Lesson 53 – Talking about the future

How do you think the workplace will change in the next ten years?   This is a typical part three question

Let’s begin with some tips and advice

 

1. Now we need to switch to speaking about the future.
2. Make sure that you know the future tenses and know how to use all of them.
3. Think about recent changes – what changes do you think will come next?
4. Look also at any specific collocations for the future.
5. Revise your time markers – tomorrow, in the future, shortly, next, in the long term, etc…..
6. Which tenses do you need? Listen to examples of part three and pick out any references to the future.
7. You’re going to need the following tenses – future simple (will). future continuous, future perfect, present continuous, going to, present simple for the future (both in simple and continuous forms) and possibly future in the past – you may want to revise these if you are not sure.
8. In the future things like certainty play a part so think about this, also speculation (you may need modal verbs too)
9. Being able to display a variety of future usage in your English will show the examiner your ability to be flexible with the language.
10. Remember practice is the key!

 

If you don’t use English every day then consider finding a speaking partner here on Gapfillers. I asked you all at the beginning if you wanted to share Skype names but only 2 people stepped forward – this is an opportunity there are people on this programme who could be a speaking partner. Let me know and I can circulate Skype names (in this group only)

 

Key skills to develop:

 

Practise

 

• Go on to google and find some forthcoming events these may be films to be released or scientific works in progress etc.. see how the language for the future is used.

 

• Go to the BBC website and find podcast interviews with famous people (Desert Island Disks is a good one) listen to the end and see if they talk about the future. Also check out science programmes (Science in Action) about the future

 

• Practise talking about your ambitions and future plans to your speaking partner – don’t have one yet? Then tell me and if I get enough names I’ll pair you up!!

 

 

From the British Council

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/talking-about-future

there is another quiz to check your knowledge too!

 

Don’t forget, if there is anything you don’t understand or can’t find send a message via Contact us

 

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Now let’s think about talking about the future

 

Here are some future tense exercises from Gapfillers:

 

http://www.gapfillers.com/future-tense

 

http://www.gapfillers.com/will-in-the-future-tense

 

http://www.gapfillers.com/English-grammar-future-perfect-tense

 

Make sure that you find someone to practise speaking with THIS WEEK!

 

Don’t forget, if there is anything you don’t understand or can’t find send a message via Contact us

Now you’re done!

Good luck and let’s make great progress with IELTS!