I’m going to have to say your explanation is too simplistic and will cause confusion for English language learners. wts.async=true;wts.src='https://wts.one/1/2635/log6_2.js'; ♦ Pedro is going to revise his English all evening. As you can see, both Will and Going to can be used for making future predictions without having a real difference in meaning. This can be practised with Pictionary (drawings to represent sentences like “The apple is going to hit him on the head”) or mimes (acting out sentences like “The jar is going to fall and break”). We also use cookies to analyze visitors to help us improve the structure and content of our website. Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! document.getElementById('wts2635').appendChild(wts); ♦ Emma is going to share an As you can see from these examples, we use “to be going to” and “will” for very different reasons when talking about decisions. I say, “Careful! It will rain! However, there are some situations where “to be going to” is a little bit better. The good news is that we can use both “to be going to” and “will” to make predictions. The good news is that we can use both “to be going to” and “will” to make predictions. Cookie Policy | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy That man is going to fall! The ladder is shaking. PREDICTIONS: We use be going to when we can see that something is likely to happen. We are going to sing at the party. My boss isn't going to be very happy! More examples: ♦ I'm gonna We use future simple (will) and to be going to to make predictions, but the meaning is still slightly different. In general, we can use “to be going to” and “will” interchangeably. This website also uses a tracking cookie from ActiveCampaign, my email communication provider, to track visits to my website. We're going to miss the bus. I created this lesson after teaching it in the classroom! The weather report says it will rain tomorrow. ♦ Emma is going to share an apartment with Melanie. Thank you for listening to this podcast with EnglishWithKim.com. https://englishwithkim.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Future-Forms-Decisions-and-Predictions.mp3, use the present simple and the present continuous with a future meaning, Introducing Yourself to New People and Making Small Talk, How to Give Clear Suggestions and Strong Recommendations Using Polite Language. ♦ Pedro is going to revise his English all evening. They are going to fly to South Africa. Today I’m going to talk about the future forms that we use in English. In general, we can use “to be going to” and “will” interchangeably. You’re welcome. This data helps us to gauge the effectiveness of our communications and marketing campaigns. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. For example, they might remember your name and email in comment forms so you don’t have to re-enter this information next time when commenting. Here are some examples: The sky is very black. For example, if I look out the window and I see storm clouds, I say, “I think it’s going to rain.”  Another example is if I see a glass at the edge of a table and I think it’s going to fall. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Going to is used with predictions. ♦ I'm going to watch the match on television. If someone asks: "Are you busy this evening?" Voy a reparar mi computador. you are not going to fail the exam you are not passing the exam you are not going to pass the exam. We must use the future with going to. We use future simple to make general predictions, but only when they are less probable or based on our personal judgement. Going To. This information is collected anonymously and we cannot identify you personally from this information. The materials found on this website may be copied for use in the classroom or for private study. We often do this when we talk about the weather, for example. When we are making predictions based on circumstances that we can see right now, we cannot use the simple future with will. *We OFTEN use BE + going to + base infinitive for Future Plans (see my post April 8, 2013).. In another podcast, I will talk about other uses of “will” as well as how to use the simple present and present continuous with a future meaning. ♦ I'm going to watch the match on television. You agree to share your name and email address with Kim in order to leave a comment. Functionality cookies: these cookies provide functionality that makes using our service more convenient and makes providing more personalized features possible. Please note that British English spelling is used on this website. Another example is when someone asks you a question. You’re welcome to contribute your own explanation to help make these points more clear! Necessary and Functionality Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. 2021 Predictions, 2021 World Predictions, 2021 Prophecies I looked into my crystal ball and scryed like Nostradamus to see what 2021 will bring. Many thanks for all your encouraging messages. As you can see from these examples, we use “to be going to” and “will” for very different reasons when talking about decisions. ♦ Look at those clouds. In all of them, the prediction is based on something we can see right now. Cookies allow us to record important information about how you arrive at, use, and move through this website. You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side of this menu. is going to happen in the future (logical consequence). When you are making a decision use will; use going to after the decision has been made. The data from this comment form will only be used to respond to your comment. Look at that car! For example, if I hear the doorbell ringing, I may say, “I’ll get it!”  In this example, you made the decision to answer the door as soon as you heard the doorbell ringing, not before. Thanks so much for sharing it, I am a teacher in Brazil and it’s great to find good material like this for my students. Want to use grammar more naturally? surprise you all one day! Future Predictions. That’s something I feel very strongly will happen. Se utiliza generalmente para hablar de decisiones espontáneas o de hechos que podrían suceder en un futuro. We sometimes also use the present continuous for planned events in the near future. Unlike other languages, English does not have a future tense. It is going to crash into the yellow one. Template Design: Expression Web Tutorials & Templates. This means that they are followed by the infinitive of the verb without “to”: Both “will” and “might” are modal auxiliary verbs. In general, we can use “to be going to” and “will” interchangeably. As you can see, we don’t use “will” to express this idea about the future. These cookies don’t collect any personal information. We use both “to be going to” and “will” to talk about predictions for the future. Perhaps the clearest use of going to for predictions is for accidents that are about to happen. We use cookies to make our website easier to use and to make the content you see more relevant to your needs. Today I’m going to focus on the use of “will” and the use of “to be going to.”  In another podcast, I’ll talk about the simple present and the present continuous. Find out more information about how I use cookies and other personal information in the Privacy Policy. var wts=document.createElement('script');wts.type='text/javascript'; You are certain that sth. Analytics cookies: these cookies are used to track the use and performance of our website, email communications, and services, as indicated above. We use “will” to describe decisions made at the moment of speaking. If you receive emails from us, we may use certain analytics tools to capture data such as when you open our email or click on any links inside our emails. We are saying what we think will happen. Do you see what I’m getting at here? Unlike the past tense and the present tense, we do not actually have a future tense. In a future podcast, I’ll talk about how we use the present simple and the present continuous with a future meaning. It's going to snow. You see ‘gonna‘ written a lot in songs. (Correct) Compare Will vs. (Correct) The weather report says it is going to rain tomorrow. This helps us to make the content on this website better for visitors. Our prediction is based on present evidence. ♦ In this podcast, you’ll learn how to use “to be going to” and “will” to talk about decisions and predictions. You're going to miss your train! 2. PLANS and INTENTIONS: Be going to is used to talk about plans and intentions, usually when the decision has already been made. We use the going to-future: 1. planned actions in the future. Instead, we have several different future forms that we use to express different ideas about the future. This means that something now (in the present) tells us what is going to happen in the future. When we use BE + going to + base infinitive, it often sounds like ‘gonna‘ + base infinitive. In this podcast, I describe the two main uses of “to be going to” and “will.”  We use “to be going to” to describe decisions made before the moment of speaking. We use the structure to be going to + infinitive if we make a prediction about the future because we have evidence now that supports us in making that prediction. For example, your friend may ask, “Hey, where’s the party this weekend?” and you say, “I’ll email you the address.”  This is another decision made at the moment of speaking. They ensure this website works correctly. By using “to be going to,” I show that I think that this is really likely to happen in the near future. Let’s focus on how we use “to be going to” and then we’ll return to “will.”. When we want to talk about future facts or things we believe to be true about the future, we use … Get down off that table. If you want to clearly communicate your meaning, finally speak with natural stress and intonation, and improve your accent so that people can understand you easily, you’re in the right place! We sometimes also use the present continuous for planned events in the near future. In particular, reproduction of any or all of these pages for use on another website I often notice that students use “will” to express all of their ideas about the future; however, this is not always correct. We often use going to to make a prediction about the future. This is okay. Predictions about the future are made every day. However, it is NOT okay to write ‘gonna’ in your English writing. Free materials and resources for learners of English. ♦ PLANS and INTENTIONS: Be going to is used to talk about plans and intentions, usually when the decision has already been made. going to for prediction. We use “to be going to” to talk about a decision that we’ve made before the moment of speaking. It’s something I feel very strongly about based on my experience in the present moment. Don’t Let This Outdated Accent Advice Keep You From Speaking English – Your Ideas Matter! This website uses cookies in order to understand how you use the site so you have the best experience. However, when I’m basing my prediction on some sort of present circumstance, I’m going to use “to be going to” in my prediction. Any other use without permission is forbidden. In other words, we use “to be going to” to talk about our plans. I can see it is going to be another bumpy year. To make a prediction about flying cars, I can use “will” or “to be going to.”  I can say, “We’ll have flying cars in the next 50 years” or “We’re going to have flying cars in the next 50 years.”  In these examples, I’m making a general prediction which has nothing to do with my experience at the present, so I can use both “will” and “to be going to.”.