Will and be going to

Future: I will/shall & I am going to

Structure:

Subject+will/shall+verb(base form)+object

Structure:

Subject+be going to+verb(base form)+object

Affirmative:

• I will/shall drink tea
• You will drink tea
• He/She/It will drink tea
• We will/shall drink tea
• You will drink tea
• They will drink tea

Affirmative: I am going to read You are going to read He/she/it is going to read We are going to read You are going to read They are going to read

Interrogative:

• Will/Shall I drink tea?
• Will you drink tea?
• Will he/she/it drink tea?
• Will we drink tea?
• Will you drink tea?
• Will they drink tea?

Interrogative: Am I going to read? Are you going to read? Is he/she/it going to read? Are we going to read? Are you going to read? Are they going to read?

Negative:

• I will/shall not drink tea
• You will not drink tea
• He/She/It will not drink tea
• We will not drink tea
• You will not drink tea
• They will not drink tea

Negative: I am not going to read You are not going to read He/she/it is not going to read We are not going to read You are not going to read They are not going to read

Short form: will not = won’t shall not = shan’t

We use I will (I’ll) when we decide to do something at the time of speaking.

We use be going to when we have already decided to do something. In other words we use it for our plans and decisions

Now past future

• I will do

• Decision now

• I am going to do

Now past future

• Decision before

We use will to make a prediction or express an opinion about an action in the future

I think he will be a good scientist.

We use be going to to express certainty about an action in the future because there is evidence that it will happen.

He is going to eat the apple

Examples

will

am going to

It is going to sink.

It is going to explode!

I think, he will be a famous singer

What is he going to do?

Because, I am going to buy a new car

I will buy another car

Look at those black clouds! It is going to rain

Exercises

Complete the sentences with will or be going to

• Look at that boat! It ……. sink.
• I think it ……. rain tomorrow.
• Those clouds are very dark. It …. rain soon.
• I hope you …… be happy, Ted.
• Everybody …… have a computer in the future.

The End