6.3 The Future with Be Going To—Forms

COMPREHENSION Based on the reading, write T for true or F for false. 1. Ray Kurzweil’s predictions about the future are often correct. 2. Today’s computers understand what they are searching. 3. Kurzweil wants to improve the way computers search.

THINK ABOUT IT Discuss the questions with a partner or in a small group.

1. Which of Kurzweil's predictions for the future do you think will come true? Which ones will not? 2. What are your predictions for the future?

AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

EXAMPLES Computers are going to be faster. We are going to live longer. I’m going to read Kurzweil’s book. Technology’s going to improve. We’re not going to live forever. Computers aren’t going to have feelings.

EXPLANATION For affirmative statements, we use a form of be + going to + the base form of the verb. We can make contractions with pronouns and most subject nouns + a form of be. For negative statements, we use not after is, am, or are.

Note: We can put an adverb (always, never, probably, even, actually) between be and going to.

Computers are probably going to be smarter than people someday. Pronunciation Note: In informal speech, we often pronounce going to as “gonna” (/gәnә/) when a verb comes after to.

STATEMENTS, YES/NO QUESTIONS, SHORT ANSWERS, AND WH- QUESTIONS

STATEMENT Computers are going to be faster. She’s going to read an article about Kurzweil. There are going to be more powerful computers in the future. Some of his predictions are going to happen.

YES/NO QUESTION AND SHORT ANSWER WH- QUESTION A: Are they going to be smarter? B: Yes, they are. A: Is she going to read his book? B: No, she's not. How are they going to be smarter? Why isn't she going to read his book?

A: Are there going to be better smartphones? B: Yes, there are. What kind of smartphones are there going to be?

A: Are all his predictions going to happen soon? B: No, they aren’t. Which predictions are going to happen?