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Lesson planB155 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Will You Be Free on Thursday? Future continuous
Students use the future continuous to talk about what they'll be doing at times next week, ask polite questions about plans, and write an email arranging a meeting.
Future continuous · Business · Meetings · Scheduling
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Use future continuous accurately
- Learn and use 14 words and phrases in 2 sets: Arranging meetings, Asking about plans politely
- Read for detail: arranging a conference call
- Writing task: an email proposing meeting times
Stages · 55 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about business and share ideas with the class.
- 10 minVocabulary: Ex. 1–2
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 10 minControlled practice: Ex. 3–4
- 5 minAccuracy practice: Ex. 5
- 10 minReading: Ex. 6
- 10 minWriting: Ex. 7
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 4 PDFs)Grammar notes
The future continuous: will be + -ing
- An action in progress at a time in the future: At ten tomorrow I'll be giving a presentation.
- Plans and arrangements that are part of a normal schedule: I'll be travelling on Monday.
- Polite questions about someone's plans: Will you be using the meeting room on Thursday?
Watch out
- Use be + -ing after will: I'll be working (not I'll working or I'll be work).
- Negative: won't be + -ing: She won't be checking her emails today.
- No to after will: I will be leaving (not I will to be leaving).
Study tips
- Look at your calendar for next week and say what you'll be doing at three different times.
- Before you ask a colleague for something, try a polite question: Will you be needing the laptop?
Glossary
- Arranging meetings8 items
- Asking about plans politely6 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Words for arranging meetings
Match each word with its meaning. There is one extra meaning.
Tap an item…
…then its match
2
Words and forms for planning
Choose the correct answer.
- a
Don't call me at ten tomorrow. I ___ a presentation to the board then.
- b
Let me check my ___. I think I've got a meeting at two.
- c
___ the meeting room on Thursday afternoon? I'd like to book it.
- d
The train ___ says there's a fast train to Manchester at 7.15.
- e
Sorry, Raj ___ his emails today. He's on a training course all day.
- f
Choose the correct sentence.
3
Make the future continuous
Complete each sentence with the future continuous of the verb in brackets.
- a
At nine on Monday morning, I (travel) to the conference in Lisbon.
- b
Don't worry about the phones. Ana (answer) them while we're in the meeting.
- c
I (not work) on Friday, so please send the report on Thursday.
- d
Will you (use) the laptop this afternoon?
- e
This time tomorrow, the clients (look) at our new designs.
- f
We (interview) candidates all morning, so I can't join the call until two.
- g
Is it late in Tokyo? Yes, at eight our time, Kenji (have) dinner.
4
Polite questions about plans
Put the words in the right order to make polite questions.
- a
Tap the words in order…
- b
Tap the words in order…
- c
Tap the words in order…
- d
Tap the words in order…
- e
Tap the words in order…
5
Find and correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correction.
- a
I will be work from home on Wednesday.
- b
Will you using the small meeting room at four?
- c
Sorry, I can't talk now. I will to be leaving for the airport soon.
- d
This time next month we will be open our new shop in Bristol.
- e
Can we meet on Tuesday in 11 o'clock?
- f
She won't be answer emails during her holiday.
6
Read: arranging a conference call
Read the emails. Are the sentences true, false or not given?
From: Anna Hughes (London) To: Kenji Sato (Tokyo) Subject: Our conference call Hi Kenji, I'd like to arrange a conference call with you and Marco next week to plan the new website. I'll be travelling on Monday, so Tuesday or Wednesday is better for me. I know there's a big time difference between us. Is 9 a.m. London time OK? I think it will be 5 p.m. in Tokyo. I'll send the agenda before the call. Best wishes, Anna From: Kenji Sato To: Anna Hughes Hi Anna, Thanks for your email. Tuesday is difficult: at that time I'll be visiting a client outside the city. Wednesday is fine, but could we start at 8.30 your time? I'll be leaving the office early that day. Marco says he's available all day on Wednesday. Kenji From: Anna Hughes To: Kenji Sato Wednesday at 8.30 is perfect. I'll update the calendar and confirm with Marco. Let's talk then! Anna
- a
Anna wants to talk about the new website.
- b
Anna is free on Monday.
- c
Marco works in the same office as Kenji.
- d
Kenji will be with a client on Tuesday.
- e
The call will start at 9 a.m. London time.
- f
Anna will send Kenji the agenda before the call.
7
Write: an email proposing meeting times
Write an email to arrange a meeting.
You need to meet a client next week to talk about a new project. Write an email to the client (8–10 sentences). Say what you'll be doing on two days next week, suggest two possible times, ask about their plans and say what you will send before the meeting. Use the future continuous at least three times. Word box: agenda · conference call · postpone · calendar · time zone · confirm · available · schedule Example: I'll be visiting our factory on Monday, so I won't be available that day. Will you be working from your office on Wednesday?
Suggested minimum: 80 words
0 words · aim for at least 80
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Fix ItFind the mistake in each sentence, then correct it.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 14 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 2 sets.
Arranging meetings
- agenda
- a list of the things people will talk about in a meeting
- conference call
- a phone or video call with three or more people
- schedule
- a plan of what you are going to do and when
- calendar
- a chart that shows the days, weeks and months of the year
- available
- free to meet or talk at a certain time
- confirm
- to say that a plan or time is fixed
- postpone
- to move an event to a later time or date
- time zone
- one of the areas of the world that has its own time
Asking about plans politely
- Will you be using
- asks politely if someone plans to use something
- Will you be joining
- asks politely if someone is going to take part
- Will you be in the office
- asks politely where someone is going to be
- When will you be coming back
- asks politely when someone is going to return
- Will you be needing
- asks politely if someone plans to use something: Will you be needing the laptop?
- Will they be working
- asks politely about someone else's plans at a time in the future
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