5 The Internet

Present co n tinuous I Future continuous I Future p e rfe ct sim ple I Future p e rfe ct continuous

Other future forms

Present continuous: The present continuous is used to talk about:

Definite arrangements in the future (with active verbs]

I’m meeting John later this afternoon. I'm playing a com puter game with him later.

Future continuous: The future continuous is used to talk about:

A situation that w ill be happening at a particular point in the future

This tim e next year, most people w ill be using Tom orrow afternoon, I'll be building my new
the Internet every day. website.

Future perfect simple: The future perfect simple is used to talk about:
Something that happens before a certain point of time in the future

Everyone w ill have learnt how to use the I w ill have spent over £200 on online
Internet in 50 years' tim e. shopping by the end of the week!

Future perfect continuous: The future perfect continuous is used to talk about:
Something that continues until a certain point of time in the future

Next month, I w ill have been w orking at this Come on, it’s my tu rn ! Soon you w ill have
Internet design company fo r ten years. been surfing the net fo r over two hours.

Note: The future continuous, future perfect sim ple and future perfect continuous usually include
a tim e reference, fo r example by 2020, in 20 years' time, by this time next year, next week.

See page 118 in the G ram m ar reference fo r more inform ation.

Grammar for IELTS

 Unit 5

Practice exercises

Decide on the correct grammatical form (present continuous, future continuous, future
perfect simple or future perfect continuous) and complete the sentences 1-5. Use the
verbs in the brackets. Then write the name of the tense.
1 I __________[watch] the concert live online tonight. Tense:_________________________
2 Media experts predict that by 2020 the m ajority of new spapers_________ (moi^e)
online. Tense:_________
3 I __________(change) my Internet su p plier tonight so I m ight not get your em ails u n til
tom orrow. Tense:_________
U The In te rn e t___________ (become} the prim ary source of inform ation by the m iddle of
the century. Tense:_________
5 It is estim ated that in five years’ tim e 30% more people over the age of 6 5 _________
[start] to use the Internet. Tense:_________

2 Underline the examples of the future forms in the following text.

The Rise of Online Shopping

In the late 1990s experts predicted that online shopping would not be able to compete
w ith in-store shopping yet the recent rise in online sales figures suggests that th e ir
predictions were wrong. In fact a ll evidence points to the fact that online shopping w ill
have outstripped in-store shopping w ithin the next five years. This rapid increase has
been driven by a num ber of factors including price, convenience and choice. Most online
retailers use a delivery service and as a result of tracking retailers shopping habits, many
w ill soon be introducing specific delivery tim ings so that custom ers can ensure th e ir
goods are delivered when they are at home. Online companies are already w orking on
innovative ways to a ttract custom ers. For example, la te r this year one of the country’s
largest electronics retailers, Browns, is launching a 24-hour replacem ent products
service fo r custom ers who need to return faulty goods. Browns hopes that by 2015 over
90% of its custom er base w ill have graduated to online purchasing.

As w ell as consumer goods another growth area is the travel industry. Travel experts estimate
that in as little as five years' tim e travel agencies w ill have disappeared from our shopping
centres and alm ost all travellers w ill be buying hotels and flights from online agencies.

The Internet 23
3 Look at the previous text again and match the sentence halves below using the
grammatical forms to help you understand when the actions happen.
1 Browns w ill be
2 In 5 years, travel agencies w ill have
3 Browns claim s that by 2015 custom ers w ill have
4 In the future the m ajority of custom ers w ill be
5 In 5 years' tim e, shopping on com puters w ill have

A moved to online shopping.

B shopping online fo r holidays.
C launching a returns service.
D overtaken physical shopping.
E disappeared from shopping centres.

4 Listen to an interview about online gaming and complete spaces 1-4 in the table with
information from the recording. Remember that the answers w ill be factual information
but the gram mar forms will help you decide what information is needed.

Online gaming trends of the future

Year now - 2015 2015 - 2017 2018 - 2020
Age group 13-19 30-40 1

Game type platform 2 3D

World region 3 _ Eastern Europe w orldwide
Competition none 4 unknown

5 Listen to the interview again and complete sentences 1-4 below with the correct future form.
1 By 2020 the typical age of g a m e rs _____________________ to people over the age of 50.
2 The over 50s age g ro u p _____________________ the same games fo r more than 50% of
th e ir lives by 2020.
3 Companies that make com puter g a m e s _____________________ a global m arketing
system fo r every game they produce by 2020.
4 By 2015 technology fir m s _____________________ the technology needed to enable
people to interact w ith movies.

Grammar for IELTS

Exam practice: Listening - completing a table

Exam tip: R em em ber that in the IELTS Listening exam you may hear the contracted
form of a verb, e.g. it'll've started ra th e r than it w ill have started.

Listen to a m useum cu ra to r talking about three exhibitions on technology and com plete the
table below.

QUESTIONS 1-6
W rite NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER fo r each answer.

W here 1 fln n r third flo o r fourth flo o r

Exhibition name The Internet: Past, 3 Portable Devices of
Present and Future N etworking the 21st Century
Exhibition dates 2 July August 1st - 30th 5
- August 20th
What to see 3D touch screens U w orld 6 sixth sense
technology and
s a te llite

The Internet
 Topics
Science and technology
Exercise 1
Complete definitions 1 – 15 with words and expressions from the box. You will not need all of the
words and expressions from the box.

analyze bioclimatology biology breakthrough cellphone chemistry

computers control cryogenics cybernetics development digital discover discovery
e-mail experiment genetic engineering genetic fingerprinting
genetic modification geneticist information superhighway information technology (IT)
innovation Internet invent invention life expectancy microchip modified
molecular biology nuclear engineering physics research safeguard
scientist technocrat technologist technophile technophobe

1. _____________ is the practice or science of changing the genes of a living thing, especially in order
to make it more suitable for a particular purpose.

2. A _____________ is a rule, law, or plan that protects people or something from harm or problems.

3. _____________ is the study of living things.

4. A _____________ is someone who does not like, trust, or want to use technology, especially
computers.

5. A _____________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work.

6. _____________ is the study or use of computers and electronic systems for storing and using
information.

7. If something is _____________, it is changed slightly in order to improve it.

8. A _____________ is a scientist who studies or works in genetics.

9. _____________ is the use of technology to make copies of natural things (for example, artificial body
parts).

10. A _____________ is a scientist or other technical expert with a high position in industry or
government.

11. _____________ is the detailed study of something in order to discover new facts.

12. _____________ is the science that studies the effects of low temperatures, especially the use of low
temperatures for preserving the bodies of dead people.

13. An _____________ is a scientific test to find out what happens to someone or something in
particular conditions.

14. _____________ is the length of time that someone is likely to live.

15. _____________ is the invention or use of new ideas, methods, equipment, etc.
97
Topics

Exercise 2
Use your dictionary to check the meanings of the other words and expressions in the box.

Exercise 3
Complete this essay with appropriate words and expressions from the box in Exercise 1. You may
need to change the form of some of the words.

“Science and technology have come a long way in the last 60 years, and our lives have become better as a
result. Do you agree with this statement?”

The second half of the twentieth century saw more changes than in the previous two hundred years. Penicillin
has already been (1) _____________ and used to treat infections; there have been many remarkable advances
in medicine that have helped to increase our average (2) _____________ way beyond that of our ancestors.
Incredible (3) _____________ such as television have changed the way we spend our leisure hours. Perhaps the
most important (4) _____________, however, has been the microchip. Nobody could have imagined, when it
was first (5) _____________, that within a matter of years, this tiny piece of silicon and circuitry would be
found in almost every household object from the kettle to the DVD recorder. And nobody could have
predicted the sudden proliferation of computers that would completely change our lives, allowing us to access
information from the other side of the world via the (6) _____________ or send messages around the world
by (7) _____________ at the touch of a button. Meanwhile, (8) _____________ into other aspects of
information technology is making it easier and cheaper for us to talk to friends and relations around the world.
Good news for (9) _____________ who love modern technology, bad news for the (10) _____________ who
would prefer to hide from these modern miracles.

But everything has a price. The development of (11) _____________ led to mass automation in factories,
which in turn led to millions losing their jobs. The genius of Einstein led to the horrors of the atomic bomb and
the dangerous uncertainties of (12) _____________ (we hear of accidents and mishaps at nuclear power
stations around the world, where (13) _____________ to prevent accidents were inadequate). The relatively
new science of (14) _____________ has been seen as a major step forward, but putting modified foods onto
the market before scientists had properly (15) _____________ them was perhaps one of the most irresponsible
decisions of the 1990s. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies continue to (16) _____________
on animals, a move that many consider to be cruel and unnecessary.

Of course we all rely on modern science and technology to improve our lives. However, we need to make sure
that we (17) _____________ it rather than the other way round.

Exercise 4
Now try this essay. Use words and expressions from the box in Exercise 1, and any other words or
expressions that you think would be relevant.

What, in your opinion, has been the single most important scientific or technological development
of the last fifty years? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

98
Speaking questions
Part 1
1. How often do you use Internet?
2. How much time do you spend using a computer at work or at home?
3. Do you enjoy using technology?
4. Do you own a computer?
5. What do you mainly use a computer for?
6. Do you use the Internet for your studies?
7. Has the internet made your job / studies easier?
8. Have you ever taken a course to improve your computer skills?
9. Do you use any gadgets on a daily basis?
10. Which device do you prefer to use for browsing the internet?

Part 2

Describe your favourite gadget. You should say:

• What is it
• When did you get it
• How often do you use it

and say why is it so important to you

Part 3
1. Do you think we need to know much about computers?
2. What is the most impactful piece of technology in our lives?
3. How computers affect our everyday life?
4. How effective is the use of computers in the classroom?

Part 2

Talk about some technology that you have started using fairly recently. You should say:

o What it is and what it does

o How it makes life better or easier
o How it is different to other similar technology
And say whether you think you will still be using it in ten years’ time or not, and why

Part 3

1. Do you think people rely too much on technology today?

2. What are some great inventions you know about?
3. Do you think that the advance of technology has improved standards of
education in schools?