AMBITIONS & GOALS

We often speak about our career and the future together – what work would please us and plans we make. To do this we use:

• future tenses
• sentences with “like”

Some expressions can become confused with other expressions that have a different meaning, so let us look at these forms so it is clear:

Discussing the future

Simple future with ‘will’:

EXAMPLES

• I will specialise in Trauma Care.
• I’ll specialise in Trauma Care.
• I think I’ll enjoy private practice.

Simple future with ‘going to’:

EXAMPLES

• I am going to register for more medical conferences this year.
• He is going to be one of the conference presenters.

Also, for something you think seriously about doing in the future:

• plan to 
• intend to

EXAMPLES

• He plans to apply for a fellowship in London.
• She intends to specialise in Trauma Care.
• They intend to open the new pediatric unit by year-end. 

Note the different expression

• tend to = to prefer to do something, to do something more often OR to have something happen more often

EXAMPLES

• There tend to be more female pediatricians than male.
• I tend to work with a lot of sport injury patients, and I want to specialise in this area.

What would please us

would like = more polite or refined way to say “I want”

EXAMPLES

• I would like to get that fellowship in London next year.
• He’d like to eventually go into private practice.

There are other expressions with ‘like’, but they have different meanings.

like (verb) – when something pleases you

EXAMPLES

• I like working with athletes, so I think I’ll specialise in sports injuries.
• I like the fast pace in the Emergency Room.

like (preposition) – when comparing one thing to another

EXAMPLES

• I enjoyed my studies in the past just like I enjoy my work now.
• I didn’t expect to enjoy surgery like I do!

SPEAKING PRACTICE. EXERCISE B

Practice repeating ALOUD each example sentence in the lesson above until they flow smoothly and naturally.