English Advanced Grammar Exercises – The future 2: other ways to refer to the future, the future in the past

A. Complete the sentences with the verb forms from the box.

1   You won’t ………………. here tonight, I assume.

2   Make sure you get here before 7, because if it’s later than that we’ll ………………. .

3   There’s no point ringing Alan between 2 and 4 – he’ll ………………. then, so he won’t be able to answer the phone.

4   The Lansdown Social Club will ………………. its annual members’ meeting next Thursday (27th November), at 8.30 pm.

5   I don’t know why she bought this game – she’ll ………………. interest in it by next week.

6   I need your report by 5 o’clock at the latest. I hope you will ………………. it by then.

7   They definitely won’t ………………. by then – it’ll take them at least another hour to get here.

8   They’ll ………………. the bridge next week, so the road is going to be closed.

B. Complete the sentences, using one phrase from box A and one from box B.

1   Joe …………………………………………… .

2   Hurry up, …………………………………………… .

3   Some experts think the …………………………………………… .

4   At last you’re here! I …………………………………………… .

5   More …………………………………………… .

6   We …………………………………………… .

7   Her flight …………………………………………… .

8   The …………………………………………… .

C. Cross out ONE wrong word in each sentence to make it correct.

1   I’ll have be seeing Simon at college today – shall I invite him to your party?

2   Rovers were bound to be win the match last night – they’ve got a much better team.

3   The leaders of the two countries are go to meet in Washington next month.

4   Do you think Susan will have been left home yet?

5   We’re on to the point of signing a new contract with a big Italian company.

6   NASA scientists are be set to announce a new space mission for next year.

7   She was so pleased to find her cat that she was going on the verge of tears.

8   My new secretary is just due to start work next Monday.

D. Tick the sentence, a or b, which means the same as the sentence given.

1   One of our sales team will be calling you this afternoon.

      a   One of the sales team will call you later today.

      b   I’m sure one of our sales team has already called you this afternoon.

2   Annie will be lying on a beach in Spain soon.

      a   I imagine Annie is lying on a beach in Spain.

      b   Before long Annie is going to be lying on a beach in Spain.

3   Ten years from now, many of our endangered species will have died out.

      a   Many of our endangered species will become extinct within the next ten years.

      b   In ten years’ time, many of our endangered species will be dying out.

4   Bring an umbrella – it’ll probably be raining by the time we get there.

      a   Bring an umbrella – it’ll probably start raining when we get there.

      b   Bring an umbrella – it’ll probably have started raining by the time we get there.

5   I knew it was a mistake to let Alice borrow your car. She was bound to have an accident.

      a   It isn’t a good idea to let Alice borrow your car. She’ll definitely have an accident.

      b   Lending your car to Alice was a bad idea because it was obvious she was going to have an accident.

6   By next June my grandfather will have been working for the company for 50 years.

      a   It’s nearly 50 years since my grandfather started working for the company.

      b   My grandfather is going to stop working for the company next June.

7   Will you be paying your bill by credit card?

      a   Do you intend to use your credit card to pay your bill?

      b   I would prefer it if you paid your bill using your credit card.

8   They were just about to phone for a taxi when their neighbour offered to take them.

      a   Their neighbour offered to take them but they had already phoned for a taxi.

      b   They didn’t need to phone for a taxi because at the last minute their neighbour offered to take them.

E. Complete the dialogue, using appropriate future forms of the verbs in brackets. Sometimes more than one form is possible.

Anna:   Have you decided where to go for your holidays this year?

Jane:   Yes, we 1………………… (go) camping.

Anna:   Camping? Where?

Jane:   We’re not sure yet. We think we 2………………… (try) France for a change.

Anna:   France? Really? What happened? I thought you 3………………… (book) a cruise?

Jane:   We were. In fact, we 4………………… (pay) a deposit for one when Steve found out he’d lost his job.

Anna:   Oh, I see. So you didn’t want to spend so much money, is that it?

Jane:   Exactly. We’re a bit worried because there aren’t many jobs around, and nobody knows when the situation 5…………………  (get better). We can’t even be sure that Steve 6………………… (find) another job by this time next year!

Anna:   Don’t be so pessimistic! He 7………………… (work) again within the next couple of months, I’m sure.

Jane:   I hope you’re right! Anyway, we 8………………… (be able) to afford a cruise for a while! What about you? What are you doing for your holidays?

Anna:   Er, well, er, it’s a bit embarrassing. Do you remember that Philip got a promotion recently? Well, er, now that he’s earning more money we’ve decided we 9…………………  (do) something we’ve always wanted to do.

Jane:   Really? What’s that?

Anna:   Er… we’re going on a cruise! In the Mediterranean! I 10………………… (send) you a postcard, if you like!

F. Copy the sentences into your notebook, making changes so that all the sentences are true for you.

1   Five years from now, I will still be living in my country.

      Five years from now I will be living in France.

2   By the time I am 30, I will have bought a big house.

      …………………………………………

3   Before my next birthday, I will have visited at least two more countries.

      …………………………………………

4   In ten years’ time, I will have been working for at least five years.

      …………………………………………

5   At 7 o’clock tomorrow morning, I’ll still be sleeping.

      …………………………………………

6   I’m on the verge of making some important changes in my life.

      …………………………………………

7   I’m just about to stop studying for the day.

      …………………………………………

8   My country is bound to change a lot in the next few years.

      …………………………………………

9   I was going to study more English today, but now I’ve changed my mind!

      …………………………………………

Now write three more sentences about yourself, using the future forms from this unit.

G. Circle the correct option.

1   A:   I don’t know what she looks like.

     B:    You’ll know her when you see her. …………… a red sweater.

      a   She’s due to wear

      b   She’ll be wearing

      c   She’s about to wear

2   …………… the time I get back from the camp, I’ll be feeling much fitter.

      a   At

      b   Until

      c   By

3   I’m sorry but I can’t help you now. I was …………… to leave.

      a   just about

      b   on the point

      c   on the verge

4   The world’s population …………… reach 10 billion in the year 2200.

      a   is set to

      b   is about to

      c   will have

5   I …………… at home and watch TV, but my dad said I needed to get some exercise.

      a   will have stayed

      b   was going to stay

      c   will have been staying