Predictions& Possibilities
will / might / may for an uncertain future
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
Name three things you think will change by 2050. Convince your partner.
Predict tomorrow's weather. Use 'will', 'might' and 'may' once each.
Rate your confidence 1–10: AI will replace 50% of jobs. Compare answers.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minwill / might / may + bare infinitive
All three express future.
→ AI will definitely change how we work.
→ I might join the gym this month — not sure yet.
→ Prices may rise next year.
→ They probably won't agree.
More detail
WILL = confident prediction (about 90% sure). 'It will rain tomorrow.' MIGHT / MAY = possibility (about 40–60%). 'It might rain.' 'It may snow.' May is slightly more formal. Common modifiers: 'definitely will', 'probably will', 'might possibly', 'will almost certainly'. Negative: 'won't' / 'might not' / 'may not'. Add evidence with 'because…': 'I won't go out — I'm exhausted.' Don't use 'to' after these modals: NOT 'will to rain'.
Question 1.I'm not sure. I ____ come tonight.
Question 2.Look at those clouds — it ____ definitely rain.
Question 3.She ____ not be there — she's still ill.
Question 4.I think electric cars ____ replace petrol cars in 20 years.
Question 5.They ____ not come if it's still snowing.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
to be on the rise
increasing
"Remote work is on the rise."
What's on the rise in your country?
to phase out
gradually remove
"They'll phase out petrol cars by 2035."
What do you think will be phased out next?
a game-changer
something that changes everything
"5G might be a real game-changer."
Name a possible game-changer in the next 5 years.
in the foreseeable future
in the near future
"Nothing will change in the foreseeable future."
What won't change in the foreseeable future?
sooner or later
eventually, definitely
"Sooner or later, robots will take over routine jobs."
Finish: 'Sooner or later, I'll…'
it's only a matter of time
definitely will happen
"It's only a matter of time before AI writes the news."
Finish: 'It's only a matter of time before…'
highly unlikely
very probably won't
"It's highly unlikely we'll have flying cars by 2030."
Name something highly unlikely in 5 years.
a tipping point
the moment a change becomes unstoppable
"We're approaching a tipping point with climate change."
Name a tipping point you've witnessed.
Discuss with a partner
- →Three things on the rise in your industry / city.
- →One game-changer that won't happen in the foreseeable future.
Finish the sentence about you
- Sooner or later, … …
- It's only a matter of time before… …
- It's highly unlikely that… …
Rank & justify
Rank by certainty (1 = most certain).
- AI replaces teachers
- Electric cars dominate
- We work 4 days a week
- Cash disappears
60-second write
Write 4 predictions with different certainty levels (will / will probably / might / won't).
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minContracted 'will' → 'll and 'won't' /wəʊnt/
- • I'll CALL you LAter. (contracted)
- • She'll PROBably aGREE.
- • They WON'T MIND.
- • I MIGHT JOIN you — not sure.
How to say it
Native speakers almost always contract 'will' to 'll: 'I'll / you'll / they'll'. Failing to contract sounds formal or emphatic. 'won't' is one syllable /wəʊnt/ — do not say 'will not' unless you're being emphatic. 'Might' and 'may' don't contract.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minThe next ten years
Predicting the future is risky, but a few trends look almost certain. Remote work will keep growing — it's on the rise in nearly every industry. Petrol cars will probably be phased out in most European cities by 2035. AI will definitely change how we write, design and even diagnose illness, though it's highly unlikely doctors will disappear in the foreseeable future. Other changes are less certain. We may switch to a four-day working week, but it's still controversial. Cash might survive longer than people think — older generations prefer it. One thing is clear: we're approaching a tipping point in education. Sooner or later, traditional exams will be replaced with something more personalised. It's only a matter of time.
Question 1.Which is described as almost certain?
Question 2.Which job will AI not replace soon?
Question 3.What's at a tipping point?
Q1.Remote work is decreasing.
Q2.The article says doctors will disappear.
Q3.The four-day week is uncertain.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo friends debate the future
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Ali:Do you think we'll be working four days a week in ten years?
Joy:Maybe. It might happen in tech first, but I don't think it'll spread quickly.
Ali:What about cars? Will petrol cars disappear?
Joy:In cities, definitely. In the countryside, it'll take much longer.
Ali:And AI? Will it take our jobs?
Joy:It'll change them, not replace them. Some tasks may disappear, but new jobs will pop up.
Ali:Sooner or later, though, something big will happen, right?
Joy:Honestly? Yes. It's only a matter of time.
Question 1.Where will the 4-day week happen first, per Joy?
Question 2.What will be slower to change?
Question 3.Joy's view on AI?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET — Speaking Part 3 (discussion)
Task
Discuss with your partner: 'How will daily life look in 2040?' — 2 minutes.
Strategy
Vary your modal verbs — repeating 'will' eight times sounds flat. Stack a confidence pyramid: 'will definitely → will probably → may / might → probably won't → definitely won't.' Always add 'because…' Open with a clear prediction, invite your partner's view, then disagree politely if needed.
Example
I think we'll definitely work from home more — it's on the rise everywhere. Cars might be mostly electric in cities. But AI probably won't replace teachers — relationships matter too much. What do you think? — I agree, but I'd say cash will almost certainly disappear, sooner or later.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.It's only a ____ of time.
Question 2.AI ____ change everything — I'm certain.
Question 3.We're approaching a ____ point.
Question 4.It's highly ____ we'll have flying cars by 2030.
Question 5.Cash might ____ longer than people think.
Q1.Confident: 'AI / change / world' →
Q2.Possibility: 'I / join / gym / not sure' →
Q3.Negative possibility: 'cash / disappear / not soon' →
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 120-word opinion piece: 'How will work change in the next 10 years?' Use will, might and may at least twice each, and 2 phrases from today's vocab.
Show model answer
Work will look very different by 2035. Remote and hybrid work will definitely keep growing — they're already on the rise in most industries. The 4-day week might also spread, especially in tech, although it may take longer in healthcare and education. AI will almost certainly take over many routine tasks, but it's highly unlikely it will fully replace human judgement in the foreseeable future. New jobs we can't imagine yet will appear; sooner or later, prompt engineers, AI ethicists and digital wellbeing coaches will be normal roles. The biggest change may not be the tools at all — it'll be how we measure success. We might finally stop counting hours and start measuring impact instead.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
FUTURE DEBATE · Groups of 3. Each student picks a topic (work / education / transport / money / health). They give 60-second predictions using will / might / may at least twice each. Other two respond with agreement or disagreement + reason. Class votes on the boldest prediction.
Useful phrases
- • I think it's only a matter of time.
- • Sooner or later, …
- • It's highly unlikely that…
- • It might possibly…
- • It will almost certainly…
- • I'd say it's a tipping point.
- ADo you think AI will replace teachers?
- B_______________
- AWhat about cash?
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Train confidence variety and reason-giving. ~28 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Write 6 predictions for 2035 — 2 with 'will', 2 with 'might', 2 with 'may'.
Record a 90-second voice note: 'My biggest prediction for the next 5 years'.
Read a short futurism article; note 3 modal verbs and their certainty level.
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- will = confident; might / may = possible.
- Modifiers stretch the scale: definitely, probably, possibly.
- Modals + bare infinitive — no 'to'.
- 'will' contracts to 'll; 'will not' contracts to won't /wəʊnt/.
- Predictions need reasons — always add 'because…'.