going to Look'- i(s going to rain.

0 I am going to drive you are going to drive he/she is going to drive etc
ID am I going to drive? are you going to drive? is he/she going to drive? etc
a I am not going to drive you are not going to drive etc

For contractions (I'm, aren't etc), see pages 2 and 277.

We often use going to when we can see the future in the present - when a future situation is starting,
or clearly on the way.

Look - it's going to rain. t! Rebecca', 9a;n9 to have a baby next month

o Look at the pictures. What is going to happen? Use the words in the box.
~ She is , gR~~.t.Q.'P-9.~t~J~.tt.~L . break the window
1 The woman .. crash
2 He . drink coffee
3 She . have breakfast
4 The cars .. play the piano
5 He . post a letter ./
6 The ball .. read a letter

We often use going to to talk about intentions - things that people have decided (not) to do. This
structure is common in conversation.
I'm going to take a holiday next week. Peter's not going to study chemistry.
What are you going to wear this evening? Lucy is going to go to France next year.

8 Make questions with going to.

~ you / cook supper 6J'.'~. ..'::l9.~.g.Qk~.!:;Q..q.RQ.~.~~'P--p.~r.L ..
~ when / your brothers / be here W.~.~~.0X~..kJR~r..~mth~r~.e.Q~.~.!:;q ..~.~.h~J'.'~.L .
1 Ann / change her school .
2 where / you / put that picture .
3 what / you / buy for Bill's birthday ..
4 Eric / play football / tomorrow ..
5 when / you / stop smoking ..
6 Alice / go to university ..

32 TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

o Ann is talking about her holiday next week. Look at the pictures and complete the
sentences.
do any work drive to Italy.l fly.l learn some Italian read English newspapers
stay in a nice hotel swim a lot take photos visit museums write postcards

~ !':-f9,.. l:~.Y.':Q.tg.QL~.~Q.f\.kJ·."." .. " " """,,,,,,, .. 4 , , , .

~ n~·:.g9.~~.t9..0.r.~y.~.~Q ..(~~Jl9: . 5
1 , . 6
2 . 7
3 . 8

o GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: two-word verbs

Make sure you know the verbs in the box. Use a dictionary if necessary. Then look at the
pictures and complete the sentences.
plug in unplug switch on/off turn on/off turn up/down

~ She j~.g.Q~Y.':0.t.Q switch on the radio.

1 She off the radio.

2 turn up .

3 down ..

4 .......................................... on .

5 ............................................... off .

6 ........................................................... turn on the tap.

7 ........................................................................ the tap.

8 .......................................................... plug in the iron.

9 ................................................. unplug the .

10 ............................................................. the hair-dryer.

11

10 11

~ For more about two-word verbs ('phrasal verbs'), see pages 138-139.

NOTE: In informal speech (and songs), we often say gonna for going to.

TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE 33

present progressive What are you doing this evening?

D I am working you are working he/she/it is working we/they are working

ID am I working? are you working? is he/she/it working? are we/they working?

II I am not working you are not working he/she/it is not working

For contractions (I'm, aren't, etc), see pages 2 and 277.

We can use the present progressive with a future meaning, especially when we talk about plans for
a fixed time and/or place.

'What are you doing this evening?' 'I'm staying in. ' Where are you going on holiday?

joe's coming round this evening. I'm starting a new job next week.

o Look at Bill's diary and correct the sentences.

Sunday
~ He's staying in Berlin on Friday night. Joli1"" P,w!<?el" lM.ol"""~""0
N91..h(~..q..i?~.~~.~.t~.q..~.tp..!'?~!-0.~0..p.~.f.ti0.t:I.kJ.~~ght .
Monday
1 He's seeing John Parker on Sunday afternoon. to ~~I"IM.~""0Ii1t:l1M. (1..1.5 tyt:l~"")

Tuesday
2 He's going to the Birmingham office by car. lUlI\-Coli1 stewt:lrt :1..00

Wednesday
3 He's having dinner with Stewart on Tuesday. tli1et:ltl"e w~tli1 A"""" t:lll'W!Joe
Thursday
4 He's going to the theatre on Thursday evening. ~w secl"ett:l1"l::! stt:lrt~""0

Friday
S His new secretary is starting on Friday. to ~eyl~1'\o u-t 01.4 i?00;
bt:lc!<? u-t 135 1.~.40

6 Phil and Monica are going to his wedding on Saturday. Saturday

PIi1~l t:lll'W! MO""~Ct:l'S weclcl~""0

e A friend of yours is going on holiday soon. Write questions.

~ when / leave ..Wh~~..qK~..kJP.~.~.t<0.A~?........... 3 how / travel .
~ take / sister .A:r.~.~9.~.t.q.~~~.~.i?!-:\I';'".~~~t~tL.. 4 take / dog ..
1 where / stay....... 5 who / go with you ..
2 how long / stay... 6 when / come back .

o (Use a dictionary if necessary.)

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: five professions
Jane is seeing five people next week, one each day: her
bank manager, her solicitor, her accountant, her dentist and her doctor. Who is she
seeing when? Fill in the table and complete the sentences.

She's seeing her bank manager before her doctor. She's seeing her doctor on Tuesday. She's seeing
her dentist two days after her bank manager. She's seeing her accountant two days after her doctor.

1 She's seeing on Monday. Monday

2 on Tuesday. Tuesday doe-toy

3 on Wednesday.
Wednesday

4 on Thursday.

Thursday
S on Friday.

Friday

34 TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

the will-future: forms I will work. They won't come.

D I/you/he/she/it/we/they will work

R willI/you/he etc work?

• I/you/he etc will not work

Contractions: I'll, you'll, etc; won't (= will not)

• Put the words in the correct order.

~ here George be will ~~q.l':g!:.':'Y.~~k~!:.ht<r.L tomorrow.
~ drive station to you the I'll .. n.~.0.ri-.'!.~.l:;j.l?!1:.tp..t!'!!:.~.~~t~l?~ now.
1 begin class will the at 9.30.
2 be they'll home soon.
3 examination will the difficult be I think .
4 walk we'll party the to ..
5 her not speak will I to .

f) Make negatives (a) and questions (6) .

.J:. ' • .J:.'
~ 'I ..\:"(P.V\o:!:.J.~V\o.~-?~ this work today.' 'When .. :~M.~.tJp.!'!- .. ~~~~~h it?' (finish)

~ John \:"(P.V\o:.t~~ here tomorrow.' '.. '::Y.W.~.~.~~.h~r.L on Tuesday?' (be)

1 'Annie here at ten.' 'When here?' (be)

2 'I time for lunch.' ' time for a sandwich?' (have)

3 'You any pens in there.' 'Where one?' (find)

4 'The children to school in Ely.' 'Where ?' (go)

5 'Bob much money if he sells that caL' 'How much 7' (get)

Be careful when questions have long subjects - the word order does not change.
What time will you leave?

What time will the bus leave? (NOT Whet time wil,' leeve the l:!tIs?)

What time will the bus for the dinner and dance leave? (NOT ~/het time the bus .......iiI lee~'C?)

e Make questions with will.

1 what time I tomorrow evening's concert I start? ..
2 when I you and the family I get back from Paris? .
3 you I be I here tomorrow? ..
4 you and your mother I be I here tomorrow? ..
5 where Iyou I be I this evening? .
6 the children I have enough money I for the journey? ..
7 how soon / you know I the answer? ..
8 John and Susan I want I to play golf tomorrow? ..

NOTE: After I and we, some people say shall instead of will. The meaning is the same; will is more common in
modern English.
Contractions: I shall ~ I'll we shall ~ we'll etc shall not ~ shan't

-+ For shall in offers, see page 86.

TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE 35

will: predicting I think it will rain tomorrow.

We use will + infinitive to predict - to say things that we think, guess or know about the future, or to
ask questions about the future.
I think it will snow tomorrow. Be quick, or you'll miss your train.

Ann won't be here this evening. When will you know your exam results?

o These are sentences from real conversations. Put in forms of will with expressions from
the box. (C: the speaker used a contraction: 'II or won't.)

change not snow start tell go to sleep soon

1 You make me so unhappy: I crying in a moment. (C)

2 Do you think that all this money your life?

3 It tonight, will it, John? (C)

4 And they said 'Benjamin's tired, he ' (C)

5 She you how to do it.

We usually say I don't think ... will, NOT I think ... won't.
I don't think she'll be late. (NOT USUALLY I think she won't be late.)

o What do you think will happen? Make your own predictions, with I think or I don't think.
~ Lt.l:t.~~.~ it .. w.m.t:'~~~ tomorrow. (rain)

~ !.0R~:.U.l:t.~~.~ IJt0~.L money in the post tomorrow. (get)

1 it tomorrow. (snow)

2 I a letter from America tomorrow. (get)

3 I rich in ten years. (be)

4 I famous in ten years. (be)

5 people English everywhere in the year 2100. (speak)

o Complete the letter. Put 'II with

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: giving directions
the verbs and put in the words from the box.
Use a dictionary if necessary.
apple trees bridge door house key old house the road'/ great time

Dear Pamela and Simon

To find the house: when you get to Llanbrig, drive through the town and take
~ ..t;h~.XP.0.0. for Caernarvon. After about 6 krn, you (pass) ~ Jkl.'.C!~$. an
1 on the left. Immediately after that, you (come to) 2 a
bridge. Tum left after the 3 ; very soon you (come to) 4 .

a crossroads. Go left again, and you (see) 5 our 6 on the

right in about 300m. You (recognise) 7 it because it's got a green
8 and four 9 You (find) 10 the
11 under a mat outside the back door.
Enjoy your holiday. I'm sure you (have) 12 a 13 .
Love
Susan

-+ For present tenses after if, when etc (1'1/ phone you if/when I have time), see pages 221 and 229.

36 TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

will: deciding, refusing, promising I'll answer it.

We can use will when we decide or agree to do things, and when we talk about refusing (saying 'no') and
promising. We don't use the simple present in these cases.
OK, I really will stop smoking. She won't speak to me. I'll phone you. (NOT ! phone yotl.)
Things can 'refuse'.
The car won't start. This pen won't write.
We often use will at the moment when we decide something.
'There's someone at the door.' 'I'll go.' (NOT f---gfr.) 'That's the phone.' 'I'll answer it.'

o Put in words from the box with 'II or won/to

do go shopping go to bed'/ help start stop tell'/ wash

~I'm tired. I think I :L~.g9..tp..~eP.!.... 3 'My motorbike ' 'No petrol?'

~.
I don't know what he wants. 4 The baby crying. Can you sing to her?
He ..WP.f'\'.t.j;.ek~ us. 5 'There's no food in the house.'
1 I the cups; can you dry them? 'I '
2 'Can somebody post my letters?' 6 'I can't move this table.' 'I you.'
'I it.'

f) It's time to change your life. Look at the ideas in the box and write six promises with will
or won/t - the most important '"Jrst.
always think before I speak be nice to everybody drive too fast
fall in love every week go for a walk every day go to bed early
learn another language / a musical instrument read more relax
smile at everybody smoke study English every day talk more slowly
talk to strangers think about myself too much work harder (your own promise)

~ !l~.t~k~.~p.r.~.$:~9.W.L-k:l'." 3
~ !.w.QX'::j;..0.r~~~.tP.Q..f.q~t......................................... 4
1 5
2 6

• GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: useful expressions with rJt

Look at the expressions in the box. Use a dictionary if necessary.
Then@rcl~the best answers.
I'll think about it. I'll see. ( == 'I'll think about it.') (I'll) see you tomorrow/later.
(I'll) see you. I'll give you a ring/call. ( = 'I'll phone you.') I'll tell you tomorrow/later.

1 'Can I use your car?' A 'I'll see.' B 'I'll see you.'

2 'When do you want to play tennis?' A 'I'll see you tomorrow.' B 'I'll tell you tomorrow.'
3 'I've got to go now.' A 'I'll see you.' B 'I'll think about it'
4 'Would you like to come dancing with me?' A 'I'll think about it.' B 'I'll see you lateL'
5 'Can we talk about it some more?' A 'I'll give you a ring.' B 'I'll see you.'
6 'Goodbye now.' A 'See you tomorrow.' B 'I'll see.'

TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE 37