Mat Clark ielts speaking

Part Three Question Type 2: Predicting 
Look at the following question: ―What will house be like in the future?‖ 
Now ask yourself: ―Why is the examiner asking me this question?‖ 
The  answer  is  simple:  ―the  examiner  is  testing  my  ability  to  use  future  prediction 
structures.‖ 
The following answer is quite common for this type of question: 
―I  think  that  in  the  future,  houses  will  be  much  bigger,  and  maybe  they  will  be  in 
some strange places such as on the moon or under the sea.‖ 
The  answer  above  directly  answers  the  question  with  acceptable  ―prediction‖. 
However, the language used to present these predictions is very basics. Now look at the next 
answer to the same question: 
 ―Certainly,  I’m  sure  that  most  people  would  agree  that  there  will  be  a  number  of 
major  changes  related  to  this.  Initially,  I  guess  that  we  might  begin  to  see  houses  that  are 
much  bugger.  At  the  same  time,  I  suppose  it’s  quite  probable  that  we  may  have  houses 
under the sea. And who knows, it could even be possible that we’ll see that arrival of houses 
on the moon.‖ 
 The content of this answer is basically the same as the first answer bit the language 
used  is  much  more  complex.  The  answer  lists  3  different  predictions  and  prediction  is 
presented with a different future structure: 

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Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking 
 
 
174
 
… I guess that we might begin to see… 
… I suppose it’s quite probable that we may have… 
… who knows, it could even be possible that we’ll see… 
 Now  you will build  your own ―predicting answer structure‖. Begin with an opening 
linking phrase: 
 Certainly, I’m sure that most people would agree that there will be a number of major 
changes related to this. 
 I’m sure that in years to come we will be a number of major changes related to this. 
 I  reckon  that  in  the  not  so  distant  future,  we  will  witness  some  major  changes  with 
regard to… 
 Introduce your first prediction: 
 Initially, I guess that we might begin to see… 
To begin with, I’d predict that we will most likely have… 
Primarily, it looks quite probable that we are going to have… 
First of all, I would envisage that we are going to have… 
 
Use  a  sentence  to  describe  your  first  prediction.  Try  to  use  basic  future  tenses  when 
giving details. Try to develop the sentence with a basic linking word. 
 ―Initially, I guess that we might begin to see houses that are made of plastic materials 
because these will be much cheaper and easier to construct.‖ 
Now introduce your second prediction. 
At the same time, I suppose it’s quite probable that we may have… 
As well as this, some people claim that we will probably start to see… 
On top of this, I imagine it’s quite likely that we will soon have… 
Likewise, I would imagine that we may even be able to see. 
 Use  a  sentence  to  describe  your  second  prediction.  Try  to  use  basic  future  tenses 
when giving details. Try to develop the sentence with a basic linking word. 
―At  the  same  time,  I  suppose  it’s  quite  probable  that  we  may  have  houses  that  are 
controlled by computer because this will make home life much easier.‖ 
Now  introduce  your  3rd  prediction.  It  is  now  always  possible  to  make  3  realistic 
predictions, so you can make your final one quite unrealistic. 
And who knows, it could even be possible that we’ll see the arrival of … 
And you never know, it could even transpire that we’ll have… 
And I know it’s a bit of a crazy thought, but one day we may even have… 
And who knows, there’s even a chance that we will have… 
 

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Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking 
 
 
175
 
It is probable not necessary to develop your last prediction, but if you can add a detail 
use a basic future tense. Practice your prediction structure with the following questions: 
 
What will schools be like in the future? 
What will restaurants be like in the future? 
What types of people will become famous in the future? 
What will shops/shopping habits be like in the future? 
What will public transport be like in the future? 
What types of hobbies will become popular in the future? 
What types of trips/holidays will people take in the future? 
What will cars be like in the future? 
What will TB programs be like in the future? 
What kinds of gifts will people give in the future? 
What kinds of skills will become important in the future? 
What new inventions do you think we will see in the future? 
What environmental problems will we see in the future? 
Do you think we will see any changes in the weather in the future?. 
Do you think we will read books in different ways in the future? 
Do you think we will get news in different ways in the future? 
 
In is important to remember that some of these prediction questions are quite difficult 
in  their  content.  It  is  not  always  easy  to  think  about  the  future.  As  a  basic  guideline  the 
following changes should be useful for many topics. 
 
Changes in variety (There will be a wider variety.) 
Changes in price (Things will become cheaper or more expensive.) 
Changes in size, materials or appearance 
Changes in location 
Changes in location 
Changes  in  form  (Things  will  become  internet  base.  /There  will  be  electronic 
versions.)