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A2 Pre-intermediate
A2 grammar contents
A2Future

Will vs be going to

Choose will mainly for decisions made now, offers and opinion-based predictions, and be going to for earlier intentions or predictions based on evidence you can see now.

Overview

What this grammar does

Choose will mainly for decisions made now, offers and opinion-based predictions, and be going to for earlier intentions or predictions based on evidence you can see now.

Form and rules

How it works

1

Use will for a decision made at the moment of speaking: The phone is ringing. I'll answer it.

2

Use will for offers, promises and predictions based mainly on opinion: I think it'll be busy.

3

Use be going to for an intention or plan decided before speaking: We're going to paint the kitchen.

4

Use be going to for a prediction based on present evidence: Look at those clouds. It's going to rain.

5

The two forms can sometimes overlap. Focus on why the speaker chooses the form rather than treating the rule as an absolute formula.

A closer look

Meaning and use

Use be going to for a prediction based on present evidence: Look at those clouds. It's going to rain.

The two forms can sometimes overlap. Focus on why the speaker chooses the form rather than treating the rule as an absolute formula.

Examples

See the pattern in complete sentences

I'll help you with those bags.

I think Brazil will win.

We're going to paint the kitchen this weekend.

Look out! You're going to drop it.

I won't tell anyone.

Common mistakes

What to avoid

The phone is ringing. I am going to answer it.
The phone is ringing. I will answer it.

The decision is made at the moment of speaking, so will is the natural choice.

We've already bought the paint. We will paint the bedroom this weekend.
We've already bought the paint. We are going to paint the bedroom this weekend.

Buying the paint shows that the plan existed before speaking, so be going to fits the intention.

Ready to practise?

The test combines multiple choice, gap completion, error correction, and sentence building so students have to recognise and produce the grammar, not simply reread the rule.

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