Lesson 29: Speculating About the Future
predict and speculate naturally with future forms and hedging, instead of flat "will" sentences.
Why this matters
Part 3 loves "What will happen to…?" and "How might… change?". Band-5 speakers use only "will"; band-7 speakers grade their certainty ("is likely to", "could well", "I doubt…"), which is exactly the range examiners reward.
The Tip/Trick
Grade your certainty — don't predict everything with "will". Use a ladder: will definitely → is likely to → may well → could → probably won't → is unlikely to.
- Before: "In future, the world will be hot. People will use car less. It will be bad."
- After: "The planet is likely to keep warming, and we may well see far stricter rules — though I doubt people will give up cars entirely."
Grammar Focus — Future forms (will / going to / might / likely to)
Rule: will = prediction/certainty; going to = intention/evidence-based; might/may/could = possibility; be likely/unlikely to = probability. Reference: the "Future forms (will / going to / might / likely to)" section.
- "Renewable energy is likely to become the norm."
- "Cities are going to have to adapt." (evidence-based)
- "We might well see climate refugees, though it may not happen soon."
Vocabulary Cluster — Environment & climate
Add to under "Environment & climate".
- to cut carbon emissions — reduce CO2 — "We must cut carbon emissions."
- a carbon footprint — your impact — "I try to reduce my carbon footprint."
- renewable energy — solar/wind etc. — "We should invest in renewable energy."
- to tackle climate change — address it — "Governments must tackle climate change."
- single-use plastic — disposable plastic — "Single-use plastic is a huge problem."
- sustainable / eco-friendly — not harmful long-term — "We need sustainable habits."
- to raise awareness — increase understanding — "Schools should raise awareness."
- a knock-on effect — secondary consequence — "It has a knock-on effect on wildlife."
Drill these as flashcards — flip, then grade yourself.
Answer Outline
- Prediction (graded): "It's likely that ____."
- Reason: "mainly because ____."
- Hedged caveat: "That said, I doubt ____."
- Stance: "So I'd say the future depends on ____."
Model Answers: 5.0 vs 7.0
Question: How do you think people will deal with climate change in the future?
Band 5.0: "In future people will use more solar. Government will make law. The earth will be better, I hope. People will recycle more."
Band 7.0: "Well, it's likely that we'll shift heavily towards renewable energy, mainly because the cost of solar and wind keeps falling. Governments may well introduce far stricter limits on single-use plastic and carbon emissions too. That said, I doubt individual habits will change quickly without strong incentives — people tend to resist inconvenience. So I'd say the future really hinges on whether technology can make sustainable choices the easy choices."
What changed:
- Graded certainty: "it's likely that", "may well", "I doubt".
- Collocations: "renewable energy", "single-use plastic", "carbon emissions".
- Conditional reasoning: "hinges on whether…".
- Only using "will" → grade certainty with likely/might/may.
- "will + more solar" → "will use more solar power" (noun needed).
- Dropping "to" after "going": "going have" → "going to have".
Your Turn (Record)
Task: Answer 3 future questions, grading certainty in each (use likely/might/may/doubt): (1) How will cities change in 30 years? (2) Will people rely less on cars? (3) Can technology solve environmental problems? ⏱ ~4 min.
Your turn — record & get scored
Part 3- How will cities change in 30 years?
- Will people rely less on cars?
- Can technology solve environmental problems?
Self-Check + Spaced Review
Done when:
- I graded certainty (not just "will") in each answer.
- I used ≥3 environment collocations.
- I included one hedged caveat ("I doubt…", "That said…").
Spaced review:
- From Lesson 28: trace a cause→effect for a future change.
- From Lesson 26: anchor each answer with a clear stance.