Will vs going to

Will and be going to are two of the most common ways to talk about the future in English. We often use will for decisions made at the moment of speaking, predictions based on opinions or beliefs, and expressions of willingness such as offers and promises. We use be going to mainly for plans and intentions decided before speaking and predictions based on present evidence.

In traditional English teaching, will + bare infinitive is often called the future simple. Strictly speaking, English does not have a separate inflected future form of the verb; future time can be expressed using will, be going to and several other structures.

How to form will and be going to

Will is a modal auxiliary verb and is followed by the bare infinitive form of the main verb. Be going to is formed with the appropriate present form of be (am, is, are) + going to + the bare infinitive form of the main verb.

Contractions with will and be going to

The contractions of will are as follows (note the pronunciation of it’ll):

In negative sentences, the contractions of will in the table above can be used before not (e.g., It’ll not work); however, it is more common to contract will and not to make won’t: It won’t work.

Be going to follows the regular contractions of be with the subject in the present (I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, they’re). In negative sentences, not follows be, and is not and are not can also be contracted to isn’t and aren’t.

Will vs going to summary

The table below gives you a quick checklist of when you would use will and when you would use going to:

When do we use will and going to?

Will and be going to are both commonly used to talk about the future, but they are used in different ways depending on the meaning the speaker wants to express. The differences between them are explained in more detail below.

1. Decisions made now vs plans already decided

We often use will when a decision is made at the moment of speaking. Use be going to when the plan or intention existed before the current conversation. The important difference is when the decision was made, not simply how certain the future event is.

If you decide on a future event at the moment of speaking, use will:

• There’s no milk in the fridge; I’ll go to the supermarket to buy more.
• It’s just started to rain, so I’ll go for a jog when it’s stopped.
• It’s a bit cold in here. I’ll turn on the heating.
• What would you like to order? I will have the salmon.

If the future event has already been planned and is therefore an intention, use going to:

• We’re going to buy a new car next month.
• I’m not going to watch TV until my homework is finished.
• What are you going to have for lunch today?
• I am going to visit my parents at the weekend.

2. Predictions: opinion vs present evidence

Both will and be going to can be used to make predictions. We commonly use will when a prediction is based mainly on an opinion, belief or expectation. We use be going to when the prediction follows from evidence or a situation that is already developing.

• I think our team will win. (a prediction based on opinion)
• We’re 3 – 0 up with two minutes left. We’re going to win. (a prediction based on evidence)

• You’ll love this book. (a confident prediction based on what you believe)
• You’re going to love this book. (a confident prediction based on knowledge of your preferences)

• It will rain this afternoon. (a confident prediction based on what you believe)
• Look at those black clouds; it’s going to rain. (a confident prediction based on what you can see)

• The Conservatives will win the next election. (a confident prediction based on what you believe)
• According to the latest polls, the Conservatives are going to win the election. (a confident prediction based on evidence)

Sometimes we are not 100% confident with our predictions and need to weaken them to make them more cautious. This is known as hedging. The most common way to hedge our predictions is to use the phrase I think at the start of the sentence:

• I think Germany will win the World Cup.
• I think Germany is going to win the World Cup.
• I think he’ll hate this shirt.
• I think he’s going to hate this shirt.

3. Offers, promises, requests and other uses of will

Will can express willingness or the speaker’s attitude rather than simply future time. It is commonly used for offers, promises, refusals, requests and invitations, and it can also appear in strong commands and threats.

Promises (committing to doing something in the future):

• I’ll call you as soon as I arrive.
• We will never forget what you’ve done for us.
• You will get your money back, I promise.

Offers (volunteering to do something for someone):

• I’ll carry your bags for you.
• We will give you a lift home.
• I’ll make dinner tonight.

Refusals (stating that you or someone is not willing to do something):

• I won’t eat that; it smells awful.
• She will not apologise.
• They won’t change their decision.

Threats (saying you will do something harmful or unpleasant):

• If you touch my phone again, I’ll tell the teacher.
• I will make you regret this.
• Keep talking like that and you will be sorry.

Requests (asking someone to do something for you or checking their willingness):

• Will you help me with my homework?
• Will you open the window, please?
• Will you buy me a present for Christmas?

Invitations (inviting someone to join an activity):

• Will you come to the party on Saturday?
• Will you join us for dinner?
• Will you join me for a walk this afternoon?

Commands (ordering someone to do something):

• You will clean your room before you go out.
• You will finish your report by Monday.
• You will eat your vegetables, and you will enjoy them.

4. Formal announcements and scheduled events with will

While it is most common to use the present simple to talk about events scheduled to take place in the future, if these scheduled events are announced in a formal manner, we can also use will:

• The train will depart at 1405.
• The meeting will start at 9am.
• The festival will run from the 3^rd to the 5^th of August.

5. Future facts and certainty with will

Some events that happen in the future will definitely happen because they are scientific facts or inevitable. In this case, we commonly use will. While grammatically you could use going to in the place of will in the following sentences, doing so makes them sound more like a prediction than statement of fact:

• The sun will rise at 6:12am tomorrow. (astronomical fact)
• My passport will expire next year. (future fact)
• She will turn 18 next year. (fact based on date of birth)

Free will vs going to worksheets