Chapter 3 Future Time
Delivery Drones
Will drones deliver your pizza some
day? It’s possible! In New Zealand, a
pizza company has already begun
delivering orders by drones. Several
companies around the world are going
to pursue this method of delivery. Why
do they want to do this? Drones fly over
traffic congestion and traffic lights.
When companies begin using delivery
drones, they will significantly reduce
distance and delivery time. At this time,
many countries won’t allow drones to
deliver food, but this is probably going
to change in the near future.
Will and be going to mean the same when they make
predictions about the future.
Will drones deliver your pizza some day?
or
Are drones going to deliver your pizza some day?
This is probably going to change in the near future.
or
This will probably change in the near future.
Be going to is commonly in speaking used to express prior
plans.
Professor: What are you
going to do for your final
project?
Student: I’m going to
research drone technology.
Use will (not be going to) to express willingness or offer to
help. Use will not/won’t to express refusal.
Willingness:
A: What does “unarmed aerial vehicle” mean?
B: I’m not sure. I’ll look it up.
Refusal:
Many countries won’t allow drones to deliver food.
Practice 1
Complete each sentence with be going to if you think the speaker is
expressing a prior plan. If you think there is no prior plan, use will.
’m going to go
1. A: I _____________________ (go) a drone show at the Memorial Park at
7:00 tonight. Would you like to join me?
’ll meet
B: Sure! I need to run a few errands first, but I __________________ (meet)
you at the park entrance a little before 7:00.
2. A: I ____________________
’m going to be (be) up all night tonight. I have a major test in
my statistics class tomorrow, and I’m not prepared at all.
B: I ________________________
’ll help (help) you study. I love statistics.
A: Really? That’s great! I need a lot of help. I ___________________(study)
’m going to study
at the library all evening. Could you meet me there?
B: Sure, I ____________________ (call) you when I get there.
’ll call
Tomorrow morning fifteen drones will be leaving the capital of
Rwanda. Where are they going? The drones usually depart before
sunrise, and by dawn they will have delivered blood and critical
supplies to hospitals across rural Rwanda. A few lucky hospitals are
already using drone technology for medical supplies. In the next
year, Rwanda is expanding the technology to include most of its
hospitals.
Drone delivery is an attractive option to hospitals for many reasons. Most hospitals cannot
afford to keep every supply available. Medical drones will deliver supplies quickly when a
hospital has a specific need for certain supplies. This technology will help emergency
medical personnel when it is difficult get from an accident scene to a hospital quickly
enough. In the future, as soon as an emergency responder arrives to the scene of an
accident, he or she will test the victim’s blood on the spot and send for a drone to bring
the correct blood product.
Will drones be delivering your medical supplies soon? It’s possible. By the end of this
decade, it’s likely that many hospitals around the world will have been adopted this
technology.
When the meaning of the time clause is future, the simple present
tense is used. Will or be going to is not used in the time clause.
Medical drones will deliver supplies quickly when a hospital
has a specific need for certain supplies.
As soon as an emergency responder arrives to the scene of
an accident, she will test the victim’s blood.
The present progressive may be used to express planned
events. The simple present may be used to express future
events that are on a definite schedule or timetable.
Planned event:
In the next year, Rwanda is expanding the technology to
include most of its hospitals.
Definite schedule:
The drones depart before sunrise.
The future progressive expresses an activity that will be in
progress at a time in the future.
Tomorrow morning fifteen drones will be leaving the capital of
Rwanda.
NOW
drones
will be
leaving
The future perfect expresses an activity that will be
completed before another time or event in the future.
By the end of this decade, it’s likely that hospitals around the
world will have been adopted drone technology.
drone
technology
NOW
adopted around end of this
the world decade
Practice 2
Choose the correct verbs.
1. When the drone (arrives / will arrive), it will drop a parachute with
supplies.
2. The hospital staff (will be preparing / will have prepared) for the
delivery at this time tomorrow.
3. The first delivery (leaves / will have left) at 4:00 tomorrow morning.
4. By the end of the day, the drones (will be making / will have made)
over 100 deliveries.
5. The drones (made / are making) 800 deliveries next week.
