Be to, about to, due to, set to: the first tram is about to leave – formal future exercises for plans and orders
About this lesson
This C1 drill lesson gives be to and about to exercises, plus due to, set to and on the point of, for what is planned, ordered, scheduled or very close.
- Grammar
- Be to for plans and orders, its passive and headlines; was to and was to have; be about to and on the point of; be due to and due at; be set to in the news.
- Topic
- City life: an invented city's first tram line, with the press release, a news report, passenger rules, a café owner's post and a friend's texts.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, tables, word order, memory games, matching, quizzes, drag-and-drop texts and a chat.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: be to, about to, due to, set toGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: an order, a plan or any minute now?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the words in bracketsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Is to: plans, orders and headlines
- Fill in the gaps: official plans with be toFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right words: orders and rulesChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the table: turn the headlines into sentencesFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questions with be toUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: say it with be toMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: be toQuizUnlock
- Read the jury summons and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 3About to, on the point of, was to: so close!
- Fill in the gaps: about to + verbFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: about to or on the point ofChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: it almost happenedFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: plans that didn't happen and fateChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the table: about to or on the point ofFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: about to, on the point of, was toQuizUnlock
- Read Ruairi's blog post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 4Due to, set to: timetables and the news
- Fill in the gaps: due to + verbFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right word to follow dueChoose the optionUnlock
- Sort the sentences: due to + verb or due to + noun?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right form: set to in the newsChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchTry it
- Which sentence is correct? Choose the right oneQuizUnlock
- Read the sports news and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The Harborline opens
- Read the city's announcementReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the announcement again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the news report and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the passenger rules and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Halina's post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Ximena texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at work and at schoolChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: rewrite the sentences with this lesson's formsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the words in brackets: mixed practiceFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: formal sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: plans that didn't happenFill in the tableUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: at homeMatchUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: headlines and what they meanMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read the choir's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the theater's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Sunniva's message and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Is it correct English? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: one missing wordFill in the gapsUnlock
Grammar: be to, about to, due to and set to
Formal English has several ways to talk about what comes next, and they turn up in announcements, notices and the news: The mayor is to open the library. Fuel prices are set to rise. Most of them take to + base form; on the point of takes -ing or a noun.
What comes next: is to, is about to, is due to, is set to
Five formal ways to talk about what is planned, ordered, scheduled or very close. You'll meet them in official announcements, notices and the news.
Be to: plans, orders and headlines
Be to + verb gives an official plan (The president is to visit Brazil in June) or an order (You are to wear a helmet). The passive is be to be done. Questions ask what to do: Am I to wait here? Headlines drop be: Mayor to visit Kenya.
be to + verb: plans and orders
subjectam / is / are (not)tobase form…
The governor is to open the new airport on May 4.
You are to hand in your keys at the front desk.
Visitors are not to feed the animals.
Questions and headlines
Ask what you should do: Am I to wait here? What are we to tell the guests? News headlines leave out be: Mayor to visit Kenya = The mayor is to visit Kenya. Strike set to end = The strike is set to end. School to be closed = The school is to be closed.
About to and on the point of
Be about to + verb and the more formal be on the point of + -ing or a noun both mean any minute now: Hurry! The film is about to start. The talks are on the point of collapse. Neither usually goes with tomorrow or next year.
Which one fits?
For a planned event, is to, is due to and is set to often all fit: The new pool is to / is due to / is set to open in May. An order or a rule takes be to: You are to stay in your seats. About to and on the point of mean any minute now, so they don't usually go with times like tomorrow or next year.
Due to, due at and set to
Be due to + verb follows a timetable: The report is due to come out on Friday. Before a time, due takes at, in or on: due at 4:15. Due to + noun means because of. Be set to is the news phrase for very likely.
Five forms for what comes next
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be to + verb | an official plan or arrangement | The president is to visit Brazil in June. |
| be to + verb | an order or a rule | You are to wear a helmet at all times. |
| be to be + past participle | a plan or a rule in the passive | The old pier is to be rebuilt next year. |
| be about to + verb | very soon, any minute now | Hurry! The film is about to start. |
| be on the point of + -ing / noun | very soon (more formal) | The old mill is on the point of closing. |
| be due to + verb | expected at a time on a timetable or schedule | The report is due to come out on Friday. |
| be due + at / in / on + a time | expected then (no to) | The next train is due at 4:15. The rent is due on Monday. |
| be set to + verb | very likely, ready to happen (a news phrase) | Fuel prices are set to rise this winter. |
Two kinds of due to
due to + verb = expected at a set time: The game is due to start at seven. due to + noun = because of: The picnic was canceled due to the rain. With a time, there's no to: due at 4:15, due in May, due on Monday.
Was to, was to have, was about to… when
Was to + verb is a past plan or fate: She was to become a famous painter. Was to have + past participle is a plan that didn't happen: The minister was to have opened the school, but she fell ill. Was about to… when means it almost happened.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| was / were to + verb | a plan in the past | The new boss was to start on Monday. |
| was / were to have + past participle | a plan that didn't happen | The minister was to have opened the school, but she fell ill. |
| was (never) to + verb | fate: what happened later | She was to become a famous painter. He was never to return home. |
| was about to + verb … when | it almost happened, but… | I was about to answer when the line went dead. |
| was on the point of + -ing … when | the same, more formal | We were on the point of moving when I got this job. |
| was due to / was set to + verb | expected at the time | The plane was due to land at 9, but it was late. |
Each phrase keeps its own form
Say is to visit, not is to visiting; on the point of leaving, not on the point to leave; due to leave, not due leave; about to leave, not about leaving.
The mayor is to visiting the school.
The mayor is to visit the school.
be to + base form
We were on the point to leave.
We were on the point of leaving.
on the point of + -ing
The boat is due leave at 8.
The boat is due to leave at 8.
due to + verb (or: due at 8)
The train is about leaving.
The train is about to leave.
about to + base form
Examples
- Nobody is to leave the building until the police arrive.an order
- Am I to pay now or later?a question: what should I do?
- The plane is about to take off, so please switch off your phones.any minute now
- The talks are on the point of collapse.on the point of + a noun
- The new museum is due to open next spring.a date on the schedule
- Our team is set to win its first title in fifty years.very likely: a news phrase
More lessons on this grammar: Future tenses lessons and exercises
Try the be to and about to exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 42 auto-checked exercises
- 4 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- announce an official plan with be to: The health minister is to open the new children's hospital next Monday.
- give rules and ask for instructions: Jurors are not to discuss the case with anyone. Where are we to put all these boxes?
- say something is very close: Run! The doors are about to close. The old cinema on Main Street is on the point of closing.
- talk about plans that fell through: We were to have flown up on Friday morning, but our flight was canceled.
- read timetables and the news: Flight 418 from Denver is due to land at 7:25. Electricity bills are set to climb this winter.
- Grammar:
- be to · be about to · be on the point of · be due to · be set to · was to have · future forms · formal English
- Topic:
- grammar practice · news · city life · public transportation
Teaching tips
- Expand headlines into sentences: write five short ones such as Mayor to resign or Fares set to rise, and pairs say each in full, putting be back.
- Play the strict instructor: one student gives three rules for a museum or a lab with You are (not) to…, and the others ask for details with Am I to…?
- Tell a near-miss story: each student describes a time something almost happened, with I was about to… when or I was on the point of… when, like Ruairi's dash to the wedding.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · C1
English Grammar Practice · C1 has 16 drill lessons on advanced grammar, one point each: inversion, cleft sentences, the subjunctive, advanced passives, ellipsis, nominalization, hedging, fronting and concession. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Inversion: never have I been so nervous!
- 2Conditionals without if: had I known, should you need, were I to
- 3Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts
- 4Advanced passives: who was told what?
- 5The subjunctive: it's essential that everyone be honest
- 6Likelihood: is it bound to happen?
- 7Be to, about to, due to, set to: the first tram is about to leave
- 8Ellipsis and substitution: I hope so, I'd love to
- 9Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales”
- 10Advanced participle clauses: weather permitting
- 11Hedging: it would appear that we tend to agree
- 12Alternatives to if: supposing they say no?
- 13Fronting: strange as it may seem
- 14Advanced relative clauses: the rules, all of which are new
- 15However, whatever, no matter how: whatever happens, keep running
- 16Contrast and concession: office or home?