Casa · C1 Advanced · Lesson 12 of 20 · Step 2

Environmental Policy

Advanced Modality (be to, be about to, be due to, be bound to)

Use semi-modal and periphrastic modal expressions to convey nuances of obligation, imminence, and certainty
Distinguish between 'be to', 'be about to', 'be due to', and 'be bound to' in formal contexts
Discuss environmental policy using a range of modal expressions

Words · tap a card to see it used

Grammar

Advanced modality: be to, be about to, be due to, be bound to

'Be to' expresses official arrangements, instructions, or destiny: 'The summit is to begin on Monday' (formal arrangement), 'If we are to succeed, action is needed now' (condition for achievement). 'Be about to' signals immediate imminence: 'The talks are about to collapse.' 'Be due to' indicates expected timing: 'The report is due to be published next week.' 'Be bound to' expresses near-certainty: 'Emissions are bound to increase without intervention.' These semi-modals add precision and formality beyond standard modal verbs.

The new regulations are to take effect in January.

If we are to meet the Paris targets, radical changes are needed.

The committee's findings are due to be released this month.

Without significant investment, the transition is bound to stall.

Exercises · type, then check

1. Complete each sentence with the correct semi-modal expression: be to / be about to / be due to / be bound to.

1.The environmental impact assessment published next Friday.

2.If we preserve biodiversity, immediate action is essential.

3.The negotiations collapse when a last-minute compromise was reached.

4.Without enforcement, the new regulations fail.

5.All signatory nations submit annual emissions reports under the new framework.

2. Match each semi-modal to its primary meaning.

1.be to

2.be about to

3.be due to

4.be bound to

5.be to (conditional)

0 of 10 answered · nothing you type leaves this device

Reading

The Clock Is Ticking

The latest IPCC report, due to be released in full next month, is understood to contain the most urgent warnings yet about the pace of climate change. Several climate tipping points are about to be crossed — or may already have been — and the consequences are bound to be severe. If the global community is to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emissions are to be halved by 2030, a target that current policies fall far short of achieving. Deforestation, which accounts for approximately ten percent of anthropogenic emissions, was due to be addressed by a landmark agreement signed in 2021, yet rates have continued to climb. Renewable energy investment is about to surpass fossil fuel investment for the first time, a milestone that many thought was bound to arrive eventually but few expected so soon. Carbon sequestration technologies, once dismissed as speculative, are to receive substantial government funding under several new policy frameworks. Nevertheless, the scale of the challenge remains daunting. If we are to avoid the worst-case scenarios, a fundamental transformation of the global economy is not merely desirable — it is essential.

1. What emissions reduction target does the passage mention, and how does it assess current progress?

2. What milestone in renewable energy does the passage highlight?

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

1Discuss with your partner: If we are to solve climate change, what three policy changes are most urgently needed? Use 'be to', 'be bound to', and 'be due to' in your discussion.

2Debate: 'Individual action is bound to be insufficient — only systemic change can address climate change.' Use advanced modal expressions throughout your argument.

Writing

Write a formal paragraph (6–8 sentences) about an environmental policy issue. Use all four semi-modal expressions (be to, be about to, be due to, be bound to) at least once each.

0 words

Finished?

Check your exercises first, then mark the lesson done.