future meaning.
1 We’re going to speak to everyone in about an hour. ✓
2 I’m going to ask him to call you back. ✗
3 Lucinda isn’t going to arrive until three.
4 Is she going to explain how to answer these questions?
5 I’m going to tidy my room. I promise I will.
6 The children are going to start school at the end of August.
7 Everyone is going to meet in the town square at midnight.
8 They’re going to rebuild that old house.
4 Complete the emails with the will or going to form of the verbs in brackets.

Hi Mariana
I have a conference in Brazil next month and I 1 _____________________ (stay) in Rio for three days so we can meet!
Raul

Hi Raul
Great! The problem is I’ve already planned my holiday for next month - I 2 _______________________ (travel) round
Argentina with Lizzie and we 3 __________________________ (not return) until the 18th. Is that too late? I could
change our flights I suppose.
M.

Don’t worry. I 4 __________________ (ask) my boss about extending the trip by a couple of days. It might be possible
Raul

OK. I 5 ____________________ (not change) my flights for now. But let me know if it isn’t possible for you.
M.

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