Will and going to

Difference between going and going to

Teaching “will” and “going to” to Spanish speakers can present challenges, such as excessive use of “will” to express future actions, confusion between the two tenses, omission of the auxiliary “will”, and difficulties with interrogative and negative structure.

First of all, here’s a review of will and going to. In this lesson we are going to practice both so that it is clear.

Both “be going to” and “will” can be used to talk about things that will happen in the future. Sometimes, you can use either of them.

However, there are occasions when we have to differentiate between will and going to when talking about events in the future.

When to use will

Opinion: will is frequently used when making predictions based on opinion with phrases like I think, I expect, I don’t think, I’m sure, I bet, I doubt if/that…

I don’t think it will rain tomorrow.
I think she‘ll pass the exam
I don’t think they‘ll arrive on time
I’m sure he‘ll enjoy the concert
I bet they‘ll win the game

Decisions: a spontaneous decision made at the moment of speaking

I’ll have a salad for lunch.
She’ll call him right now.
I love these shoes, I‘ll buy them.
We’ll go for a walk in the evening.
It’s raining, I’ll take the bus instead of driving.

Offers: to offer help, make promises, or give instructions.

Will you bring me a glass of water?

I’ll help you with your project.

I’ll drive you to the airport tomorrow.

I’ll lend you my car for the weekend.

Will you help me carry these boxes?

When to use going to

Plans: use going to for plans and planned intentions.

I am going to meet my friends for lunch tomorrow.
She is going to travel to Europe next summer.
They are going to have a party on Saturday.
He is going to study abroad for a year.
They are going to buy a new house.

Prediction: when there are clear signs that something will happen in the future or there is evidence.

Look at those dark clouds. It’s going to rain.
The traffic is so heavy. We’re going to be late.
I can’t find my keys anywhere. I’m going to miss the bus.
He’s been practicing all day. He’s going to perform really well.
She has been saving money for months. She’s going to buy a new car.

Now take to test to practice! 👉