ARTICLES, DETERMINERS AND QUANTIFIERS
Unit 19 – The International Conference on the Future
Looking back from 2050 · Comprehensive revision
Delegates from many different countries have gathered for an international conference. They are considering what the world may be like in 2050. The programme includes presentations on population, food, water, energy, education and employment.
The conference is not intended to predict the future with certainty. Some statements are based on projections; others describe possible developments. The delegates disagree about how quickly change will happen and how different countries will respond.
Your task: Read the conference material, think about the evidence and implications, and revise the determiners and quantifying expressions you have studied throughout this course.
1. The opening address: looking back from 2050
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the International Conference on the Future. We have come together to consider the changes that the world will have experienced by the middle of this century.
“By 2050, the world's population will have reached a considerably higher level than it was at the beginning of the century. A large proportion of that population will be living in towns and cities. This means that more housing, transport and public services will be needed. In some places, the growth of cities will have created new opportunities; in others, it will have put considerable pressure on land, water and infrastructure.
“Many countries will have changed the way they produce and use energy. Some will have made a substantial move towards renewable sources, although others may still depend heavily on fossil fuels. This means that the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere will depend partly on the choices governments and businesses make over the coming years.
“Food and water will present different challenges in different regions. A number of countries may have improved their agricultural methods and reduced the amount of food they waste. Others may have found it difficult to provide enough food and clean water for all their people. Even where there is sufficient food overall, its distribution may remain unequal.
“Education and employment will have changed, too. Many people will have acquired new skills during their working lives. Some jobs will have disappeared, while others will have developed in ways that are difficult to imagine today. This means that education and training will have to continue throughout adult life. Neither governments nor employers will be able to ignore these changes.
“We should remember that the future will not have been shaped by one decision or one group of people. All of us will have played some part in it. Each country will have faced its own choices, and every generation will have had responsibilities towards the next. The question is not simply what will have happened by 2050, but what we can do now to influence that outcome.”
Discuss: Which of the challenges mentioned in the address do you think will be most difficult to deal with? Are there any important challenges you would add?
2. The future perfect and its implications
We can use the future perfect to look back from a point in the future at something that will be completed by then.
By 2050, many countries will have changed the way they produce energy.
By the middle of the century, some traditional jobs will have disappeared.
The expression by 2050 establishes the future point. The future perfect is formed with will have + past participle.
We can follow a prediction or statement with This means that ... to explain one of its consequences.
“More people will be living in cities. This means that more homes and public transport will be needed.”
Notice how determiners help us describe the scale and distribution of change: most of the population, a large proportion of energy, many countries, some jobs, neither governments nor employers, all of us.
The statements in this unit are scenarios for language practice, not a set of certain predictions. Where figures or outcomes are mentioned, treat them as estimates or possibilities rather than guarantees.
3. Quantities and proportions
Conference delegates have prepared a short briefing. The expressions below describe approximate proportions. They are not exact mathematical equivalents in every context.
| Expression | Approximate meaning |
|---|---|
| almost all / nearly all | a proportion very close to 100% |
| most / the majority of | more than half |
| about half / roughly half | approximately 50% |
| a large minority / a substantial proportion | a sizeable part, but not necessarily a majority |
| a few / a small number of | a small number of countable things or people |
| little / a small amount of | a small quantity of something uncountable |
| one in five / three quarters | a fraction or ratio |
Remember the distinction between number and amount: we normally use number with countable nouns and amount with uncountable nouns. Proportion refers to a part of a whole.
4. Practice 1 – Choose the best expression
Complete each sentence using one of the expressions in the list. More than one expression may sometimes be possible in ordinary conversation, but choose the one that best matches the information given.
5. The delegates discuss what this means
At the next session, delegates consider the implications of the opening address.
Dr Mensah: “If a larger proportion of the population lives in cities, this means that local authorities will have to plan carefully. Some cities will have expanded rapidly, but not all of them will have the money to provide the necessary services.”
Professor Chen: “I agree, but we should not assume that every city will face the same problems. A few may have invested early in public transport and energy-efficient buildings. Others may have taken a different approach.”
Ms Alvarez: “And what about employment? Many people are worried that artificial intelligence will replace their jobs. But it may also create new kinds of work. We need to consider both possibilities.”
Mr Okafor: “Certainly. Neither technology nor economic growth automatically benefits everyone. A great deal will depend on how the benefits are shared. This means that governments will have to consider the needs of all their citizens, not just those who are already prosperous.”
6. Practice 2 – Match the statement to its implication
Choose the consequence that best follows from each statement. Think about the meaning, not just the words.
7. Practice 3 – Determiners in context
Choose the correct word or phrase. Pay attention to whether the noun is countable or uncountable, whether the reference is general or specific, and whether the sentence refers to one, two or more things.
(The delegates at this conference.)
8. Practice 4 – Put the noun phrases in order
Arrange the words to make a natural noun phrase. Type the complete phrase, using the words given. Remember that more than one kind of word may come before the noun.
A useful reminder
Predeterminers such as all, both and half can come before a central determiner: all the delegates, both our proposals, half those resources.
Numbers and ordinals normally come before adjectives: the first three important sessions.
Adjectives and noun modifiers normally come before the main noun: several major international agreements.
- both speakers
- all the other delegates
- the first three important sessions
- half of the available places
- several of those international agreements
- all our other major energy projects
- both of his younger colleagues
- the next two international climate conferences
- a considerable number of those highly qualified young researchers
9. Practice 5 – Correct or incorrect?
Some of the following sentences are correct; others contain a determiner or quantifier error. Select Correct or Incorrect.
- Correct.
- Incorrect: A large number of countries.
- Correct.
- Incorrect: Each of the delegates has received.
- Correct. A number of takes a plural verb.
- Incorrect: The number of people ... is expected.
10. What will have happened – and what will this mean?
Here are some possible developments by 2050. Match each one with a consequence. Then try reversing the task: read the consequence and write a possible statement about what will have happened.
| Possible development by 2050 | This means that ... |
|---|---|
| More people will have moved to urban areas. | more housing and transport will be needed. |
| Some industries will have adopted new technology. | many workers will need opportunities to learn new skills. |
| Several countries will have invested in water conservation. | they may be better prepared for periods of shortage. |
| A larger proportion of electricity will have come from renewable sources. | energy systems will have changed substantially. |
Your turn: Complete these sentences with your own ideas. Use a suitable determiner or quantifying expression in each answer.
- By 2050, most of the world's population will have __________. This means that __________.
- By 2050, a considerable amount of __________ will have __________. This means that __________.
- By 2050, some countries will have __________, while others will have __________. This means that __________.
11. The final conference report
At the end of the conference, the delegates agree on a short statement:
“The world of 2050 will reflect the decisions made by many different people and institutions over several decades. Some of the challenges discussed at this conference will have been addressed successfully; others may have become more difficult. A number of countries will have made significant progress, but not all communities will have benefited equally.
“Most of the delegates believe that international cooperation will remain essential. Neither one country nor one organisation can deal with every global challenge alone. Each of us has a responsibility to consider the consequences of our choices. A great deal will depend on whether governments, businesses and individuals are prepared to work together.
“This conference has not produced all the answers. It has, however, identified some of the questions that every generation will need to ask. The future is not simply something that will happen to us. It is something that we help to create.”
12. Final revision – mixed questions
13. A final thought
Imagine that you are attending this conference in 2050. Write a short report describing three important changes that will have taken place by then. Explain what these changes mean for people, using a range of determiners and quantifying expressions.
Try to include at least one example of each:
- a general or specific reference using an article;
- a phrase expressing quantity or proportion;
- a phrase referring to a group or distribution (for example, all, each, both, some, others);
- a correctly ordered, extended noun phrase;
- a future perfect sentence followed by This means that ....
What you have revised
- Articles, general reference and specific reference.
- Countable and uncountable nouns; number, amount and proportion.
- Quantifiers of large and small quantity, including approximate proportions.
- All, both, either, neither, each and every.
- Another, other, the other and related expressions.
- Determiner combinations and noun phrase word order.
- Interrogative determiners and the use of determiners in context.
- The future perfect as a way of looking back from a future date.
End of Unit 19 – Articles, Determiners and Quantifiers.