389 colours of the future

Present Simple

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Prompts: film
exhibition
school year
exam period

start/finish
open/close
begin/be over
start/finish

Present Continuous

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Prompts : tomorrow morning
next weekend
next Tuesday
this evening

Going to

When does your train leave tomorrow?
It leaves at 8.45.
What time does it arrive in Budapest?
It arrives at 12.30.

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Prompts: graduate from college
get your first salary
retire
have a baby

Are you doing anything on Friday night?
Actually, I’m visiting an old friend of mine.
What about Saturday night? Are you doing anything?
No, I’m not. Why?
Let’s watch my latest DVD.

play tennis with my boss
visit my grandparents
give a fancy dress party
study for my Maths test

What are you going to be when you grow up?
I’m going to be a racing driver.
What are you going to do when you leave this school?

I’m going to learn to drive.

have a gap year
spend it on clothes and CDs
travel around the world
call it Sam


Going to

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Look at Johnny. He’s extremely pale.
Yes, I think he’s going to faint. Let’s take him to the
doctor.

Prompts: dark clouds
thin ice
fast car
angry dog

Future Simple

pour with rain
break under the skaters
crash into that tree
bite the postman

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Prompts: how many children
where
when
how much

Future Simple
Prompts: cold
hot
hungry
thirsty

Where will people live in the 22nd century?
I think they’ll live on another planet because Earth will
explode.
have
work
get married
bread / cost
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Future Continuous
Prompts: travel to India
ski in the Alps
dance at the ball
drive my new car

at the age of 30

in ten years’ time
next year

You seem very tired. I’ll make a coffee for you.
Oh, will you? It’s very kind of you.

turn on the heater
open the window
order a pizza
get you a drink

Future Simple
Prompts: exhausted
sad
angry

stay inside
call the fire brigade
call for the ambulance
tie it on a leash

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You look very bored.

− In fact I am. I think I’ll go out tonight.
have an early night.
watch a comedy
break a vase
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I’ll be lying on the beach this time tomorrow.

− Lucky you! I wish I could also do the same.
in two days
next Sunday morning
tomorrow night
next month


Future Perfect
Prompts: paint the house
water the flowers
do your homework
see the dentist

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Have you read the set book yet?
No, but I’ll have read it by Wednesday.

by next weekend
by six o’clock
by tomorrow
by Friday

Future Perfect Continuous

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Prompts: work for this company
learn Japanese
live in this city
teach

Guess what. I will have been going out with
Tom for six weeks by next Tuesday.
Congratulations.

for ten years
for two months
for seven years
for twenty days

by next year
by September
by 13th April
by tomorrow

1. Study the above-listed patterns and structures which express different aspects of Future
Time. Work with a partner and make up similar mini dialogues using the prompts and
your own creativity.
2. Use the verbs in brackets to express future. Try to use the best possible tense.

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I _____________________________ (buy) a dress at Flash for Jack’s party.
Well, I’m sure you _____________________________ (look) great in it.
When________________.your plane ______________________(leave)?
It_________________________________ (leave) at 6.50 from Gate 7.
I____________________________ (get) some perfume for Sarah because she loves it.
Why don’t you lie down? I _____________________ do the washing up.
Jack ________________________ (collect) 3000 beer cans by August.
My leg hurts badly. I think it _____________________ (be) very windy today.
I’d like to go to your party but I can’t make it because I ___________________
(expect) my old friend for dinner tonight.
In 2090 nobody _________________ (work) because robots ______________ (do)
everything.
We________________________ (write) our Physics test from 9 to 10 tomorrow.
Everybody keeps asking me about my future career but I don’t know what I
________________________ (be).
I ______________________(answer) the front door. I think it _______________(be)
my friend.
By Christmas my grandmother _______________________(knit) pullovers for thirty
years.