Casa · B2 Upper Intermediate · Lesson 3 of 20 · Step 1

Innovation & Disruption

Future Perfect & Future Continuous

Use the future perfect to describe actions completed before a point in the future
Use the future continuous to describe ongoing actions at a point in the future
Discuss innovation trends and technological predictions using both tenses

Words · tap a card to see it used

Grammar

Future perfect and future continuous

The future perfect (will have + past participle) describes an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future: 'By 2030, scientists will have developed a vaccine.' The future continuous (will be + -ing) describes an action that will be in progress at a specific point in the future: 'This time next year, I will be working at a new company.' Use 'by' and 'by the time' with the future perfect, and time markers like 'at this time,' 'in five years,' or 'when' with the future continuous.

By the end of the decade, engineers will have built a fully autonomous public transport network.

In ten years' time, most people will be using AI assistants for everyday tasks.

By the time the patent expires, competitors will have developed alternative technologies.

This time next month, the team will be testing the third prototype.

Exercises · type, then check

1. Complete each sentence with the future perfect or future continuous form of the verb in brackets.

1.By 2030, the company (launch) over fifty products.

2.This time next year, they (test) the new prototype.

3.By the time we arrive, the keynote speaker (finish) her presentation.

4.In five years, most consumers (use) some form of wearable technology.

5.By the end of this quarter, the team (iterate) through at least four versions.

2. Choose the correct tense to complete each sentence.

1. By the time electric cars become mainstream, manufacturers ___ billions in research.

2. This time tomorrow, the engineers ___ on the new software update.

3. By 2035, renewable energy ___ fossil fuels in most developed nations.

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Reading

The Next Wave of Innovation

Technological disruption is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Experts predict that by 2035, autonomous vehicles will have replaced the majority of human-driven taxis in major cities. Meanwhile, in the field of medicine, researchers will be using AI-powered diagnostic tools as a matter of routine. The pharmaceutical industry will have developed personalised treatments based on individual genetic profiles. However, this wave of innovation also raises difficult questions. By the time regulations catch up with the technology, companies will have been operating in legal grey areas for years. Many traditional jobs will have disappeared, and workers will be retraining for roles that do not yet exist. The challenge for policymakers is to create frameworks that encourage innovation while protecting those who are most vulnerable to disruption. If history is any guide, the societies that adapt most quickly will be the ones that thrive.

1. What does the passage predict about autonomous vehicles by 2035?

2. What concern does the author raise about the pace of innovation?

Speaking · say it out loud, with a partner or alone

1Predict what your industry or field of study will look like in fifteen years. Use both the future perfect and future continuous to describe specific changes.

2Debate: 'Governments should slow down technological innovation to give society time to adapt.' Take opposing positions and support your arguments with predictions.

Writing

Write 5–8 sentences predicting how technology will change daily life by 2040. Use at least two examples of the future perfect and two of the future continuous.

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