LANGUAGE REFERENCE
112
6
GRAMMAR
G1
WILL
,
MIGHT
AND
MAY
FOR PREDICTIONS
Use
will (’ll)
,
won’t (will not)
,
might (not)
and
may
(not)
to make predictions, i.e. to say what you think
about the future.
People
will retire
later in the future.
They
won’t have
big families.
We
might
use the internet for a lot more things.
It
may not be
good for business.
Use contractions
’ll
,
won’t
and
mightn’t
for speaking
and informal English.
We
’ll live
longer in the future because there
’ll be
better medicine.
There
won’t be
many serious illnesses.
But we
mightn’t
find a cure for cancer.
!
You do not use the contraction
mayn’t
; you use
may not
instead.
I
mayn’t be
at work tomorrow.
û
I
may not be
at work tomorrow.
ü
You often use
I think / I don’t think
to introduce a
prediction.
I think there’ll be
problems with pensions in the
future.
You often say
I don’t think
+
will
instead of
I think
+
will not
.
I don’t think
the government
will have
the money
for pensions.
You use
will
when you are more certain about the
future. You use
might
or
may
when you are less
certain.
Older people
will work
for longer in the future, and
young adults
might start
working later.
!
Might
is more common than
may
to make
predictions, especially in informal English.
You usually use
will
when you ask for predictions
about the future, not
might
or
may
, and you often
start with
Do you think …?
Do you think
we
will live
longer in the future?
Will
people
have
cars in the future?
What
do you think
the future
will be
like?
ADVERBS OF CERTAINTY
You often use adverbs with
will/won’t
for predictions,
to say how certain you are. In affirmative sentences,
you usually put the adverb after
will
; in negative
sentences, you put it before
won’t
.
We
definitely won’t
use petrol in the future.
We
’ll probably use
a biological fuel.
The adverbs
definitely
and
certainly
mean you are
very certain; the adverbs
probably
and
possibly
mean
you are less certain.
People
will certainly have
smaller families in the
future, so they
probably won’t live
in big houses.
!
You don’t use these adverbs with
might
or
may
.
G2
FIRST CONDITIONAL
Use the first conditional to talk about the result of a
possible future action.
Note the formation of the first conditional.
!
You usually put a comma after the
if-
clause.
You can put the main clause first; if you do this,
you don’t use a comma.
You’ll find a good job if you go to university.
You can also use
might
and
may
in the main clause.
Then the action in the main clause is less certain than
when you use
will
.
If I get a good degree, I
might apply
to work for
Microsoft. (= I’m not sure about this.)
KEY LANGUAGE
KL1
EXPRESSING OPINIONS
Personally, I think (that) … What I think is that …
I think it’s (better if …) Why not just (turn the TV off)?
KL2
EXPRESSING AGREEMENT/DISAGREEMENT
I agree with (him/her).
I understand his/her opinion, but …
Personally, I completely disagree.
That’s a good/interesting idea/point, but …
VOCABULARY
V1
FUTURE ANALYSIS
advice, analysis, consumer, improve, information,
investor, needs, prediction, profit, retire
V2
AGES
adolescent, child, elderly person, middle-aged
person, person in his/her mid-thirties, teenager,
retired person, young adult
V3
NEGATIVE ADJECTIVES
careless, homeless, hopeless, uncomfortable, unkind,
unlucky, unusual, useless
V4
POPULATION
birth rate, childcare, employer, graduate,
old-fashioned, responsible, suitable
V5
LINKERS
as, because of, however, so
Possible future action
Result
If I get a better job,
we’ll have more money.
If I don’t get a better job,
we won’t have a holiday.
If
-clause (condition)
Main clause (result
)
If
+ present simple,
will / won’t
+ infinitive
If
you
go
to university,
you
’ll find
a good job.
If
you
don’t go
to
you
won’t get
a
university,
qualification.
