Will or Going to?
by Guy Perring

Take a look at the following sentences and put the words in brackets in the spaces provided. There are more words than spaces!!

1. My sister ____  _____ _____  _____a baby in April. (have, will , is, going, to, has)
2. I ____  ____ _____  _____  if I find a better one. (quit, will, am, my, going to, job)
3. I think smoking problems ____  _____ _____  _____ in the future. (going to, will, become, are, going to, serious, more)
4. ____  _____ _____  _____ ___address the population problem? (the, is, going, to, will, government)
5. The doctor says she ____  _____ _____  _____ ____ soon. (will, to, is, getting, better, get, going)

See answers below with comments on reasons in brackets afterwards.

1. My sister is going to have a baby in April. (evidence in present, so use “be going to”
2. I will quit my job if I find a better one. (This is a conditional sentence, so we use “will”)
3. I think smoking problems will become more serious in the future. (we use will to express what we think will happen)
4. Is the government going to address the population problem? (“be going to” to express planned decisions)
5. The doctor says she is going to get better soon. (“be going to” to predict events)

The table below, hopefully, summarises some of the key differences:-

	Structure Meaning Example Will + infinitive Facts Next year I’ll be 35 years old. (negative won’t) You’re going to have an accident. I think he’ll win. Conditionals If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay in. ‘Be’ + going to + infinitivePlans * Plans * I’m going to study law at university. Prediction based on present evidence You’re driving really badly. You’re going to have an accident.

* The present continuous is also used for plans, but usually plans in the short term that includes a time expression.

I’m playing tennis on Saturday at 3pm.

In fact, we can also use will if “a decision is made at the time of speaking.” For example, A. The phone’s ringing/OK, I’ll (I will) answer it.

“Going to” is used for plans that we have thought about beforehand.

What are your plans for tomorrow?

I’m going to visit some key clients.

Look at the examples below from business situations and choose the correct form:-

A. Let’s try and keep in contact
B. OK, I ‘m going to/I will send you my contact details by email.

A. Are you writing your self-evaluation this week?
B. Yes, I ‘m going to/I will see him finish it tonight.

A. Are you having your evaluation meeting this week?
B. Yes, I’ll meet/I’m meeting the boss on Friday morning

In the first example we use I will since the decision to send the contact details has not been made before the conversation, but rather made at the time. The second example uses going to since in the mind of the speaker he has already made a plan to finish it by tonight. The last example is I’m meeting since here the meeting is diarized. (before I get a flood of emails that diarize is not a real word, it seems to have crept it into several dictionaries). That said, since I’m from the British Council, maybe it should be diarise!!

Guy Perring is Director, Professional Development Unit (PDU), at the British Council Malaysia. The PDU offers a wide range of learning opportunities from management and communication skills training to developing English skills. Visit our website at www.britishcouncil.org.my or email me at guy.perring@britishcouncil.org.my.