Cách khác để nói về tương lai

1. Be + to V

- Be + to V là cấu trúc được sử dụng phổ biến trong các bản tin để nói về các sự kiện sẽ xảy ra trong tương lai gần

Police officers are to visit every home in the area.

The main Rome-to-Naples railway line is to be reopened today.

- Be to + cũng được sử dụng để nói về các kế hoạch, hướng dẫn chính thức hoặc đưa ra mênh lệnh, yêu cầu.

You are not to leave the school without my permission.

The European Parliament is to introduce a new law on safety at work.

Children are not to be left unsupervised in the museum, (passive form)

Chú ý:

- Thể bị động được sử dụng để đưa ra các mệnh lệnh, hướng dẫn một cách khách quan hơn

- chúng ta chỉ dùng be to + infinitive để nói về các sự kiện được kiểm soát bởi con người

In the next few years, thousands of speed cameras are to appear on major roads.

Scientists say they can't predict when or where the disease will appear again.

- Tuy nhiên, khi to + infinitive được dùng để nói về thì tương lai nhìn từ quá khứ, chúng ta hay thường dùng nó để miêu tả cái ảnh hưởng tới một ai đó, dù nó có ảnh hưởng tới sự kiện hay không

Matthew Flinders sailed past Tasmania in 1770, but it was to be a further 30 years before he landed there.

- Chúng ta thường dùng nó trong mệnh đề if để nói về cái gì xảy ra đầu tiên, trước những cái khác.

The human race is to survive, we must look at environmental problems now.

If Lopez is to win gold at the next Olympics, he needs to work on his fitness. (effect, cause)

If Lopez wins gold at the next Olympics, he has said that he will retire from athletics. (cause, effect)

2. be about to + V

Chúng ta dùng be about to + infinitive trong những câu diễn tả sự việc xảy ra ngay tức thì

We're about to eat. Do you want to join us?

Look ! The race is about to start

3. be on the verge of ... / brink of ... / point of ... (+ -ing or noun)

- Dùng để nói về những việc sẽ xảy ra

People are on the verge of starvation as the drought continues.

Scientists are on the brink of making major advances in the fight against AIDS.

Exhausted, mentally and physically, she was on the point of collapse.

- Be on the brink of được dùng để chỉ cái quan trọng, thú vị hoặc rất tồi

4. be due to (+ infinitive), be sure / bound to (+ infinitive), be set to (+ infinitive)

- Cấu trúc này được sử dụng để nói về việc hy vọng một cái gì sẽ xảy ra vào một thời gian đặc biệt

- be sure / bound to (+ infinitive) để nói điều gần như chắc chắc sẽ xảy ra

- be set to (+ infinitive) để nói cái đã sẵn sàng để xảy ra

The company's chief executive is due to retire next year, but following today's announcement of further losses she is sure to be asked to leave sooner.

 ‘Will there be somewhere to get a coffee at the station?' ‘Oh, yes, there's bound to be.’

Her new film is set to be a great success.

- Chú ý: chúng ta dùng due to + noun để đưa ra lý do cho một việc gì đó, không phải nói về tương lai  

Due to fog, all flights from the airport have been cancelled).

5. Một số động từ + to V để nói về ý định

aim*, agree, expect*, hope*, intend*, mean, plan*, promise, propose*, resolve, undertake, want* (những từ đánh dấu * có thể dùng với hiện tại đơn và hiện tại tiếp diễn)

We guarantee to refund your money if you are dissatisfied with the computer.

I aim to get to Bangkok by the end of June,

I'm aiming toget...;

I was aiming toget...

6. Với một số người, đặc biệt là trong lời nói và trong ngành báo chí, be looking + to - infinitive có nghĩa là kế hoạch cho một quá trình hành động nào đó

We're looking to create 3,000 jobs in the city over the next year.

Luyện tập

Bài 1: Complete these news extracts using the verbs in brackets. Use be to + infinitive if possible and will + infinitive if not. Use active or passive forms as necessary.

1. Jon Stobbard has written his first new play for 15 years. Its first performance ________ (stage) at the New Victoria Theatre.

2. The new safety system______(stop) trains automatically if they pass a danger signal.

3.Stafford Boys' School_____(merge) with the nearby Bicton Girls' School to form a new co-educational establishment.

4. There are fears that sea levels       ______(rise) catastrophically in the next 50 years.

5. The old design and technology programme ______ (replace) with a new computer science course.

Now use the verbs in the box to do the same in 6 to 10.

become                     create                      increase  

receive                      retire                    succeed

6. Managing Director Lars Lindberg, 59, ______ this summer a year early. He ______ by Christina Fontana, who joined the company last year.

7. As the temperatures fall with the onset of winter, the refugee crisis ______ more severe.

8. Production line staff at the Heathcote garden furniture factory in Northam ______ a pay rise following a big new order from Italy.

9. Seventy new posts______at the factory following a major investment by the parent company in the United States.

10. The recent rapid rise in house prices in the south-east ______ the demand for higher salaries among lower-paid workers.

Bài 2: Underline the correct answers. In some cases both alternatives are possible.

1. You need to work much harder if you have / are to have any chance of passing the exam.

2. My sister is to start / is about to start a PhD in Physics.

3. Mrs Patel is likely to become the Foreign Minister if the party wins / is to win power at the next election.

4. If you enjoy / are to enjoy romantic comedies, then this is a film you must see.

5 a: Can you type this letter for me?

   b: Sorry, I'm just to go /’m just about to go home. It'll have to wait until tomorrow.

6 If Beckman recovers / is to recover from a foot injury, it seems certain that he will play in Saturday's match against Spain.

7 If the university keeps / is to keep its international reputation, it must first invest in better facilities for students.

8 Jonas Fischer has denied that he is to resign / is about to resign as marketing manager.

9 It started snowing an hour ago, and from the look of those clouds things are to get / are about to get a lot worse.

10 If the railway system is improved / is to be improved, the government should invest substantial amounts of money now.

Bài tập 3: Expand the notes to complete the news extracts, using the phrases in A.

verge-become       sure-face           brink-go            set-launch          set - make

sure - provide      bound – raise     due – return      point-sign            point -move

verge-quit            due-undergo

1/2. The decision of Cornico to relocate its international headquarters to Switzerland is bound to raise questions about the government’s new profits tax. It seems that other major financial firms are also on the point of moving their headquarters out of London

3/4. NASA’s latest Mars probe is     _________ to Earth later today. A spokesperson for NASA said that the probe would be bringing back rock samples that are _____exciting new information about the planet.

5/6. The Countryside Conservation Society is ______ a new million-Euro scheme for the protection of endangered plant species. It is estimated that over 200 species are           ______extinct in the country.

7/8. Sources at the United Nations have said that the governments of North and South Alicia are______ an agreement to end their long-running border dispute. However, any agreement is________ resistance from rebel forces in South Alicia, who have said they will fight on.

9/10. Tennis star Sancho Gomez is   _______a second operation on his injured shoulder. He was_____tennis earlier this year after a first operation was unsuccessful.

11/12. EU agriculture ministers are_______        an important announcement on increasing support to farmers when they meet in Brussels on Monday. ‘Many farmers are _______ out of business,’ said the Italian representative, ‘and the matter must be decided very soon.’

Bài tập 4: Complete the sentences with the verb pairs from the box. Use either the present simple or present continuous for the first verb. If both tenses are possible, write them both.

aim - to study                  expect - to finish                     look—to replace  

intend - to move              propose-to deal                  resolve-to give up

guarantee-to find

1. My computer is now five years old, and I’m going to replace it with a faster one.

2. In the first half of the course we'll study microbiology, and in the second half I _________ with genetic engineering.

3. We haven't completed the work yet, but we _______         it later this week.

4. I haven't done much work at college so far, but I      __ harder from now on.

5. Every New Year he_______ eating biscuits, but by February he has started again.

6. We can't provide the spare parts ourselves, but we _________ a supplier who can.

7. At the moment I commute for over three hours a day, but I___________closer to my work in the next few months.

Đáp án

Bài 1

1. is to be staged (‘will be staged' is also possible)

2. will stop

3 is to merge / is to be merged ('will merge' or ‘will be merged' are also possible)

4 will rise

5 is to be replaced (‘will be replaced' is also possible)

6 is to retire; is to be succeeded (‘will retire' and ‘will be succeeded' are also possible)

7 will become

8 are to receive (‘will receive' is also possible)

9 are to be created (‘will be created' is also possible)

10 will increase

Bài 2:

1        are to have (see section B)

2        is to start / is about to start (A/C)

3        wins (B)

4        enjoy (B)

5        'm just about to go (C)

6        recovers (B)

7        is to keep (B)

Bài 3:

3        due to return

4        sure to provide

5        set to launch

6        on the verge of becoming

7        on the point of signing

8        sure to face

9        due to undergo

10      on the verge of quitting

11      set to make

12      on the brink of going

Bài 4

2        propose / 'm proposing to deal

3        expect / 're expecting to finish

4        aim /'m aiming to study

5        resolves to give up

6        guarantee to find

7        intend /'m intending to move