3b Speculating and Predicting
3b Speculating and Predicting
3b Speculating and Predicting
1 Use the prompts to make speculations and predictions about the future.
1 We / probably / find / a cure for AIDS. 5 People / work / for much longer.
2 I / sure / people / live / until they are 150 years old. 6 I / doubt / we / live / healthier lives.
3 We / might / have / more specialist hospitals. 7 Children / may / learn / how to treat their own illnesses.
4 Scientists / could / grow / new body parts. 8 Doctors / definitely / use / more technology.
2 Work in pairs. Read the predictions from exercise 1. Which do you agree with?
Which do you disagree with? Why?
4 SPEAKING Work in groups. Think of first conditional if clauses to complete these sentences. Then read out the
beginnings of your sentences to another group. Can they match them with the correct endings?
… I won’t go out.
… I won’t speak to him.
… I won’t speak to him. No.
… I’ll go shopping at the weekend.
… I won’t be surprised. … I won’t be surprised.
Yes!
Exercise 1
• Give each student a handout and ask them to do
exercise 1. You could do the first question together with
the class and keep it up on the board as an example.
KEY
1 We will probably find a cure for AIDS.
2 I’m sure people will live until they are 150 years old.
3 We might have more specialist hospitals.
4 Scientists could grow new body parts.
5 People will work for much longer.
6 I doubt we will live healthier lives.
7 Children may learn how to treat their own illnesses.
8 Doctors will definitely use more technology.
Exercise 2
• Students read through the sentences from exercise 1
again and discuss in pairs whether or not they agree
with the predictions. You could ask them to rank the
predictions from 1 (most likely) to 8 (least likely). Remind
them to use the adverbs probably and definitely to
describe the degree of certainty.
Exercise 3
• Students complete the text with the correct phrases. Tell
them to read the text very quickly first and identify two
first conditional sentences (1 and 6). Check answers with
the class and ask students to vote on whether or not
they agree with this prediction about future healthcare.
KEY
1 develop
2 won’t visit
3 could stay
4 might have
5 will probably check
6 wants to change
7 will reduce
8 will definitely be
Exercise 4
• Students write If clauses with their own ideas to
complete the sentences and then try to guess other
students’ sentences. Go through the example dialogue
first and remind students to use the present simple form
in the If clause.