Will / Going to
When to use Will
Form: Will + bare infinitive
- Promises, refusals, requests, offers
- I will call you tomorrow.
- They won’t wash the dog.
- Will you be buying the red or blue car?
- Will you hand me a napkin?
- Facts, opinion-based predictions
- The soup will be delicious.
- The sun will rise at 6:53 AM.
- France will win the World Cup.
- Spontaneous decisions
- We need milk. I will buy some on my way home.
- I will pay for dinner.
- We haven’t heard from them in days. I will call them now.
When to use Going to
Form: going to + bare infinitive
- Plans
- We are going to see our friends at the party tonight.
- He is going to call the client when he gets back from lunch.
- She is going to travel to Spain by train.
- Decisions that are not spontaneous
- We haven’t heard from our neighbours. I’m going to call them this evening.
- I’m going to check the price before buying it.
- They are taking piano lessons. They are going to practice every day.
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
| I will travel OR I’ll travel | Will I travel? | I will not travel OR I won’t travel |
| You will travel OR You’ll travel | Will you travel? | You will not travel OR You won’t travel |
| He will travel OR He’ll travel | Will he travel? | He will not travel OR He won’t travel |
| She will travel OR She’ll travel | Will she travel? | She will not travel OR She won’t travel |
| It will rain OR It’ll rain | Will it rain? | It will not rain OR It won’t rain |
| We will travel OR We’ll travel | Will we travel? | We will not travel OR We won’t travel |
| You will travel OR You’ll travel | Will you travel? | You will not travel OR You won’t travel |
| They will travel OR They’ll travel | Will they travel? | They will not travel OR They won’t travel |
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
| I am going to travel OR I’m going to travel. | Am I going to I travel? | I am not going to travel OR I’m not going to travel |
| You are going to travel OR You’re going to travel. | Are you going to travel? | You are not going to travel OR You aren’t going to travel OR You’re not going to travel |
| He is going to travel OR He’s going to travel. | Is he going to travel? | He is not going to travel OR He isn’t going to travel OR He’s not going to travel |
| She is going to travel OR She’s going to travel. | Is she going to travel? | She is not going to travel OR She isn’t going to travel OR She’s not going to travel |
| It is going to rain OR It’s going to rain. | Is it going to rain? | It is not going to rain OR It isn’t going to rain OR It’s not going to rain |
| We are going to travel OR We’re going to travel. | Are we going to travel? | We are not going to travel OR We aren’t going to travel OR We’re not going to travel |
| You are going to travel OR You’re going to travel. | Are you going to travel? | You are not going to travel OR You aren’t going to travel OR You’re not going to travel |
| They are going to travel OR They’re going to travel. | Are they going to travel? | They will not travel OR They won’t travel |
Going To vs. The Verb To Go
Going to
Tip: Going to + bare infinitive = She is going to work. Expresses the future
- She is going to see a movie.
- I am going to have dinner with friends.
- We are going to play tennis Saturday.
- It is going to rain tomorrow.
To go
Tip: The verb to go: going = Present progressive tense.
Tip: The present progressive is not followed by a verb. We are going to Japan.
Tip: The present progressive tense can be used to express the future
- He is going to the office tomorrow.
- Where are you going? We are going shopping.
- They are going to the museum Saturday.
- Juan is having a barbecue Friday night. Are you going?
- Are we going hiking tomorrow?
- She is going with them.
Tip: We can use going to OR to go:
- We are going hiking tomorrow OR We are going to go hiking tomorrow.
- We are going sailing OR We are going to go sailing.
Tip: They are making polenta for dinner. The verb to make: present progressive tense. Expresses the future.
Tip: They are going to make a polenta for dinner. Going to + base verb: expresses the future.
To talk about the future, we can use
- Will+ bare infinitive
- Going to + bare infinitive
- the simple present tense (Scheduled event)
- the present progressive / present continuous tense
Examples:
- They will call us when they arrive
- They are going to drive all day
- The flight leaves at 6 AM. The movie starts at 8 PM.
- They are leaving next week.
