94 Practice Makes Perfect English Conversation
Conversation C: Long-term plans
Emma: What do you think you’ll do when you finish college?
Kim: Oh, I’ll probably stay in the city and look for work here. Then I’ll go back home on holidays.
Emma: I love that idea, but I’ll probably go closer to home to get a job. I like being close to my family
and old friends. Still, life in the big city is certainly tempting!
Kim: Well, maybe you could find a job in a big city closer to home.
Emma: Yeah, that would be a good happy medium.
Kim: On the other hand, since you like to travel, you could possibly get a job in another country—do
something exotic.
Emma: You’re right. I might get really bored just doing the same old thing. I’d learn a lot overseas—
even pick up another language. It’s definitely something to think about.
Kim: Well, I guess we don’t have to decide now, since we’re still in our freshman year!Conversation D: Predictions for the more
distant future
Teacher: What will the world be like fifty years from now?
Andy: Just think! People will be living on Mars.
Emily: I’ll bet cars will be replaced by little helicopters, so you’ll be able to fly ahead in traffic.
Holly: There won’t be any more wars.
Julie: Women will make more money than men.
Stacey: No way! Women will stay home and the men will do all the work.
Joe: There will be a better form of government.
Zack: People will have forgotten how to talk and will only communicate electronically.
Heather: There won’t be any disease, and people will live to be 150 years old.
Courtney: That will be horrible. It will be so crowded!
Andy: That’s why people will be living on Mars!Improving your conversation
No one can say for sure what will happen in the future, yet we often talk about it. Future events
can be described in several different ways, depending on how probable it is that they will
happen.Scheduled events
The present tense is used to talk about the future. It is used to give the time of scheduled events
(99 percent probability).The flight leaves at four o’clock this afternoon.
The movie starts at five o’clock, so don’t be late.The present tense is also used to tell what normally happens and is expected to be the same
in the future (99 percent probability).The stores open at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.
The children go back to school in September.
Class ends at 3:15.
The train stops near our building every hour.