CEFR B1 · 5 min
When Vanessa and I decided to move from Paris to Réunion, we had two kinds of sentences. ‘We’re going to find a flat before we arrive’ — a plan we had already made. ‘It will be fine’ — a prediction we invented on the spot to calm ourselves down. One was grounded. One was hope. English has a different verb form for each.
Today's focus: Going to (plans/intentions) vs will (predictions/spontaneous decisions)
Going to: use when you have already decided, or when the evidence is clear:
- ‘We’re going to move to Réunion in September.’ (decided plan)
- ‘Look at those clouds — it’s going to rain.’ (evidence visible)
Will: use for immediate/spontaneous decisions, promises, and opinions about the future:
- ‘I’ll carry that for you.’ (spontaneous offer — decided just now)
- ‘She’ll probably be late.’ (opinion/prediction, no visible evidence)
Present continuous: fixed, diary arrangements with another person: ‘I’m meeting the landlord at 3.’
Examples in context
Try it — click to reveal the answer
▶ Which form? Your friend drops a bag. You say: ‘_____ pick that up for you!’ (I’ll / I’m going to)
‘I’m going to pick that up’ sounds like you had already planned to pick it up before you saw it fall.
▶ ‘Look at the sky — it ___ rain.’ (will / is going to)
‘It will rain’ would be a general prediction or guess, not based on visible evidence right now.
▶ True or false: ‘Will’ and ‘going to’ are always interchangeable.
In casual conversation, many speakers use them interchangeably. In IELTS and formal writing, the distinction matters.
Going to = already decided. Will = decided right now or opinion. When you are making an offer or promise on the spot, always use will.
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