B1Future

Will, going to and present continuous

Choose future forms by viewpoint: will for decisions/offers/opinion predictions, going to for prior intentions or evidence, and present continuous for fixed arrangements.

Overview

What this grammar does

Choose future forms by viewpoint: will for decisions/offers/opinion predictions, going to for prior intentions or evidence, and present continuous for fixed arrangements.

Form and rules

How it works

Use will for spontaneous decisions, offers, promises and predictions mainly based on opinion.

Use be going to for intentions decided before speaking and predictions based on present evidence.

Use the present continuous for organized arrangements involving a future time, place or other person.

More than one future form can sometimes be possible, but the meaning changes with the speaker's viewpoint.

Do not choose a form only because you see tomorrow or next week; identify whether the sentence expresses decision, intention, evidence or arrangement.

A closer look

Meaning and use

More than one future form can sometimes be possible, but the meaning changes with the speaker's viewpoint.

Do not choose a form only because you see tomorrow or next week; identify whether the sentence expresses decision, intention, evidence or arrangement.

Examples

See the pattern in complete sentences

I'll answer the door.

I think the economy will improve.

We're going to renovate the kitchen.

Look at that child! He's going to fall.

I'm meeting the designer at two tomorrow.

Common mistakes

What to avoid

The phone's ringing. I am going to get it.

The phone's ringing. I will get it.

The speaker decides at the moment of speaking, so will is the natural form.

We've saved enough money and already decided what model we want, so we will buy a new car.

We've saved enough money and already decided what model we want, so we are going to buy a new car.

The intention existed before speaking, so be going to expresses the prior plan.

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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