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What's The Difference? 'Will' and 'Be Going To'

Will + infinitive expresses a decision made at the moment of speaking, while be going to + infinitive expresses a decision made before speaking, based on evidence or plans. Will is used for predictions based on opinion, promises, and statements of future fact. Be going to is used to talk about intentions or predictions based on visible evidence. Both can be used to talk about future arrangements, with be going to sounding more planned and will sounding more spontaneous. The present simple is used for timetabled events and sentences with future meaning signaled by words like before, after, as soon as, until, when.

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38 views

What's The Difference? 'Will' and 'Be Going To'

Will + infinitive expresses a decision made at the moment of speaking, while be going to + infinitive expresses a decision made before speaking, based on evidence or plans. Will is used for predictions based on opinion, promises, and statements of future fact. Be going to is used to talk about intentions or predictions based on visible evidence. Both can be used to talk about future arrangements, with be going to sounding more planned and will sounding more spontaneous. The present simple is used for timetabled events and sentences with future meaning signaled by words like before, after, as soon as, until, when.

Uploaded by

Dimitri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What's the difference?

'Will' and 'be going to'


Will + infinitive Be going to + infinitive
A decision at the moment of
A decision before the moment of speaking:
speaking:
Julie: There's no milk.
Julie: There's no milk.
John: I know. I'm going to go and get some
John: Really? In that case, I'll
when this TV programme finishes.
go and get some.
A prediction based on something we can see (or
A prediction based on opinion:
hear) now:
I think the Conservatives will
The Conservatives are going to win the election.
win the next election.
They already have most of the votes.
A future fact:

The sun will rise tomorrow.


For promises / requests /
refusals / offers:

I'll help you tomorrow, if you


like.

More examples:

 (The phone rings)


Julie: I'll get it!
('I'm going to get it' is very strange, because it makes us think that Julie knew the
phone was going to ring before it did).

 I'm going to go on holiday next week.


('I'll go on holiday next week' makes it sound like you've only just decided at that
minute. Of course, this is possible, but normally we plan our holidays more in
advance!).

Other points about the future:

We use the present continuous tense for definite future arrangements. Often,


it doesn't really matter if we choose 'be going to' or the present continuous. In the
following example, there is really very little difference in meaning:
 I'm going to the cinema tonight.
 I'm going to go to the cinema tonight.

We use the present simple tense in two cases. First, we use it for a timetabled
event in the future, like public transport or the start of a class:

 My train leaves at six tonight.


 His class starts at 9am tomorrow.

Second, we use it after certain words, when the sentence has a future meaning.
These words are: before / after / as soon as / until / when:

 I'll call you when I get home.


 She's going to study after she finishes dinner.
 Please drink some water as soon as you complete the race.

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