Will vs Be Going To in British English
‘Will’ is for unplanned events.
‘Be going to’ is for planned events.
In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference between these two future forms and practise using them.
When to use each form?
Will
- Unplanned events
- Spontaneous speaking or activities – On no! I forgot to buy bread, I will go to the shop.
Be going to
- Planned events
- Something you can see happening based on evidence – Look! The clouds are dark, it is going to rain.
Examples
My dad will give you the money for lunch.
He is going to do the meeting this afternoon.
Look! They are going to crash.
Remember: ‘will’ – unplanned, ‘be going to’ – planned
Practise
Complete the gaps with ‘will’ or ‘be going to’.
Common mistakes learners make
- Using ‘will’ for plans
- Using ‘be going to’ for decisions in the moment
- Mixing the forms together – I will going to call you later.
Common mistakes learners make
- Using ‘will’ for plans
- Using ‘be going to’ for decisions in the moment
- Mixing the forms together – I will going to call you later.
Watch: Tenses explained by a British tutor
In this video, Claire explains all the tenses and gives more examples.
