Learning English

Let Georgina teach you when we say 'will' and 'be going to' in this English In A Minute.

Watch the video and complete the activity

• Five uses of 'flat'
• Forget to do vs Forget doing
• Look vs Look like

Future decisions

We use will when we make a decision about the future at the time of speaking.

• PERSON A: I'm cold. 
• PERSON B: OK, I'll get your coat.

We use be going to when the decision is made before speaking.

• I've decided! I'm going to go and see my boss!
• I'm going to go to Brazil next year.

Predictions

We can also use will to talk about predictions based on something we expect to happen.

• He'll probably forget the meeting. He always does.
• It'll probably be cold next month. It'll be winter!

We use be going to to talk about a prediction based on current evidence or what we can see.

• That chair looks broken. The leg is going to snap.
• Someone is coming up the drive. I think they are going to knock on the door.

For general predictions, you can often use either form.

• One day we will live on the moon.
• One day we are going to live on the moon. 

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