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.Choose THE BEST variant. There’s only ONE really best each time. Are these: plans, predict-
tions, 100% sure (evidence-based) predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises, fixed
arrangements, long actions that will be happening at some moment in future or actions that are on
the point of happening?

1) At the airport,you see that the plane is coming 8) A: Oh,I have cut my finger! B: …………………………….
closer and closer.You say: a) Don’t worry! I am going to bring you a plaster. ●

a)The plane is going to land. b) Don’t worry! I am bringing you a plaster.

b) The plane lands. c) Don’t worry! I will bring you a plaster.
c) The plane will land. ●

9) You are arguing with your friend.Your friend says

2) You are invited to a big party and you are very something really bad and you say:
excited.You say: a) I am not going to talk to you again! ●

a) I am sure I am going to have so much fun tonight! b) I won’t talk to you again!
b) I am sure I am having so much fun tonight! c) I am not talking to you again!
c) I am sure I will have so much fun tonight! ●

10) The score is 3:0 at the match and only two minu-
3) You know that you don’t have enough food at tes left.You say to your friends:
home and you have decided to go shopping.You say: a) Our team is going to win! ●

a) I am going shopping soon. ● b) Our team will probably win!

b) I am going to go shopping soon. c) Our team will be about to win!
c) I will go shopping now.
11) Did you get the wedding invitation? They...
4) According to Mike’s schedule,he ………. his a) will get married next Saturday. ●

business partner at 9 o’clock on Wednesday. b) are getting married next Saturday.

a) will meet ● c) are going to get married next Saturday.
b) is meeting
12) You are having a conversation with a scien-
c) is going to meet
tist.You say:
5) My carpets need some cleaning. I …………. them to a) I think, robots will be doing the housework in 2100. ●

the dry cleaner’s. b) I think, robots are doing the housework in 2100.
a) am going to take ●
c) I think, robots are going to do the housework in
b) am about to take 2100.
c) probably won’t take
13) I am filling the bucket with water,I ……………………
6) You have bought your tickets and reserved your a) am going to wash the windows. ●

room in a hotel.When you see your friends,you say: b) will likely wash the windows.
a) I am going to go to Italy next week! ●
c) am washing the windows.
b) I will go to Italy next week!
14) A: Why are you turning on the TV?
c) I am going to Italy next week!
B: ……………………………………………..
7) Mr.Jones is the only candidate so he ………………….. a) “Being Human” is about to start! ●

a) is going to win.●
b) “Being Human” will start.
b) is winning. c) “ Being Human” is going to start...
c) will win.
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FUTURE TENSES
ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF SPEAKING ABOUT FUTURE

STRUCTURE USE EXAMPLE

a).instructions about
a)In the email it says that I am to
be (am/ is/ what someone should do
contact them for further information.
are) + in the future (formal!)
(мне следует…)
full infinitive b). formal
b)The meeting is to be held on
(inf. with “to”) announcements about
Monday.
future arrangements
be about + intending to do Can you call back later? I’m about to
full infinitive something very shortly have a shower. (я вот-вот…)
be on the Wait a minute! I’m on the point of
intending to do
point of + finishing this exercise. (я вот-вот
something straightaway
…ing закончу, уже заканчиваю…)
future arrangement
be due +
expected to take place at The plane was due to arrive at 5:50.
full infinitive
a specific time (formal!)
highly likely to happen
(что-то точно
This rock band is bound to be
произойдет,
internationally successful.
произойдет с высокой
You are sure to need all of these
be bound степенью вероятности)
expressions sooner or later.
/sure/certain Likely – 80%, highly
We are certain to enter a
+ full infinitive likely – 90%,
spectacular era of abundance one day.
sure/certain – 100%
This task is likely to be quite
certainty, bound –
challenging for you.
неизбежно.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first, using
the word given. Chose between active or passive voice each time.

1. Example: The electricity bill should be paid tomorrow. (due)

The electricity bill ________is due to be paid tomorrow______________________________________________
2. Katie will definitely win the song competition. (sure)
Katie __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. Having problems at work is very likely to affect your family life. (bound)
If you _________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. The local council are expected to make a decision within a week. (due)
The local council _____________________________________________________________________________________
5. My sister is leaving for her English lesson in a few minutes. (about)
My sister_______________________________________________________________________________________________
6. He would have told you the good news but you left. (point)
When you left, he _____________________________________________________________________________________
7. If you don’t stop shouting, I’m going to leave right this minute. (about)
If you don’t stop_______________________________________________________________________________________
8. According to the contract, the loan must be redeemed in ten monthly
instalments. (is)
According to the contract, ____________________________________________________________________________
9. There is no doubt that most students feel nervous before final exams. (certain)
Most students__________________________________________________________________________________________
10. He was going to finish his next novel when he had a heart attack. (point)
He was_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Over to you now. Please answer in full sentences.

What are you likely to do at the weekend?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are you bound to succeed?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When is your rent / utility bill due to be paid?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What are you on the point of doing right now?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some joke time. Insert: causing, won’t have, is about, I’ll take, finds.

A judge __________________to give a sentence to a man who was convicted of dangerous driving.
- As you were driving too fast and _______________ a serious accident, this court ___________ you
guilty. The sentence is £500 or six months in jail.
- Well, I ____________________ to think too long about that decision, judge. ________________ the £500!
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FUTURE TENSES
A. Future Continuous for asking favours. Make future continuous questions: you
want to know if the person will be busy (will be doing something) or using a thing
that you need, or going to a place that you need. Ask favours.

Example:
 You want to borrow your friend’s bicycle this evening.
(you / use / your bicycle this evening?)
__Will you be using your bicycle this evening? Could I borrow it?_______________

 You want your friend to give Tom a message this afternoon.

(you / see / Tom this afternoon?)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
 You want to use your friend’s typewriter tomorrow evening.
(you / use / your typewriter tomorrow evening?)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Your friend is going shopping. You want him/her to buy some stamps for you at
the post office.
(you / pass / the post office when you’re in town?)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Future Perfect. What will life be like in the year 2100? Complete the sentences
using the future perfect. Make positive or negative sentences or questions where
appropriate, and then give your own opinion. Choose to be optimistic or pessimistic
(will probably have… / probably won’t have…).

Example: By 2100, the world’s population…. will probably have increased (increase) to
around 30.000 million. / Probably won’t have increased that much.
BY the year 2100…
 Life _____________________________________________________ (become) more automated. Do you
think so? _________________________________________________________________________________________
 Computers _____________________________ (take over) many of the jobs that people do today.
Do you agree? ___________________________________________________________________________________
 The earth’s supplies of oil, coal and gas ___________________________________________ (run out).
Is it possible, do you think? ___________________________________________________________________
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 ____________________________________________________ (scientists / find) other sources of energy?

Your answer: ____________________________________________________________________________________
 How ___________________ education ___________________________________________________ (change)?
Your answer: ____________________________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________ (we / find) a way to feed all the people in the world?
Your answer: ____________________________________________________________________________________

C. Future perfect or future continuous? Choose between these two options ONLY to
complete the sentences below. The last one will ask your opinion. Remember: for
predictions about the future, future continuous is very similar to the Russian
compound future: будут носить… будут использовать… (несов. вид)

Сompare: I will come (я приду) / I will be coming (я буду приходить)

 By next February I ____________________________________________________ (write) my third book.

 This time tomorrow I’ll be busy: I ____________________________________(write) my third book.
 I hope you _____________________________________________ (not / forget) my name by tomorrow.
 By next week we _____________________________________________________ (redecorate) the house.
 Throughout the next week we _____________________________________ (redecorate) the house.
 I hope it ______________________________________________(stop) raining before the match starts.
 I’m afraid it ____________________________________(still / rain) at 7 p. m., so we’ll probably have
to move the party indoors.
 Don’t call me tomorrow morning: I ______________________________ (have) a very important
meeting so I won’t be able to answer anyway.
 If nothing is done, one million species that are alive today __________________________________
(become) extinct in twenty years’ time.
 100 years from now people ________________________________(still/wear) clothes similar to
the ones we’re wearing today.
 In a hundred year’s time everyone _____________________________________ (use) portable
translators so no one will have to learn foreign languages! 

Do you think it is likely to happen? Why? __________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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D. Future perfect continuous: a continuous action measured (a period of time is

mentioned). К такому-то моменту в будущем я уже буду делать то-то и то-то
столько-то времени… Complete the sentences below (only future perfect
continuous)

 By the end of June I ___________________________________ (live) in this flat for thirteen years.
 By this time next week I __________________________________________ (work) for this company
for 20 years.
 When the bell rings I _________________________________________(teach) for eight hours today.
 I _____________________________________________(wear) these glasses for five years next week.
 I ____________________________________________________ (drive) this car for six years tomorrow.
 By the time we get home they _________________________________________ (play) football for
half an hour.
 I ______________________________ (learn) English for __________ years by the end of this year!!!

Wow – that’s been a huge worksheet this time! Time for some fun now.
 Insert the ing-forms of verbs: keep, need, go, adopt, ask, paint, use.

Waiter! There's a large mouse in my soup! - Why do you want to learn French, Mr and Mrs Orr?
- Keep your voice down, sir. And don't wave - Well, we'll be ____________ a little French baby
the mouse about, or everybody else in the next month and we want to be able to understand it
restaurant will be ____________ for one! when it begins to talk...

A famous female film star asked the artist,
Pablo Cassels, to paint her. Pablo was talking
to his friend about it.
- Will you be ____________ her in the nude?
asked the friend.
Little Michael was pulling at his mother's dress in
the kitchen to get her attention.
- What is it, Michael?
- Will we be ____________ to see the monkeys as
you promised?

- Oh no! said Pablo. - I'll be _________ my - But why do you want to see the monkeys when
your grandparents are here?!
clothes on!

Patrick was a particularly mean person. Instead of buying things he usually tried to
borrow them. One Sunday he called at his next door neighbour's house and asked:
- Will you be ________your lawnmower this afternoon?
- Yes! snapped his neighbour, determined not to give Patrick anything.
- Great! Can I borrow your golf clubs? You won't be ________them: you're cutting your grass!
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