Future Tense: Will vs

Think of these two as different moods. Will is the mood of the moment. It is for things you decide right now. Be going to is the mood of the plan. It is for things you decided earlier. Imagine you are at a cafe. You see a tasty muffin. You say, "I will have that!" That is an instant decision. Now imagine you bought tickets for a concert next month. You say, "I am going to see a show." That is a plan. One happens in your head suddenly. The other is already in your diary. It is like a grammar traffic light. Green means go with your plan. Yellow means a quick change.

1. 1Creating these sentences follows a simple recipe.
2. 2For will: Use Subject + will + Base Verb.
3. 3Example: I will help you.
4. 4For negatives, use won't.
5. 5Example: I won't forget.
6. 6For be going to: Use Subject + am/is/are + going to + Base Verb.
7. 7Example: She is going to travel.
8. 8For negatives, add not after the be verb.
9. 9Example: They are not going to stay.
10. 10For questions with will: Put will at the start.
11. 11Example: Will you call me?
12. 12For questions with be going to: Put the be verb at the start.
13. 13Example: Are you going to eat?

Use will for quick decisions. You are at a restaurant. The waiter arrives. You say, "I will have the steak." You didn't plan this last week. You decided just now. Use will for promises too. "I will always love you," sounds better than a plan. Use will for offers. "I will carry those bags for you." It shows you are helpful right now.

Use be going to for plans and intentions. You have a job interview tomorrow. You say, "I am going to wear my best suit." This is a prepared action. Use it for predictions with evidence. Look at those dark, heavy clouds. You can say, "It is going to rain." You see the proof in the sky. If you just guess without proof, will is also fine. "I think it will rain later" is just an opinion.

Do not use will for fixed schedules. For trains or planes, use the Present Simple. "The train leaves at 5 PM." Don't use will for things you already arranged with people. For a doctor's appointment, use Present Continuous. "I am meeting the doctor at ten."

Avoid using going to for sudden favors. If someone drops their phone, don't say "I am going to pick it up." That sounds like you planned their accident! Instead, say "I will get it." It is faster and more natural. Don't forget the am, is, or are. Saying "I going to" is a very common mistake. It sounds like a broken robot.

Many people forget the be verb. They say, "I going to study." This is wrong. You must say, "I am going to study." It is like wearing shoes without socks. It just feels incomplete.

Another mistake is using will for plans. "Next year, I will move to London." If you already have a flat, use going to. If it is just a dream, will is okay. Native speakers mess this up sometimes too. Don't worry too much about it.

Some people use will to. "I will to go home." This is never correct. Never put to after will. Just use the base verb. "I will go home." Keep it simple and clean.

Let's compare will with the Present Continuous. Both can talk about the future. Going to is for your intention. "I am going to visit my mom." You want to do it. Present Continuous is for a fixed arrangement. "I am visiting my mom at 2 PM." This means you already called her.

Compare will with shall. Shall is very old-fashioned. You might see it in old books. In modern English, we mostly use will. Use shall only for suggestions. "Shall we dance?" sounds fancy. "Will we dance?" sounds like a question about the future. Stick to will for most things. It is safer and more modern.