Future Will for Predictions - Quick Idea

Talk about:

Do you believe in horoscopes?
What starsign are you?
What are the characteristics of your starsign?

Now give out a copy of their horoscope from a previous day.
They read it and talk about whether or not it came true.

Now ask what form is used for making predictions?
WILL + INFINITE

Now ask them to write a prediction for another starsign.
I was surprised how much the teens enjoyed doing this, out of twelve students, three of them put "you will die"...

The book I'm using then moves on to compare will with other future tenses. By Upper Intermediate level there is no problem with the form, this is just to refresh on of the cases when "will" is used. No need to spend more time on it.
Later there will be exercises where they have to choose the correct form, this is easy for them during an exercise but the real test is whether they will remember to use it in the long term.

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As my book deals with the present continuous, going to and will for predictions I have included the next part of the lesson plan, but there could be different combinations of past tenses for camparison.

Present continuous

Ask the students to talk in pairs about what are their plans for the rest of the day. Put this on the board otherwise they won’t talk:

How are you getting home?
Who are you going to see?
What are you going to do the rest of the evening?
What time are you having dinner?

Highlight that we use the present continuous for definite plans and going to for intentions.

Give an example:
In August Im going to travel to Ireland
(but I don’t know exactly when and I havent bought my ticket yet)

In August Im spending a week in Asturias with some friends, we going camping.
(it’s a definite plan)

Brainstorm all the things you can do in BCN
Do the diary exercise:

Make a table with three columns DAY , ACTIVITY, WITH WHO
They have to make arrangements to meet a different person on each day and do a different activity.
If they are busy on that day they explain using the present continuous : "Sorry I can't, I'm going to the cinema with Juan..."


Feedback in o/c one or two, then talk in pairs about the plans they have made. Now move on to exercises where they have to choose either going to or present continuous.