Grammar lesson 23: Future tenses - climate change

Level: pre-intermediate / A2

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Time for another grammar lesson!
Back to one of our favourites again - tenses!

A: Put the verbs in brackets in the right future form (will/shall + infinitive, going to or present continuous). Sometimes more than one form is possible.

1) A: It’s freezing in here! B:             shall     I          close                the window? (close)

2) The sky is really clear. I’m sure it                                      a lovely day tomorrow. (be)

3) A: Do you think                                                       while we’re in London? (rain)

B: Maybe. I                                     my umbrella just in case. (take)

4) A:                                         we                                           lunch in the garden? (have)

B: Yes, I                                           the table. (lay)

5) A: What time                                   you                              ? (leave)

B: In ten minutes. I’m sure there                            too much traffic (not be), but I                        slowly. (drive)

B: Read these predictions about climate change. Complete them with a word from the list below:

Storm clouds on the horizon

become            closed down                doubled           having (x2)            melted                   risen (x3)                 suffering

Climate change is now something that we cannot close our eyes to, and governments all over the world have finally realized that they have to sit up and take notice. These are some of the things that many scientists predict will happen if we carry on polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide emissions.

Short term: by the year 2050

• More than a third of the world’s plant and animal species will have (1)       become            extinct.
• The ice in the Arctic Sea will melt every summer, causing the extinction of polar bears, and many glaciers will have (2)                                      completely.
• 50% of the world’s ski resorts will have (3)                                       due to lack of snow.

Mid-term: by the year 2100

• Sea levels will have (4)                                               by between 16cm and 18cm, making low-lying island like the Maldives no longer habitable.
• The number of serious coastal storms and tsunamis will have (5)                                         .
• Northern European cities will be (6)                                      50 days a year of heat waves when temperatures are over 30ºC (now it is only 6-9 days).

Long term: by the year 3000

• Temperatures will have (7)                             by about 15 ºC.
• Sea levels will have (8)                                               by more than 11 metres, flooding large areas of land and many major cities.
• One third of the world will be (9)                                           from extreme droughts, and half the world will be (10)                                          moderate droughts. Tens of millions of Africans will have to emigrate.

Adapted from New English File Upper-intermediate OUP

Answers below!

A:  

1) A: It’s freezing in here! B: shall I close the window? (close)

2) The sky is really clear. I’m sure it  it is going to be a lovely day tomorrow. (be)

3) A: Do you think it will rain / it is going to rain while we’re in London? (rain)

B: Maybe. I am going to take my umbrella just in case. (take)

4) A: shall we have lunch in the garden? (have)

B: Yes, I will the table. (lay)

5) A: What time are you going to leave? (leave)

B: In ten minutes. I’m sure there won’t be too much traffic (not be), but I will drive  slowly. (drive)

B: 

Short term: by the year 2050

• More than a third of the world’s plant and animal species will have (1)become extinct.
• The ice in the Arctic Sea will melt every summer, causing the extinction of polar bears, and many glaciers will have (2) melted completely.
• 50% of the world’s ski resorts will have (3) closed down due to lack of snow.

 Mid-term: by the year 2100

• Sea levels will have (4) risen by between 16cm and 18cm, making low-lying island like the Maldives no longer habitable.
• The number of serious coastal storms and tsunamis will have (5) doubled.
• Northern European cities will be (6) having 50 days a year of heat waves when temperatures are over 30ºC (now it is only 6-9 days).

Long term: by the year 3000

• Temperatures will have (7) risen by about 15 ºC.
• Sea levels will have (8) risen by more than 11 metres, flooding large areas of land and many major cities.
• One third of the world will be (9) suffering from extreme droughts, and half the world will be (10) having moderate droughts. Tens of millions of Africans will have to emigrate. 

Adapted from New English File Upper-intermediate OUP