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Predictions About The Future 2

Unit 3

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11 views

Predictions About The Future 2

Unit 3

Uploaded by

Jan Slámečka
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Predictions About The Future

This blog post is dedicated to the future!! It is dedicated to the grammatical future, and to
your future as an English language student. Perhaps one day you’ll visit our English school in
Dublin! In the meantime, we hope the following will help. This blog will specifically cover
the uses of:
will (+infinitive) and to be going to (+infinitive)
We hope that this blog helps you to understand the differences in meaning between these two
structures and how we use them in English.

We use both will and to be going to when we want to make a prediction about the future. A
prediction is a statement that we make about the future.
When a person makes a prediction they say what they think will happen in the future.

When do we use the structure 'to be going to + infinitive?'


We use the structure to be going to + infinitive if we make a prediction about the future
because we have evidence now that supports us in making that prediction.
This means that something now (in the present) tells us what is going to happen in the future.

Predictions about the future are made every day. Here are some predictions that we see on a
regular basis:

On television, the weather forecast predicts what the weather will be like tomorrow. Weather
forecasters use different weather instruments that provide them with information in the
present. Weather forecasters use this information to make their predictions about the weather.

If you asked a weather forecaster to make a prediction about the weather he/she might say:
‘It is going to be sunny tomorrow. Temperatures are going to be between 20 and 22 degrees
Celsius. It is going to rain on the east coast in the evening. Tomorrow night is going
to be cloudy’.
Economists make predictions regarding the economy in a country, levels of employment and
unemployment and the creation of jobs. An economist is someone who has studied
economics. Economists use evidence from history and data that has been collected to help
them make their predictions. They use this evidence to help them make predictions about
economic situations in the future.
If you asked an economist to make a prediction about the economy he/she might say:
“Unemployment levels are going to fall next year. The economy of the country is going
to grow by 2%. Tax rates are going to decrease slightly. Taxes are not going to increase.”

Test Yourself

When do we use the structure 'will + infinitive?'


We also use the structure will + infinitive to make a prediction about the future. However, if
we use this structure we are guessing or stating our opinion. We do not have any evidence in
the present telling us what the future is going to be.
Every day, newspapers print horoscopes telling people what will happen in their lives that
day. Horoscopes make predictions about peoples jobs and careers.

Horoscopes also make predictions about people’s relationships, their health and their finances.
However, when you read a horoscope you are reading a prediction about yourself but this is
not based on any evidence. This prediction is guessing what your future is going to be.

If you are very lucky your horoscope might say something like this: “Today you will get a
phone call. The person who telephones you will offer you the job of your dreams. Later this
afternoon you will win a lot of money on the lottery.”

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