November 6, 2009

Which future?

October 30, 2009

Movie magazine

Classic film moments from the 20th century

Look at the pictures and answer the questions:

Stan Laurel’s going to fall: True or False?Do you know the name of the other character in the comedy?

Answers:

False Oliver Hardy

Who was the director of the 1960 thriller Psycho.A) Steven Spielberg B) Alfred Hitchcock C) Martin Scorsese

In this scene, a character’s going to kill somebody in the shower. What’s the character’s name? A) Norman Bates B) Frankenstein C) Jack the Ripper

Answers

Alfred Hitchcock Norman Bates

What’s the name of this 1939 epic film?A) Gone with the river B) Gone with the money

C) Gone with the wind

What are they going to do?

A) Kiss B) Cry C) Fight

Answers

Gone with the wind Kiss

We all know what’s going to happen to the ship The Titanic. But what’s going to happen to these young lovers in the 1997 romance?

A) the boy’s going to die B) The girl’s going to die C) They’re both going to die.

Answers

The boy’s going to die

Blade Runner is a 1982 science fiction movie set in the future. Here we see Harrison Ford in a difficult moment. What’s going to happen? Say True or False:

A) He’s going to fall B) He’s going to climb up C) Somebody’s going to help him

Answers

Somebody’s going to help him

The man on the left is Julius Caesar in a famous 1953 classic film: what’s going to happen?

The film was based on a play by:A) Oscar Wilde B) Agatha Christie C) William Shakespeare

Answers

Julius Caesar is going to die, he’s going to be killed with a stab

William Shakespeare

Focus on language 1

Choose the correct answer:

We use BE GOING TO + INFINITIVE to talk about:

Things we already know Predictions based on current evidence Things we have arranged to do

Listening practice 1

We can use BE GOING TO + INFINITIVE also to talk about our future plans and intentions.

Now listen to a trainee chef talking about her future plans and answer these questions:

1. What are her plans for the summer?

2. What are her plans after that?

Answers

She’s going to work in a small restaurant in the south of France

She’s going to get a job in the States

Active grammar

Complete the following lines:

I _____ ______ ______ work for him over the summer

I _____ ______ ______ ______ stay there longer than a few months

What _____ ______ ______ ______ do next?

+

-

?

Focus on language 2Present continuous for future arrangements

Maki and Koji from Nagasaki, Japan.

Why are you in London? Think of a possible question:

We’re on our honeymoon. We got married last Saturday.

1. _______________ We’re staying at the Hyde Park Hotel. We’re

just here for a few days. 2. ___________ Everything is organized for us. Tomorrow we’re doing a tour of London on a double-decker bus, and in the evening we’re seeing a show. Then on Tuesday we’re going to Oxford and Cambridge and on Wednesday we’re flying to Edinburgh. 3. ____________ On Friday. We’re going to Paris next, and then to Rome…

Answers

We’re on our honeymoon. We got married last Saturday.

1. WHERE ARE YOU STAYING? We’re staying at the Hyde Park

Hotel. We’re just here for a few days. 2. WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO? Everything is organized for us. Tomorrow we’re doing a tour of London on a double-decker bus, and in the evening we’re seeing a show. Then on Tuesday we’re going to Oxford and Cambridge and on Wednesday we’re flying to Edinburgh. 3. WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING? On Friday. We’re going to Paris next, and then to Rome…

Active grammar

I’m seing some friends tonight.

They aren’t coming to the party.

What are you doing this evening?

Now make up the rule:

We use the Present Continuous to talk about things we _____________. We normally add a __________ or _________.

+

-

?

Answers

We use the Present Continuous to talk about things we HAVE PLANNED / ARRANGED TO DO.

We normally add a FIXED TIME or PLACE.

Don’t use the present simple to talk about your future arrangements.

I’m going to the cinema tonight

NOT: I go to the cinema tonight

Rima’s storyRead the introduction. Then listen to Rima talking six months later: Rima, 23, from Vilnius, Lithuania

Why are you in London?

I’m going to look for a job. Maybe as an au pair, looking after children. And I want to improve my English too, so I can get a better job when I go back home. I hope I can find some work quickly, because I don’t have much money.I’m going to stay for six months or a year. It depends how things go. I have a friend who’s working here in a restaurant. I’m going to stay with her for a few weeks until I can find my own flat.

Listening practice 2 Mark the sentences T (True) or F (False):

1. She’s working in an Italian restaurant 2. It was easy to find a job3. She isn’t living with her friend now4. She isn’t going to English classes5. She doesn’t know if she’s going to go back to

Lithuania6. She’s leaving the restaurant next month7. Her boyfriend is a waiter8. Her family are very happy that she’s getting married

Answers

1. She’s working in an Italian restaurant T

2. It was easy to find a job T

3. She isn’t living with her friend now F

4. She isn’t going to English classes T

5. She doesn’t know if she’s going to go back to Lithuania T

6. She’s leaving the restaurant next month F

7. Her boyfriend is a waiter F

8. Her family are very happy that she’s getting married F

Can you correct the false sentences?

Further reflection on language:

You can find explanations and further practice on ‘future forms’ in “Working with Grammar Gold” (Longman) – Unit 13.3, 13.4, 13.5 & 13.6

You can find more info and examples on the following websites:

http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/goingtofuture/menu.php

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentcontinuous.html

Watch an interesting video on future forms on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfpBiVFqtrs