SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE

MODALS FOR CONFIDENT WILL GOING TO MAY PREDICTIONS MIGHT CLEARLY COULD MODALS FOR TENTATIVE PREDICTIONS CAN’T PROBABLY ADVERBS FOR CONFIDENT POSSIBLY DEFINITELY PREDICTIONS NOTE: Adverbs go ADVERBS FOR NOT SO AFTER affirmative modals CONFIDENT PREDICTIONS BEFORE negative modals

FUTURE CONTINUOUS By this time next year, I could have finished my studies. Action in progress At some time in In 3 years’ time, I may be living in a foreign the future country. FUTURE PERFECT By the beginning of next year I’m going to be working in a large company. Action completed Before a point of By then, I’ll have bought a big house. time in the future Before March 25th, I’ll have lost 10kg. By the end of 2022, I’ll probably be looking for a new job.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS Action in progress MODAL BE VERB-ING At some time in will/may/might/could the future FUTURE PERFECT MODAL HAVE VERB Action completed will/may/might/could PARTICIPLE Before a point of time in the future

EXPRESSIONS By this time next week/month/year By the end of this week/month/year By + specific date Before + specific date By then In two years’ time By the beginning of next week/month/year

Other expressions to speculate about the future CERTAIN It’s bound to ---- It’s sure to ---- NOT 100% It’s likely/unlikely to ---- SURE It’s likely/unlikely that ---- There’s a good chance that ---- will The chances are that ---- will

SPECULATING ABOUT THE FUTURE A. Modal verbs & expressions We use a range of modal verbs and expressions to speculate about the future: will, can, could, may, might, going to. We use will, can’t and going to to make confident / tentative predictions: This what’s going on to drive business in the future. We use may, could, might to express confident / tentative predictions. We add well after could, might, may to increase the level of certainty: It might well affect almost all industries.

SPECULATING ABOUT THE FUTURE A. Modal verbs & expressions We use modal + be + verb + ing to describe an action in progress at / completed by a given point in time in the future: Consumers of the future will be asking for durability We use modal + have + past participle to describe an action in progress at / completed by a given point in time in the future: These companies that haven’t been able to adapt will have disappeared.

SPECULATING ABOUT THE FUTURE B. Adverbs We use adverbs to add information about how frequent / certain we think a future event or state might be. We use possibly and probably to show that we are confident / not so confident: It could possibly be one of the best ways to move forward. We use certainly, definitely to show that we are confident / not so confident: Car manufacturers will certainly have to change their business models. The adverbs usually come before / after an affirmative modal verb and before / after a negative modal verb.

SPECULATING ABOUT THE FUTURE C. Common expressions Which of the expressions below is the most/least confident? it’s likely to/that it’s sure to it’s unlikely to/that there’s a (good) chance that… it’s bound to (the) chances are that…

PRACTICE A: Directions: Correct the mistakes in the sentences 1. Sharing will become the template for future businesses. It’s bound that it’ll happen. There’s nothing you can do to stop it. 2. It’s likely that the company closes down. They just haven’t known how to capture their market. 3. We won’t probably see the end of oil production in our lifetime, but the next generation might. 4. In ten years’ time we may well doing business in a very different way. 5. No one can really tell what will be happen in ten years; time. We just have to wait and see.

PRACTICE B: Directions: Look at the graph and complete the prediction. Answer the next slide. Use one word in each blank.

PRACTICE B: Directions: Look at the graph and complete the prediction. Answer the next slide. Use one word in each blank. 1. The company is ______ to go bankrupt 2. It is ______ that the company will be able to save itself. 3. A lot people ______ probably lose their jobs. 4. The marketing department ______ possibly be able to reverse the trend to some extent. 5. In a years’ time a lot of people will _____ looking for new jobs. 6. By this time next year the company may well _____ closed its doors for the last time.