In the English language, so much will how much going to are used to refer to actions that occur in the future.
The small difference between will and going to it has to do with the perception that the sender himself has about the message he is going to transmit.
Check the explanations below to better understand.
when to use going to in sentences about actions in the future
O future with going to (future with going to) is used to refer to a future action that indicates certainty or that was planned.
The structure be going to (verb to be + going to) is also the most used form in conversations and in informal contexts.
Examples:
- He is not going to invite us. (He won't invite us.)
- They said they are going to arrive late. (They said they will be late.)
- She told me she is going to travel to London next month. (She told me she will be traveling to London next month.)
Check out the table and learn how to flex the future with going to in sentences affirmatives, negative and interrogatives.
Below is an example with the verb to play (to play; play) and the future with going to:
| future with going to + main verb (I'mplay) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | negative | Interrogative |
I am going to play. |
I am not going to play. |
Am I going to play? |
Curiosity about the use of going to
Although the normative grammar of the English language does not recommend this spelling, in spoken English the going to is often replaced by form gonna, which ends up playing the sound of going to when said quickly in one sentence.
The phrase I'm going to work out (I'm going to exercise) could be replaced by I'm gonna work out in spoken English.
gonna it's also a word used a lot in songs.
when to use will in sentences about actions in the future
O future with will (future with will) is often used to refer to a future action that indicates uncertainty.
This indication is usually expressed through the use of the will with certain words or expressions such as:
- maybe (perhaps);
- i think (I think);
- probably (probably);
- I'm not sure (I am not sure);
- I guess (I guess);
- I don't know (I do not know);
- I hope (I hope that);
- I expect (I hope) etc.
Examples:
- maybe he will not invite us. (Maybe he won't invite us.)
- i think they will arrive late. (I think they will be late.)
- she will probably travel to London next month. (She will probably travel to London next month.)
We can say that will indicates a prediction; a future that is not entirely certain.
Examples:
- It will rain tomorrow. (Tomorrow it will rain.)
- In the future, people will understand the importance of taking care of the environment. (In the future, people will understand the importance of caring for the environment.)
will is also used when a decision is made at the time of speaking.
Examples:
- There's no cheese left. I will go to the supermarket to get some more. (She ran out of cheese. I'm going to the supermarket to buy some more.)
- She didn't reply my message. I will call her to see if everything's fine. (She didn't reply to my message. I'll call her to see if everything is ok.)
Check out the table and learn how to flex the future with will in sentences affirmatives, negative and interrogatives.
The example below illustrates the conjugation of the verb to play (to play; play) and the future with will:
| future with will + main verb (I'mplay) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | negative | Interrogative |
I will play. |
I will not play. |
Will I play? |
Difference between will and going to
As a general rule, we can say that will indicates uncertainty and going to indicates certainty.
Note below a small text with will and going to:
Doug: Daniel's birthday is around the corner.
Leroy: Yes, it is. He invited me to the party today. He is going to celebrate his birthday next Saturday.
Doug: Really? So I think he will not invite me. I didn't know anything about the party.
Leroy: I am sure he is going to invite you too. He asked me for your phone number to send you a message about it.
Translation:
Doug: Daniel's birthday is coming up.
Leroy: It is. He invited me to the party this morning. He's going to celebrate his birthday next Saturday.
Doug: Really? So I don't think he's going to ask me. I didn't know anything about the party.
Leroy: I'm sure he'll invite you too. He asked me for his phone number to send a message about it.
In dialogue with will and going to shown above, it is possible to note the situations that refer to certainty and uncertainty.
As already mentioned, everything depends on the perception of the sender of the message. When we say this, we are referring to the fact that information about the certainty or uncertainty of certain actions is often not explicit in the sentence.
For this reason, if the issuer does not have prior information on the subject, it is not possible to determine for sure which form to use.
Examples:
- Hellen will travel to Rome. (Hellen will travel to Rome.)
- Hellen is going to travel to Rome. (Hellen will travel to Rome.)
Note that we do not have any context, so we cannot say whether or not there was a planning on the part of Hellen, whether the trip is still an uncertainty, etc.
Therefore, both sentences are correct.
Look at one more example:
Helen bought the plane tickets today. She is going to travel to Rome. (Hellen purchased tickets today. She will travel to Rome.)
This case already shows an indication of the certainty of the trip: the purchase of tickets.
That said, it is important to note that there is no fixed rule that determines the use of will or of going to.
This is because, in fact, the use of one or the other form does not compromise the meaning or understanding of the sentence.
In either case, it is clear that the message refers to something in the future.
Also, the truth is that often will and going to they are used interchangeably by native speakers.
Video
Watch the video and check out a summary of the uses of will and going to with some examples:
Exercises
Now that you've checked out everything you needed to know about will and going to, test your knowledge by doing the exercises below:
1. (UFRR - 2010)
Mary: "I am about to fall asleep. I need to wake up!"
Clare: "I______ you some coffee."
a) 'll go
b) am going to get
c) will get
d) am going to get to
e) will go to get
Correct alternative: c) will get
2. (UFRR - 2010)
Billy: "After you _____work, will you please drop by the grocery store and pick up some milk and bread."
Sally: "No problem, I ____up the groceries and be home by 6 o'clock."
a) left - will not pick
b) leaves - will pick
c) left - won't pick
d) leave - will pick
e) leaves - will not
Correct alternative: d) leave - will pick
3. Choose the correct option.
"I haven't got my pen." "That's OK. I ______ you mine."
a) am going to lend
b) will lend
c) am not going to lend
d) will not lend
e) 's going to lend
Correct alternative: b) will lend
4. Complete with the right choice.
"I don't think they ________ their vacation by the beach again."
a) am going to spend
b) are going to spend
c) are not going to spend
d) will spend
e) will not spend
Correct alternative: d) will spend
5. Complete the sentence below.
"Andrew is always late. I am sure he ___________ is late for the party as well."
a) will be
b) is going to be
c) is not going to be
d) will not be
e) 's going to
Correct alternative: b) is going to be
See too:
- Past Continuous exercises with commented feedback
- Conditional sentences
- Reported speech exercises
- Present Perfect (exercises with commented feedback)
- The best podcasts for learning English
