Idioms: talking about the future

This ESL worksheet helps learners master 14 idiomatic expressions related to the future, ambition, and life changes, such as a matter of time, on the horizon, stepping stone, what the future holds, and time will tell. Through natural dialogues, matching tasks, sentence completion, multiple-choice questions, and discussion-based activities, students build confidence and fluency using these idioms in realistic contexts.

In the first activity, students are introduced to idioms like stepping stone, on the horizon, what the future holds, and in the long run through a short, relatable conversation. Learners then match each bolded idiom to its meaning. Next, students complete a gap-fill exercise using idioms from a word bank, followed by a few discussion questions.

In the next dialogue-based activity, students encounter a new set of idioms, including cross that bridge when we come to it, further down the line, the best is yet to come, and around the corner. These expressions are then matched to definitions and practiced through a multiple-choice quiz. Students then discuss personal discussion questions that allow them to reflect on career goals, future plans, and long-term dreams using the new vocabulary.

To deepen critical thinking, students respond to common life situations such as job dissatisfaction or feeling lost in a new city. Each response requires an encouraging or problem-solving phrase that uses one of the idioms from the lesson.

In the final task, learners engage with eight predictions—like “AI will replace most human jobs” and “Cash will disappear completely”—and are encouraged to express their opinions, predict outcomes, and evaluate changes using idiomatic language.

This worksheet is ideal for upper-intermediate to advanced ESL learners aiming to enrich their vocabulary, express ideas about the future more naturally, and develop the confidence to speak about long-term plans and social change.

For extra speaking practice, pair this worksheet with the printable follow-up prompts or flashcards.