Future Tense:
Going To Vs. Will

Read The Following Examples And Guess When
To Use “Be Going To” And “Will”
• I think it will rain tomorrow.
• I am going to meet bill tonight at 5 p.m
Will
am going to
Auxiliary verbs

I. FORM:
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I will see I won't see Will I see….?
Will
Be Going to
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I am going to see I am not going to see Am I going to see….?

Julie: There's no milk.
John: Really? In that case, I'll go
and get some.
(He has just decided this right
now)
Julie: There's no milk.
John: I know. I'm going to go and get
some when this TV programme
finishes.
A DECISION AT THE MOMENT
OF SPEAKING:
A DECISION BEFORE THE
MOMENT OF SPEAKING:

• I think the Conservatives will win
the next election.
Ps: If we are not so certain about the
future, we use 'will' with expressions
such as 'probably', 'possibly', 'I
think', 'I hope'.
The Conservatives are going to win
the election. They have already won
most of the votes.
A PREDICTION BASED ON
OPINION:
A PREDICTION BASED ON
EVIDENCE.

A FUTURE FACT:
• The sun will rise tomorrow at 6 a.m.
• The President will serve for four years.
• We will study for 3 hours.

Making Promises / Refusals/ Invite
/ hope:
• I'll help you tomorrow, if you
like.
• I hope you'll visit me in my home
one day.

Present Simple Tense: For Scheduled Events
Present simple tense is used for a timetabled events in the future, like
public transport or the start of a class:
• My train leaves at six tonight.
• His class starts at 9am tomorrow.

Present Continuous Tense: For Arrangements:
The present continuous tense is used in talking about arrangements:
• I'm going to travel to Spain next week.
• I'm traveling to Spain next week.

• I am sorry I can’t talk to you now. I will call you later
• I am sorry I can’t talk to you now. I am going to call you later
PRACTICE: CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:

• Stephanie will have a baby in June
• Stephanie is going to have a baby in June

• There isn’t much petrol left. We’ll run out.
• There isn’t much petrol left. We’re going to run out.

A decision at the moment of speaking:
(The phone rings)
Julie: I will get it!
A decision before the moment of speaking:
I'm going to go on holiday next week.
A prediction based on opinion:
I think I will miss the bus.
A prediction based on physical
evidence.
The traffic is terrible. I am going to miss my
flight.
A future fact:
The sun will rise tomorrow at 6 a.M
For promises / requests / refusals/ invite /
offers:
I'll help you tomorrow, if you like.
II. USAGE:

1. I think he …….…(be) the next President of the United States.
2. After I graduate, I ……….................…(attend) medical school and become a doctor. I
have wanted to be a doctor all my life.
3. A: I can't hear the television!
B: I ……….(turn) it up so you can hear it.
4. We are so excited about our trip next month to France. We
……………………(visit) Paris, Nice and Grenoble.
EXERCISE: FILL THE BLANK WITH “BE GOING TO” OR
“WILL”.
will be
am going to attend
Will turn
are going to visit