Will, going to and the present continuous

One student said the most difficult thing about English for him is the future.
He said “I don’t know when to use “will” or “be going to” or the present
continuous. It’s awful!”
They’re all common ways to talk about the future.
And they’re tricky because sometimes their uses overlap, and sometimes
they don’t.
So we’re going to to look at the three basics – facts and predictions, plans
and making decisions.
And we have a story for you so you can see them in action.
Let’s start with facts and predictions.

Welcome. I am Madame Victoire and I will unlock the mysteries of the

future.
How much do you charge?
You get three predictions for three hundred dollars.
That’s a lot of money.
Three predictions with 100% accuracy and a money back guarantee.
Oh, so if your predictions are wrong, I get my money back.
Yes. It won’t cost you a penny. But I’m never wrong.
OK. I’ll do it. But here’s the thing. I have a very important job interview
tomorrow morning …
Shhh. Let me see… Hmmm, I see black clouds. It’s going to rain tomorrow.
Really? The weather forecast says it’s going to be sunny.
Oh you’re right. The ball was a little dirty. Tomorrow will be sunny.

I don’t trust Madame Victoire.

She says she’s 100% accurate.
We’ll see about that.

Facts and predictions: will and going to

OK, let’s look at some of the things she said.

We often use the verb ‘will’ to state facts about the future and make
predictions. Will is a modal verb and the negative is won’t – will – not –
won’t.

It won’t cost you a penny.

Sometimes it’s hard to hear ‘will’ when we’re speaking fast because we use
contractions: I’ll, you’ll, we’ll, they’ll, he’ll, she’ll and it’ll. It’ll be sunny
tomorrow.
But with facts and predictions ‘will’ isn’t the only verb we use. We also use
‘be going to’. It’s the present continuous form of the verb ‘go’ and it’s very
common. Notice the pronunciation again. When we’re speaking fast we
don’t say going to, we say gonna.
So here’s the question. Is there a difference in meaning with ‘will’ and ‘be
going to’?
A lot of the time, there’s no difference. We can say ‘will’ or ‘going to’ and it
means the same thing.
A mistake students often make is they use ‘will’ too much. It doesn’t sound
natural.
And also there are some situations where we don’t say ‘will’.
If a prediction is based on present evidence, we say ‘going to’ – not will.
We saw an example of that too.

Hmmm, I see black clouds. It’s going to rain tomorrow.

The evidence was the black clouds, so she said ‘It’s gonna rain.’
She saw that rain was on its way.
It would sound odd to say ‘will’ here.
‘Going to’ is more natural because she’s looking at evidence. She can see
the rain coming.
Here’s another example. I’m gonna have a problem with that fortune teller.
That’s your prediction?
Yes, and I’m saying ‘gonna’, because I saw signs that she wasn’t very
good.
Her crystal ball was dirty.
Exactly, so I’m predicting that she’s going to be a problem.
Then let’s see what happens next.

Am I going to get the job?

Oh dear. Oh dear.
What do you see? Is there a problem?
There’ll be a lot of traffic on the highway tomorrow. How are you getting to
that job interview?
I’m walking.
Well don’t take the highway.
I’m not taking the highway. I’m going on foot.
Just as well.

Future plans: going to and the present continuous

We heard another prediction there: There’ll be a lot of traffic on the

highway.
But there’s always a lot of traffic on the highway. Anyone could predict that.
True. OK, we heard another future form there.

How are you getting to that job interview?

I’m walking.

We heard the present continuous. We often use this form to talk about
future plans and arrangements.
If it’s not clear that we mean the future and not now, we state a time.
How are you getting to your job interview tomorrow?
We use ‘going to’ and the present continuous to talk about future plans.
And again, in lots of situations, you can use either.
So is there a difference in meaning with these forms? We use ‘going to’ to
talk about intentions – things we intend to do. And we use the present
continuous to talk about arrangements and appointments with other people.
But many future events are both intentions and arrangements, so in a lot of
cases either form works.
But if the verb is ‘go’, we normally use the present continuous and not ‘be
going to’. We heard an example of that.

I’m going on foot.

You could also say ‘I’m going to go on foot.’ It’s grammatically OK, but it
doesn’t sound so natural. With the verb ‘go’ we generally use the present
continuous.
We’ll say things like I’m going to the shops. I’m going by bus. I’m going
home.
Yes, we could say ‘I’m going to go to the shops’ but it sounds repetitive.
We generally avoid it. Use the present continuous with the verb ‘go’
instead.
Are we going to see what happens next in the story?
Yeah, OK.
I need to know about my job interview. What questions are they going to
ask me?
Oh this is interesting. Well I never!
Is it good news?
Yes. Do you have shares in Acme Corp?
No.
Well buy some.
I can’t. I just gave you all my money.
That’s a shame. They’re going up tomorrow. Well, that’s it then.
But you haven’t told me about my job interview.
Just let make a note of that. Buy Acme Corp ….
You haven’t answered any of my questions. You’re a fraud.
I am not!
I want my money back.
No. You’ve had three predictions and they’re 100% accurate.
I’ll call the police.
Oh no. No, no. All right. I’ll give you another one.

Decisions: will and going to

She’s a fraud.
But she offered to give you another prediction.
Yeah, but only when I threatened to call the cops.
I’ll call the police.
Oh no. No, no. All right. I’ll give you another one.
Notice she said ‘I’ll give you another one’. There’s a difference between
‘will’ and ‘going to’ when we’re making decisions.
If we’re making a spontaneous decision, we use will, not going to.
A spontaneous decision is a decision we’re making at the time of speaking.
We saw another example of that earlier.
It won’t cost you a penny.
OK. I’ll do it.
Jay said ‘I’ll do it there’ – so he used ‘will’ not ‘going to’.
I made the decision on the spot.
But if we’re talking about a decision we made earlier, we don’t say will.
We say ‘be going to’ or we use the present continuous.
Well don’t take the highway.
I’m not taking the highway. I’m going on foot.
Just as well.

So at the moment we’re making a decision, we use ‘will’.

But after we’ve made the decision it becomes our intention or plan.
And then we use ‘going to’ or the present continuous because the
decision’s already made and now it’s a plan.
It’s logical if you think about it.
I think we need a review.
We use ‘be going to’ and ‘will’ to talk about future facts and to make
predictions. In most situations we can say ‘will’ or ‘going to’. It doesn’t
matter which one.
But if there’s evidence or if there are signs that something is on its way, we
generally use ‘be going to’.
We also use ‘be going to’ to talk about future plans. And we use the
present continuous to talk about plans as well, especially if we’re talking
about arrangements and appointments with other people.
If we’re making a decision at the time of speaking, we say ‘will’. And if we’re
talking about a decision that was made in the past, we use ‘going to’.
So those are the key rules we follow with ‘will’, ‘be going to’ and the present
continuous.
It’s not so hard, is it?
Just remember not to use ‘will’ all the time because sometimes ‘will’ doesn’t
work.
Is that it then?
Yes. Well, we still need to finish the story
Before we do, if you’ve enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up and
subscribe to our channel.
And maybe you can share it with a friend who’ll find it useful too.
Let’s finish the story then.

Tell me about my job interview. What’s going to happen?

You don’t need to worry about your job interview.
Thank goodness for that!
In fact they’re going to call you in three seconds to cancel it.
Why?
They’ve already hired someone else.
Be going to: form
We use be going to + the base form of the verb:
I’m going to take a few exams at the end of the year.
It’s going to be difficult to get a job during the summer as the tourist
industry is suffering from the economic downturn.

Be going to: uses

Be going to is commonly used in informal styles.

Intentions
We use be going to to talk about future plans and intentions. Usually the
decision about the future plans has already been made:
She’s going to be a professional dancer when she grows up.
I’m going to look for a new place to live next month.

Predictions
We use be going to to predict something that we think is certain to happen
or which we have evidence for now:
It’s going to snow again soon. (The speaker can probably see dark snow
clouds.)
Look out! He’s going to break that glass.

Commands
We use be going to when we give commands or state that something is
obligatory:
[parent to a child]
You’re going to pick up all of those toys right now. This room is a mess!

Gonna (informal contexts)

Spoken English:
We use gonna /gənə/ instead of going to in informal contexts, especially in
speaking and in song lyrics. We write gonna to show how to pronounce it:
Are you gonna try and get stuff sorted as soon as you can then? (Are you
going to try and get things organised as soon as you can?)
One day I’m gonna be a star.

Be going to or will?
Will is often used in a similar way to be going to. Will is used when we are
talking about something with absolute certainty. Be going to is used when
we want to emphasise our decision or the evidence in the present:
[An ‘A’ road is a main road. A ‘B’ road is a smaller road.]
We are now very late so we’re going to take the ‘B’ road. (the speaker
refers to the present and emphasises the decision)
I know the ‘B’ road will be quicker at this time of day. (the speaker states a
fact)

Exercises:

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the most appropriate form.

Use the verbs in brackets. ____________________________________

You must take an umbrella. It ................................................................

(rain)

I ..................................... to the cinema tonight. I already have a ticket. (go)

Are you planning any summer holiday? - I don't know yet. Perhaps
I .................................. at home. (stay)

You look pretty tired. You should have a break. - OK.

I .......................................................... a rest. (have)
Please, buy some eggs. I ............................................................ a cake.
(make)

My dad has already booked the holiday.

We ................................................... to France on 2 July. (fly) Betty is going
to driving lessons, because she ....................................................... a car.
(buy)

I've just missed my train! - No problem. I ......................................... you

there. (drive)

I can't eat anything today. I ............................................... an appointment

at the hospital tomorrow. (have)

The Sharks are much better! I'm sure they ..................................................

the Dolphins today! (beat)

What does your son want to do in future? - I hope

he ......................................... a dentist. (become)

Not at five o'clock. Look at the diary. We ................................................ Mr.

Clark at three o'clock. (meet)

2.Tim is going shopping. Mary asks him to get some things for her. ____
T: I'm going shopping. Do you need anything?
M: We've run out of coffee.
T: OK. I .................................. some. (buy)
M: And there's only one carton of milk left in the fridge.
T: I ............................... two cartons. I can make a milk shake. (get)
M: You ............................ vanilla sugar to make a milk shake, too. (need)
T: Good idea. Anything else?
M: I don't think so. What time ..............you .................. back? (come)
3. Complete the dialogues with the verbs in the box. ______________
go read give stay have see take get rain
A Why are you switching on the light?
B Because I ........................................................ for a while.
A I'm dying for a drink.
B Are you? I ....................................................................... you a glass of
juice.
A Don't forget to get in touch with Mr Clark.
B Don't worry. I ................................................... him a ring as soon as I
arrive.
A Can we meet after school?

B I'm sorry, but Sam .......................................... me out to a cafe this

afternoon.
A What a perfect day! The sun is shining...
B But look at those clouds over there. It .....................................................
Definitely.
A You look so happy! What's the matter?
B Jill and I ......................................................... a baby.
A Do you have a headache again?
B I have a splitting headache! But I ............................................ the doctor
tomorrow at 10.30.
A What are your plans for the weekend?
B Nothing special. I suppose that we ........................................... at home
as usual.
A Do you think we could come to see you at the beginning of July?
B At the beginning of July? We've already booked our holiday.
We ........................................ to Greece.

4. Choose and write the correct option.

I hope Ben ............................................. from his illness sooner or later.
• is recovering • will recover
I've already decided. I .................................................................... him any
money.
• won't lend • am not going to lend
I can see your luggage is quite heavy.
I .................................................................... it.
• will take • am going to take
....................................................... anything tonight? We could go to the
cinema.
• Will you do • Are you doing
The weather forecast says it ........................................................... soon.
• will warm up • is warming up
Sorry, I can't go out with you tonight. Jim and
I ..................................................... at the cafe.
• are meeting • will meet
Do you need an architect, because
you ........................................................................ a new shop?
• are opening • are going to open
We've already booked the tickets.
We ..................................................................... by the 10.15 train.
• are leaving • are going to leave
Please, put the vase back on the table or
you .............................................................. it.
• will break • are breaking
I've bought this old house, because
I ................................................................................................ it.
• am reconstructing • am going to reconstruct
Dad can't take you to school. He ...................................................... an
appointment at the dentist's at 8.30.
• is going to have • is having
Where are you going? - To the garden.
I ...................................................................... the hedges.
• am trimming • am going to trim

5. Make sentences with the words in brackets.

Example:
A I'm so thirsty!
B I'll get you a drink. (get | drink | you)
A It is so hot in this classroom.
B You're right. .......................................................................................
(window | open | I)
A I need your photo.
B My photo? ..........................................................................................?
(you | it | what | do | with)
A Have they bought the train tickets yet?

B Yes, they have. ...................................................................................

(catch | 6.35 | they | train)
A Can I borrow your laptop?
B No problem. ........................................................................................? (it |
need| how long | you)
A Have you decided about your entrance exam?
B Yes, I have. ......................................................................................... (not
| at | I | study | university)
A We spent our holiday in Prague last summer.

B Really? ................................................................................................
(Prague | May | go | we | in | to)
A Look at the man on the motorbike!
B Oh, no! ................................................................................................?
(crash | he | car | our | into)
A There's someone at the door. Can you answer it for me?
B At midnight? ....................................................................................... (not
| it | I | answer)
A Natasha is having a welcome party on Friday night. Are you going?

B Of course, I am. ................................................................................... (not

| anything | I | do | Friday | on)

6. Fill in the correct future tense - will future, going to or present continuous.
1. They ________ (drive) to New York tomorrow morning.
2. I hope the weather _______ (be) nice.
3. I offered him this job. I think he _______ (take) it.
4. I promise I _________ (not tell) your secret to anyone.
5. Take your umbrella with you. It ________ (rain).
6. They _______ (play) cards this evening.
7. I ________ (go) to the cinema tomorrow.
8. They __________ (fly) to Seattle next summer holidays.
9. I _______ (invite) 50 people to the party, and I hope everyone
__________ (come).
10. That exercise looks difficult. I ___________ (help) you.
11. _______ he ______ (go) to the football match?
12. Are you sure they ________ (win) the match?
13. She _____ probably ______ (stay) till Thursday.
14. He _________(not leave) tomorrow.
15. We think he __________ (come) home late in the night.

7. Fill in GOING TO or WILL future.

1. When the weather is fine, we ___________ a picnic in our garden.
(probably have)
2. _________ to ask him for help? (you ask)
3. Susan __________ the bathroom next weekend. (paint)
4. I think he __________ her name. (find out)
5. I ___________ a walk in the garden this evening. (take)
6. Let's hope that the wind ________ away the clouds. (blow)
7. Mary _________ a good mark because she has studied hard. (get).
8. Are you sure, you __________ in a tent in your holidays? (sleep)
9. Peter ___________ his new bike in the park. (ride)
10. I hope Jane _________ me to her party. (invite).
11. I _____________ dad's car tomorrow afternoon. (wash)
12. Mum thinks dad ________ home early tonight. (come)
13. It __________ very cold in the mountains. Take a sweater with you.
(probably be)
14. We __________ our bikes in the park. Can you come with us? (ride)
15. It's my birthday next Friday. Mum ___________ a cake. (bake)
8. Complete the sentences with the verbs below. Use will or to be going
to.

not buy / take / be / raise / win / not travel / see / like / spend / be / go / work
/ earn / get / save / love / buy / not be

1. I'm sure your dad his Christmas present.

2. I think I in Cartagena when I finish school.

3. Peter a new appartment with the money he won.

4. Rose with her parents because she has to study.

5. We a film at the new cinema tonight.

6. I think the new TV programme really successful.

7. I think I rich in the future.

8. We have decided that we next Christmas with my

grandparents.

9. I don't think your parents your new boyfriend.

10. The Maths teacher to school tomorrow because he is ill.

11. "My plane leaves at 7 but I don't know how to get to the airport".
"Don't worry, I you there"

12. We don't want to spend more money on clothes. We it for

the summer holidays.

13. My friends and I tonight for the English exam.

14. Do you think they enough money for charity?

15. We are late. I'm sure the teacher very angry.

16. I've decided that we the house because it is too

expensive.

17. The film is great. I think it many prizes.

18. He has got a job as accountant but I don't think she much
money.

9. Choose the best option.

1. I hope you to phone me when you get there.

2. We to the shopping centre to buy some shoes.

3. The new programme after the news.

4. I the doctor at five.

5. The plane at seven in the morning.

6. My friends and I at the restaurant to have lunch.

7. My parents think we at home in the future.

8. It's a funny film. I'm sure you it.

9. We to Paris on Sunday.

10. The boat until nine o'clock.

10. Choose the correct form.

1. I ............... (fly) to Greece tomorrow.

o flying

o ’m flying

o will fly

o am going to fly
2. I’m sure that Jane ................. (not be) a plumber.
 o will not be

o isn’t going to be

o isn’t being

o is not go to be
3. ’I’m very hungry.’ ’Oh, I ................. (give) you a sandwich’.

o ’m giving

o won’t give

o ’m going to give

o ’ll give
4. Look at Terry. He ................. (jump).

o is going to jump

o are jumping

o will jump

o is jumping
5. We ................. (play) basketball next Wednesday.

o ’s playing

o are going to play

o are playing

o will play
6. Perhaps Sally ................. (get) well soon.

o will get

o is getting
 o is going to get

o gets
7. Watch out! Some sharks ................. (attack) you.

o will attack

o are attacking

o is attacking

o are going to attack

8. Maria ................. (go) on a school trip next weekend.

o ’s going to go

o ’s going

o will go

o ’’’ll going
9. Look! The thief ................. (run) away.

o is running

o is going to ran

o will run

o is going to run
10. I hope that they ................. (make) up with their parents.

o will make

o are making

o are going to make

o are makeing