Unit 10: Speculating

Introduction to Unit 10

This unit is about talking about probability and certainty, and expressing hopes and wishes.

NOW GO TO THE FIRST SECTION: Dialogue

Dialogue

The following conversation is between two friends, Ben and Lucy, who are talking about their hopes and dreams for the future, and the chances of these actually happening.

Ben: Hi, Lucy, how are you? Lucy: Hi, Ben, I’m feeling a bit down actually. Ben: Oh no, what’s happened? Lucy: I’ll finish school soon but I don’t have any ...

Vocabulary

Now let’s look at some of the words and phrases from the conversation in more detail.

Ben says, “I have no doubt you’ll get a job really quickly”. “I have no doubt” is a phrase used to show certainty about something. You could say, “I have ...

Comprehension Questions

Now go back and read the conversation again, and try to answer the following questions about it. After this, discuss your answers with a friend.

What is Lucy worried about? (1 mark) What does Ben suggest? (1 mark) What is the problem with Ben’s suggestion? (2 marks) How likely are Lucy’s parents to sell their ...

Grammar

The following grammar points are about present and past wishes. Try the accompanying exercises to practise them.

Past Tenses with “I wish…” We use past tense forms to talk about wishes for the present, for example, when Ben says, “I wish my parents owned a business I ...

Writing

Practise your written English by answering one of the following writing activities. Try to use new vocabulary and grammar from this unit, and practise reading it out loud – this is a great way to spot mistakes. You could also swap your piece of writing with a friend to correct it. To help you, there are a few ideas of phrases you could use.

Write a short letter to a friend talking about what you think might happen in the future. Useful vocabulary: To have no doubt Maybe Perhaps High probability To be likely ...