Other ways to express future – be about to, be due to, etc.

Other ways to express future – be about to, be due to, etc.

Exercise 3

Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets so that the new sentences mean the same.

1 Arsenal have arranged to sign the new player in the next few days. (are)

Arsenal the new player in the next few days.

2 It is expected that another protest will take place on July 16. (due)

Another protest on July 16.

3 The election process will begin immediately. (about)

The election process .

4 The athlete will achieve his lifetime goal very soon. (verge)

The athlete his lifetime goal.

5 The competition will undoubtedly be very tough. (bound)

The competition very tough.

6 Works to repair the church are expected to start next month. (due)

Works to repair the church next month.

7 After his last defeat, he admitted he is about to give up professional boxing. (point)

After his last defeat, he admitted he professional boxing.

8 You mustn't speak unless you are told to. (not to)

You unless you are told to.

9 The midfield player is ready to sign a new contract with Real Madrid. (due)

The midfield player a new contract with Real Madrid.

10 Hurry up! The guests will arrive any minute. (about)

Hurry up! The guests .

 Loading...

 

Other ways to express future – Grammar chart

Download full-size image from Pinterest

Be about to, be on the brink/verge/point of

Be about to

We often use be about to + infinitive to say that something will happen in the very near future.

• Some apps are about to disappear from the market.
• Scientists say they are about to find a vaccine.

Be on the brink/verge/point of

We can also use be on the brink of, be on the verge of, or be on the point of to say that something will happen very soon.

• Our country’s economy is on the brink of collapse. 
• This historical museum is on the brink of losing half its masterpieces.
• They are on the verge of becoming the team to win the most finals in history.
• The two historical enemies are on the point of reaching an agreement. 

Be due to

We use be due to + infinitive to talk about future events that are planned or expected to happen.

• Greece is due to repay around £6 billion to its creditors next semester.
• The secretary is due to arrive in Montreal tomorrow morning. 

Be to

We can use be to + infinitive in different situations.

Official arrangements

Be to + infinitive is often used in news reports to talk about official arrangements and events that are planned or expected to happen. The meaning is usually something like ‘it is expected’.

• Prince William is to visit Paris for the first time since his mother died. (=It is expected that Prince William will…)
• Nine care homes for the elderly are to close by the end of March.

Formal instructions and orders

We can also use be to + infinitive to talk about official instructions and orders. When used in the negative form, it expresses prohibition.

• All employees are to attend a health and safety orientation at the end of the week. 
• You are not to leave this room until I say so. 

If clauses

We often use be to + infinitive in an if-clause. In these cases, we say what should be done (main clause) to achieve the desired result (if-clause).

• We need to be open to everybody’s opinion if we are to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. 
• If he is to succeed, he will need to learn to represent the interests of all Americans. 

Be bound to, be likely to (probability)

Be bound to

We use be bound to + infinitive to say that something is certain or very likely to happen.

• They are bound to like him. He is such a sweet guy. 
• His new film is bound to win the hearts of every romantic out there. 

Be likely to

We use be likely to + infinitive to say that something will probably happen. We can also use It + be likely that + clause.

• The government is likely to pass new regulations very soon. 
• It’s likely that the company will have to pay for the damages. 

We use be unlikely + infinitive to say that something will probably not happen. We can also use It + be unlikely that + clause.

• He is unlikely to win this match. 
• It’s unlikely that the weather will change over the next few days.

We are working on this!

We're developing a NEW LEARNING PLATFORM with a subscription plan that includes additional features at an affordable price. One of those features will be PDF downloads.

Learn more!