Intermediate English - Will or Be Going to

A- We can use either will or be going to to talk about something that is planned, or something that we think is likely to happen in the future:

è We will study change in a later part of the course, (or We are going to study...)

è Where will you stay in Berlin? (or Where are you going to stay...?)

è The south of the city won't be affected by the power cuts, (or ...isn't going to be affected...)

We often prefer be going to in informal contexts.

B- We use will rather than be going to make a prediction based on our opinion or experience:

è Why not come over at the week end? The children will enjoy seeing you again.

è Shall I ask Sandra? No, she won’t want to be disturbed.

We use be going to rather than will when we make a prediction based on some present evidence:

è The sky has gone really dark. There's going to be a storm.

è What’s the matter with her?' 'It looks like she's going to faint.'

C- To predict the future we often use will with I bet (informal), I expect, I hope, I imagine, I think, I wonder, and I'm sure, and in questions with think and reckon:

è I imagine the stadium will be full for the match on Saturday.è That cheese smells awful. I bet nobody will eat it.è Do you reckon he'll say yes?

è When do you think you’ll finish work?Be going to can also be used with these phrases, particularly in informal contexts.

D- We use will when we make a decision at the moment of speaking and be going to for decisions about the future that have already been made. Compare:

è I'll pick him up at 8.00. (An offer; making an arrangement now)

è I'm going to collect the children at 8.00. (This was previously arranged)

è Pineapples are on special offer this week.' 'In that case, I'll buy two.'

è When I’ve saved up enough money, I’m going to buy a digital camera.

However, in a formal style, we use will rather than be going to to talk about future events that have been previously arranged in some detail. Compare:

è Are you going to talk at the meeting tonight?

è The meeting will begin at 9.00 a.m. Refreshments will be available from 8.30 onwards.

E- We can use will or be going to with little difference in meaning in the main clause of an if-sentence when we say that something (often something negative) is conditional on something else:

è If we go on like this, we’ll/we are going to lose all our money.

è You’ll/ You are going to knock that glass over if you are not more careful.

When the future event does not depend on the action described in the if-clause, we use be going to, not will. This kind of sentence is mainly found in spoken English. Compare:

è I'm going to open a bottle of lemonade, if you want some. (= I'm going to open a bottle of lemonade. Do you want some?)

è I’ll open a bottle of lemonade if you want some. (= If you say you want some, I'll open a bottle.)

However, we use will, not be going to, when the main clause refers to offers, requests, promises, etc. and ability:

è If Jack phones I'll let you know. (= an offer; I’m going to let you know' suggests 'I intend to let you know when Jack phones')

è If you look to your left, you'll see the lake. (= you'll be able to see; 'you're going to see...' suggests 'I know this is what you can see when you look to your left')

and when one thing is the logical consequence of another:

è If you don't switch on the monitor first, the computer won't come on.

Some exercises:

http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/gr.gowil.p.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/will_going_to_future.htm

http://www.better-english.com/grammar/willgo.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs18.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs19.htm

http://www.rafamoreno.com/Rafa/Goingto.htm

http://www.ang.pl/cwiczenia/gramatyka/778

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/multi/willGoing.htm

http://inglesnanet.com/grammar/willgoto.htm