Unit

23 I will and I'm going to

Future actions

Study the difference between w ill and (be) going to:

Sarah is talking to Helen: Will ('11): W e use w ill to announce a new

decision. The party is a new idea.
le t's have a party That's a great idea.
We'll invite lots of people.

decision
now

W e'll

past now future

SARAH HELEN

Later that day, Helen meets Dan: (be) going to: We use (be) going to when
S' "■
we have already decided to do something.
Sarah and I have decided to have a party.
We're going to invite lots of people. Helen had already decided to invite lots
of people before she spoke to Dan.

decision
before
I
WeVe going to ...

past now future

HELEN DAN

v.. .
■ v. ■ ., -A M. V- -\
Compare:
'Gary phoned while you were out.' ‘OK. I'll call him back.'
'Gary phoned while you were out.’ 'Yes, I know. I'm going to call him back.'
'Anna is in hospital.' 'Oh really? I didn't know. I'll go and visit her.'
‘Anna is in hospital.' ‘Yes, I know. I'm going to visit her this evening.'

Future happenings and situations (predicting the future)

We use both will and going to to predict future happenings and situations. So you can say:
O I think the weather will be nice later, or
I think the weather is going to be nice later.
Those shoes are well-made. They'll last a long time, or
Those shoes are well-made. They're going to last a long time.

When we say something is going to happen, we know this from the situation now. What is happening
now shows that something is going to happen in the future. For example:
Look at those black clouds. It's going to rain, (not It will rain)
(We can see that it is going to rain from the clouds that are in the sky now.)
O I feel terrible. I think I'm going to be sick, (not I think I'll be sick)
(I think I'm going to be sick because I feel terrible now.)
Do not use will in this type of situation.

I'm going to Unit 20 W ill *♦ Units 21-22 The future -¥ Appendix B

Exercises
Complete the sentences using w ill ('11) or going to.
1 a: W h y are you turning on the T V ?
b: Iw 90'ung. to votxicb the news. (I/ w a tc h )
2 a: Oh, I've just realised. I haven't got any money.
i will lend
b: H aven't yo u ? W ell, don't worry. you some. (I / lend)
3 a : I've got a headache.
b: Have y o u ? W a it a second and i will get an aspirin for you. (I / get)
4 a : Why are you filling that bucket with water?
b: i' m going to wash the car. (I/ w a s h )
5 a : I've decided to repaint this room.
b: Oh, have y o u ? W h a t colourare you going to paint it? (y o u / p a in t)
6 a : W here are you going? Are you going shopping?
b: Yes, i'm going to buy some things for dinner. (I / buy)
7 a : I don't know how to use the washing machine.
b: It's easy. i will show you. (I / show)
8 a : W h a t would you like to eat?
b: i will have a pizza, please. (I / have)
9 a: Did you call Lisa?
b: Oh, no. I com pletely forgot. i .will call her now. (I / call)
10 a: Has Dan decided w h at to do when he leaves school?
b: Yes. Everything is planned. he will have a holiday for a few weeks.
(he / have) Then he will do ... am anagem ent training course, {h e / d o )

Read the situations and complete thesentences usingw ill (HI)or going to.
1 The phone rings and you answer. Som ebody wants to speak to John.
c a l l er : Hello. Can I speak to John, please?
yo u: Just a moment. I LL get him. (I /g et)
2 It's a nice day, so you have decided to take a walk. Just before you go, you tell your friend.
i will take
yo u: The weather's too nice to stay in. ..................................................... a walk. (I / take)
f r ie n d : Good idea! I think
i willl join........................ you. (I/ jo in )
3 Your friend is worried because she has lost her driving licence.
yo u: D on't worry. I'm sure you will find it. (you / find)
f r ie n d : I hope so.
4 There was a job advertised in the paper recently. At first you were interested, but then you
decided not to apply.
f r ie n d : Have you decided w h at to do about that job you were interested in?
yo u: i will not
Y es ,............... apply.......... . ... for it. (I / not / apply)
5 You and a friend are stuck in traffic. You have to be in a meeting in five minutes and you need at
least another 20 minutes to get there.
yo u: The m eeting begins in five minutes. we.........
are going to be...................
late (w e / be late)
6 Ann and Sam are staying at a hotel. Their room is in very badcondition, especially the ceiling.
ann : The ceiling doesn't look very safe, does it?
sa m: No, it looks as if it ...............
going to fall down.......................................... (it / fall down)
7 Paul has to go to the airport to catch a plane tom orrow morning.
pa u l : Kate, I need som ebody to take me to the airport tom orrow morning.
k a t e: That's no problem. i will take you. (I / take) W h a t tim e is your flight?
pa u l : 10.30.
k a t e: OK, i will
....... pick you up at your house at about 8 o'clock then. (I / pick)
Later that day, Joe offers to take Paul to the airport.
jo e: Paul, do you w ant me to take you to the airport?
pa u l : No thanks, Joe. kate will take me. (Kate / take)

Additional exercises 10-13 (pages 308-10)