Tóm tắt

Cấu trúc Mức độ chắc chắn Phù hợp
will / will not Chắc chắn cao Writing, Speaking cả hai
is likely / unlikely to Có khả năng cao/thấp Writing, Speaking Part 3
may / might Không chắc lắm Cả hai, đặc biệt khi nêu ý thận trọng
could possibly / could well Có thể (khá chắc) Speaking, Writing informal
there is a (strong/real) chance that Xác suất vừa phải Cả hai
is expected / predicted / projected to Dự báo chuyên môn Writing, formal speaking

Tại sao quan trọng

Trong IELTS Speaking Part 3, examiner hay hỏi: - "What do you think will happen to [X] in the future?" - "Do you think [trend] will continue?" - "How might [issue] change in the next decade?"

Câu trả lời "I think it will be better" quá đơn giản. Band 7+ cần dùng các cấu trúc suy đoán đa dạng, kết hợp với lý do giải thích.

PHẦN 1: WILL — Dự đoán chắc chắn

[Subject] will [verb].
[Subject] will not / won't [verb] unless [condition].
It is clear / almost certain that [subject] will [verb].

"Will" dùng khi bạn khá chắc chắn về điều gì sẽ xảy ra — hoặc khi nêu hậu quả logic.

Speaking:

  • "I think technology will continue to reshape the job market over the next decade."
  • "It's almost certain that electric vehicles will replace petrol cars within the next twenty years."
  • "The population of cities will grow significantly as more people move away from rural areas."

Writing:

  • "If current trends continue, the global average temperature will rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius before 2050."
  • "Without urgent intervention, antibiotic resistance will become one of the most serious public health crises of the 21st century."

PHẦN 2: IS LIKELY / UNLIKELY TO — Mức độ xác suất rõ ràng

[Subject] is likely / unlikely to [verb].
[Subject] is highly / fairly likely to [verb].
It is likely / unlikely that [clause].

"Likely" thể hiện xác suất cao nhưng không hoàn toàn chắc chắn — rất phổ biến trong IELTS Writing.

Speaking:

  • "Remote working is likely to become the norm in many industries, at least for knowledge-based jobs."
  • "I think traditional shops are unlikely to survive unless they offer something online retailers can't."
  • "It's fairly likely that more countries will adopt renewable energy policies in the next few years."

Writing:

  • "It is likely that automation will displace a significant number of low-skilled jobs within the next two decades."
  • "Urban populations are unlikely to decline in the near future, given continued rural-to-urban migration."
  • "It is highly likely that AI will transform the healthcare sector, enabling faster and more accurate diagnoses."

PHẦN 3: MAY / MIGHT — Suy đoán dè dặt, thận trọng

[Subject] may / might [verb].
[Subject] may / might not [verb].
[Subject] may well [verb]. (= probably will)

"May" và "might" thể hiện khả năng không chắc — rất hữu ích khi bạn không muốn khẳng định quá mạnh.

Speaking:

  • "Climate change might make some parts of the world uninhabitable in the long run."
  • "Younger generations may have very different views on marriage and family life."
  • "This trend may well reverse as governments begin to introduce stricter regulations."

Writing:

  • "Advances in biotechnology may eventually enable the elimination of certain genetic diseases."
  • "The widespread adoption of AI in education might widen the gap between well-resourced and under-resourced schools."
  • "While some jobs may be lost to automation, new roles may well emerge in sectors that do not yet exist."

PHẦN 4: COULD / COULD POSSIBLY / COULD WELL — Khả năng vừa phải

[Subject] could [verb].
[Subject] could possibly [verb].
[Subject] could well [verb]. (= có khả năng cao)

Speaking:

  • "I suppose this could possibly lead to a significant shift in how young people view work."
  • "If more countries adopt electric vehicles, it could dramatically reduce air pollution in cities."
  • "It could well be that the next major technological breakthrough comes from an unexpected field."

Writing:

  • "The expansion of urban public transport networks could encourage more people to abandon their cars."
  • "A failure to invest in education could have severe long-term consequences for economic productivity."

PHẦN 5: IS EXPECTED / PREDICTED / PROJECTED TO — Văn phong học thuật

Những cấu trúc này nghe trang trọng và học thuật hơn — phù hợp với Writing Task 2 và Speaking Part 3 ở mức cao.

[Subject] is expected / predicted / projected to [verb].
It is expected / predicted / projected that [clause].
Experts / analysts predict / forecast that [clause].

Writing:

  • "The global population is projected to reach approximately 10 billion by 2050."
  • "It is predicted that the demand for skilled workers in the technology sector will outstrip supply significantly in the coming decade."
  • "Renewable energy is expected to account for over 50% of global electricity generation by 2035."

Speaking:

  • "Experts predict that AI-driven tools will transform most professional industries within a generation."
  • "The economy is expected to recover gradually, although uncertainties remain."

PHẦN 6: THERE IS A CHANCE THAT — Tự nhiên trong Speaking

There is a (real / strong / good / slight) chance that [clause].
There is little / no chance that [clause].

Speaking:

  • "There's a real chance that we'll see major cities completely powered by renewables within our lifetimes."
  • "There's a good chance that social media platforms will face much stricter regulation in the near future."
  • "Honestly, there's very little chance that people will give up their smartphones willingly."

PHẦN 7: KẾT HỢP SỰ SUY ĐOÁN VỚI LÝ DO

Một câu suy đoán đơn giản không đủ cho Band 7+. Kết hợp với lý do:

[Speculation], because / since / as [reason].
[Speculation], given that [evidence/trend].
[Speculation], particularly if [condition].
[Speculation], unless [obstacle/counter-condition].

Speaking:

  • "Remote working is likely to become more widespread, particularly as companies realise they can reduce overheads without sacrificing productivity."
  • "Electric vehicles will probably replace petrol cars within two decades, given that battery technology is improving rapidly and costs are falling."
  • "The population of cities may continue to grow, unless governments invest significantly in improving quality of life in rural areas."

Writing:

  • "It is likely that income inequality will worsen in the short term, given the current pace of automation and the lack of adequate retraining programmes."
  • "Global temperatures will almost certainly continue to rise, unless radical and immediate action is taken by both governments and individuals."

Lỗi thường gặp

Lỗi 1: Dùng "will" cho mọi câu suy đoán

  • ❌ "Technology will change everything. People will use AI every day. Companies will be more productive."
  • ✅ Xen kẽ: will → is likely to → might → could → is expected to

Lỗi 2: "Might could" hoặc "might will" (không tồn tại)

  • ❌ "This might could happen." / "It might will change."
  • ✅ "This might happen." / "It could change."

Lỗi 3: Không giải thích lý do sau suy đoán

  • ❌ "I think electric cars will be popular in the future."
  • ✅ "Electric cars are likely to become the dominant form of personal transport, given the rapid improvement in battery technology and the growing pressure on governments to reduce emissions."

Lỗi 4: Nhầm "may" và "might" (sự khác biệt nhỏ)

  • "May" = khả năng cao hơn một chút
  • "Might" = khả năng thấp hơn một chút / giả định hơn
  • Trong IELTS, cả hai đều chấp nhận được và sự khác biệt không đáng kể.

Bài tập luyện

Trả lời các câu hỏi Speaking sau (2-3 câu, dùng ít nhất 2 cấu trúc suy đoán):

  1. "Do you think people will work shorter hours in the future?"
  2. "How do you think cities will change in the next 50 years?"

Đáp án gợi ý:

  1. "It's quite likely that working hours will decrease in many industries, particularly as automation takes over repetitive tasks. There's a good chance that a four-day work week will become the norm in many countries within the next generation, though this may not apply equally across all sectors."

  2. "Cities are expected to grow considerably more dense and technologically advanced. Public spaces will probably be redesigned around sustainability — with more green areas, better cycling infrastructure, and reduced car use. It's possible that some cities might be designed from scratch as entirely carbon-neutral environments, though it's equally likely that upgrading existing cities will remain the more realistic challenge."

Tóm tắt nhanh

TỪ CHẮC ĐẾN KHÔNG CHẮC:

CHẮC CHẮN NHẤT:
  will → "Technology will transform healthcare."
  is expected/predicted/projected to → "The population is projected to reach 10 billion."

CÓ KHẢ NĂNG CAO:
  is likely to → "This trend is likely to continue."
  could well → "This could well lead to major changes."
  may well → "Attitudes may well shift over time."

KHÔNG CHẮC LẮM:
  may / might → "This might create new challenges."
  there is a chance that → "There's a chance that..."

CÓ THỂ:
  could possibly → "This could possibly happen."
  could → "This could have serious consequences."

CÔNG THỨC ĐẦY ĐỦ:
  [speculation] + because/given that/unless/particularly if + [reason/condition]