Will or Going to?
by Guy Perring
Take a look at the following sentences and put the words in brackets in the spaces provided. There are more words than spaces!!
See answers below with comments on reasons in brackets afterwards.
The table below, hopefully, summarises some of the key differences:-
Structure
Meaning
Example
Will + infinitive
Facts
Next year I’ll be 35 years old.
(negative won’t)
You’re going to have an accident.
I think he’ll win.
Conditionals
If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay in.
‘Be’ + going to + infinitivePlans *
Plans *
I’m going to study law at university.
Prediction based on present evidence
You’re driving really badly.
You’re going to have an accident.
* The present continuous is also used for plans, but usually plans in the short term that includes a time expression.
I’m playing tennis on Saturday at 3pm.
In fact, we can also use will if “a decision is made at the time of speaking.” For example, A. The phone’s ringing/OK, I’ll (I will) answer it.
“Going to” is used for plans that we have thought about beforehand.
What are your plans for tomorrow?
I’m going to visit some key clients.
Look at the examples below from business situations and choose the correct form:-
A. Let’s try and keep in contact
B. OK, I ‘m going to/I will send you my contact details by email.
A. Are you writing your self-evaluation this week?
B. Yes, I ‘m going to/I will see him finish it tonight.
A. Are you having your evaluation meeting this week?
B. Yes, I’ll meet/I’m meeting the boss on Friday morning
In the first example we use I will since the decision to send the contact details has not been made before the conversation, but rather made at the time. The second example uses going to since in the mind of the speaker he has already made a plan to finish it by tonight. The last example is I’m meeting since here the meeting is diarized. (before I get a flood of emails that diarize is not a real word, it seems to have crept it into several dictionaries). That said, since I’m from the British Council, maybe it should be diarise!!
Guy Perring is Director, Professional Development Unit (PDU), at the British Council Malaysia. The PDU offers a wide range of learning opportunities from management and communication skills training to developing English skills. Visit our website at www.britishcouncil.org.my or email me at guy.perring@britishcouncil.org.my.
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