Going to, Present Continuous and Will — English Grammar Exercises
Look at those clouds — it's going to rain. I'm seeing a client at 10. I'll get the phone. Learn to choose the right future form.
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Three ways to talk about the future
English has no single "future tense". The choice between these three forms depends on why you're talking about the future, not just when:
- be going to + infinitive — plans, intentions, predictions from evidence
- present continuous (be + -ing) — fixed arrangements (a time or booking is set)
- will + infinitive — decisions made now, predictions from opinion, offers, promises
Form — be going to
| example | |
|---|---|
| positive | I 'm going to be late. · He 's going to come later. |
| negative | I 'm not going to be late. · It isn't going to arrive. |
| question | Are you going to be late? · What are you going to do? |
In informal speech, going to is often pronounced "gonna" /ˈɡənə/.
Form — will
| example | |
|---|---|
| positive | I 'll be late. · They 'll buy it. |
| negative | I won't be late. · It won't work. |
| question | Will you meet him? · What will you do? |
shall can replace will, but normally only after I and we, and in more formal English. The contracted form is also 'll.
Plans and arrangements — going to vs present continuous
| going to | present continuous | |
|---|---|---|
| what | intention — details not fully arranged | arranged (time, place or booking set) |
| example | I'm going to learn Italian one day. | I'm flying to Rome at six on Monday. |
Present continuous is also common to explain why you can't do something: 'Can you come to lunch?' 'No, I'm working on Saturday.'
Don't use will for personal arrangements:
❌ We will sit in the front row.
✅ We're sitting / going to sit in the front row.
In formal English, will can be used for arrangements: The government will meet tomorrow.
Predictions — going to vs will
| going to | will | |
|---|---|---|
| basis | evidence we can see now / common knowledge | personal opinion / knowledge |
| example | Look at those clouds — it's going to rain. | Don't worry, it won't rain — I know this area. |
We often ask predictions with do you think: Do you think he'll marry her?
For negative predictions, make think negative: I don't think he'll marry her. (NOT 'I think he won't marry her.')
probably, certainly, definitely
| positive verb | negative verb | |
|---|---|---|
| probably | I'll probably go. | I probably won't go. |
| definitely | I'll definitely pass. | I definitely won't pass. |
The adverb goes before the main verb in positives, and before won't / 'm not in negatives.
Immediate decisions — will
Use will when you decide at the moment of speaking:
'The manager isn't here.' 'OK, I'll call back later.'
Compare with going to — a decision you'd already made:
'What are you doing this afternoon?' 'I'm going to study.' (already planned)
Offers, promises and warnings — will
- offer — Don't worry about a taxi. We'll take you to the hospital.
- promise — I'll work harder, I promise.
- warning — Don't lift that — you'll hurt yourself!
For suggestions, use shall, not will:
✅ Shall I open a window? ❌ Will I open a window?
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| We will sit in the front row. (arranged) | We're sitting / going to sit in the front row. |
| It will rain — look at the sky! | It's going to rain — look at the sky! |
| I think he won't come. | I don't think he'll come. |
| I'll probably will be late. | I'll probably be late. |
| I'm going to call you back later. (just decided) | I'll call you back later. |
| Will I open the window? (suggestion) | Shall I open the window? |
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Look at those clouds — it ___ rain.
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is going to
Evidence is visible right now (the clouds) → use *going to* for predictions based on what we can see.
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Wait — the phone's ringing. I ___ it.
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'll get
Decided at the moment of speaking → use *will* for immediate decisions. *Going to* would mean it was already planned.
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Don't worry, I ___ tell anyone. I promise.
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won't
Promise → use *will / won't*.
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That box looks heavy. I ___ help you carry it.
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'll
Offer made at the moment of seeing the need → use *will*.
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It's pouring with rain! We ___ soaked.
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're going to get
Evidence is visible right now (it's raining) → use *going to* for the prediction.
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Don't worry, the rain ___ last long — I know this area well.
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won't
Prediction based on personal knowledge → use *will / won't*. *Isn't* alone is incomplete; *doesn't* is present, not future.
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I can't come on Saturday — I ___ to a wedding.
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'm going
Fixed arrangement (already planned) → use the present continuous. *Will* would mean deciding now.
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One day, I ___ Italian fluently.
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'm going to speak
Long-term intention without a fixed plan → use *going to + infinitive*.
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It's hot in here. ___ I open a window?
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Shall
Suggestion or offer (first person) → use *shall*, not *will*.
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I see you've got a brochure. ___ to Greece this summer?
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Are you going
Asking about a future plan/intention → *Are you going to + infinitive*? Here: 'Are you going to (travel)'.
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'There's no milk left.' 'OK, I ___ some from the shop.'
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'll get
Decision made at the moment of speaking → use *will*. *Going to* would imply it was already planned.
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What ___ this Friday evening? Are you free for dinner?
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are you doing
Asking about arrangements for a specific evening → present continuous. *Will* sounds abstract here.
Going To, Present Continuous, and Will: Three Ways to Talk About the Future
English speakers choose between 'going to', the present continuous, and 'will' not by translating a single future tense, but by signalling something extra about the future event: is it based on visible evidence, already arranged, or decided right now? Corpus studies of spoken English suggest 'going to' and the present continuous together account for a large majority of future references in casual conversation, with 'will' reserved mainly for predictions, offers, and promises — the opposite balance from what many textbooks imply. Learners frequently default to 'will' for everything, producing grammatically correct but pragmatically odd sentences like 'I will see a client at 10 tomorrow' where a native speaker would say 'I'm seeing a client at 10.' These 32 exercises isolate the three core meanings — evidence-based prediction, plan/intention, arrangement, and spontaneous decision — and add 'shall' for suggestions and the position of adverbs like 'probably' and 'definitely'.
Going To: Evidence and Intentions
Use going to for a prediction based on something visible or known right now ('Look at those clouds — it's going to rain') and for a plan or intention decided before the moment of speaking, even without a fixed time ('One day, I'm going to speak Italian fluently'). The evidence can be physical (dark clouds, wobbling on a bike) or a felt sensation ('I feel dizzy — I think I'm going to faint').
She's been saving every penny — she's going to buy a new car next year.
Present Continuous: Fixed Arrangements
Use the present continuous for a future event that is already arranged, usually with a specific time and often involving another person: tickets bought, a meeting confirmed, plans texted to a friend. The clue is almost always a detail that proves the arrangement exists — 'I booked the tickets yesterday', 'he's already on the train.'
John texted earlier — he's meeting us at the station at 6. He's already on the train.
Note the overlap with 'going to' for intentions: 'I'm going to a wedding' (arranged, present continuous) differs from 'I'm going to buy a new car' (intention, going to + infinitive) mainly in whether a concrete arrangement — a date, a booking, a ticket — already exists.
Will: Decisions, Offers, Promises, and Opinions
Use will for a decision made at the exact moment of speaking ('The phone's ringing — I'll get it'), for offers and promises ('That box looks heavy — I'll help you carry it' / 'I won't tell anyone, I promise'), and for predictions based on opinion or general belief rather than visible evidence ('I'm sure she'll pass — she's the best student'). The moment-of-decision use is the clearest test: if the plan existed before the sentence was spoken, 'going to' is correct instead.
Shall for Suggestions
First-person offers and suggestions use shall, not 'will': 'Shall I open a window?' / 'Shall I make a salad?' This use of 'shall' survives in modern British English specifically in this pattern, even though 'shall' has otherwise mostly disappeared from everyday speech.
Adverb Position: Probably and Definitely
With 'will', the adverbs probably and certainly go immediately after 'will' in positive sentences ('I'll probably go home for Christmas') but immediately before a negative 'won't' ('I definitely won't go' — never 'won't definitely go'). This asymmetry trips up learners who place the adverb at the end of the clause by analogy with their first language.
Common Mistakes
✗ We will sit in the front row — Mum bought the tickets. → ✓ We're sitting in the front row. (tickets already bought = arrangement, not 'will')
✗ I think he'll come — he hates classical music. (meaning the opposite) → ✓ I don't think he'll come. (negate 'think', not the verb, for negative predictions)
✗ Will I open a window? → ✓ Shall I open a window? ('shall', not 'will', for first-person offers)
✗ I'll go probably home for Christmas. → ✓ I'll probably go home for Christmas. ('probably' goes after 'will', before the verb)
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'going to' and 'will' for the future?
'Going to' is used for a prediction based on present evidence ('Look at those clouds — it's going to rain') or a plan decided before the moment of speaking ('She's going to buy a new car next year'). 'Will' is used for a decision made at the exact moment of speaking ('The phone's ringing — I'll get it'), an offer, a promise, or a prediction based on opinion rather than evidence ('I'm sure she'll pass'). The clearest test for 'will' is spontaneity: if the plan already existed before the sentence was spoken, 'going to' is the correct choice instead.
When do you use the present continuous for the future?
Use the present continuous for a future event that is already arranged — usually with a specific time and often involving another person: a booked ticket, a confirmed meeting, plans shared with a friend. 'I can't come on Saturday — I'm going to a wedding' signals that the event is fixed, not just intended. This overlaps with 'going to' for intentions, but the present continuous specifically implies a concrete arrangement already exists (a date, a booking), while plain 'going to' only implies a decision.
Why do we say 'Shall I' instead of 'Will I'?
'Shall', not 'will', is the standard form for first-person offers and suggestions in English: 'Shall I open a window?' / 'Shall I make a salad?' This use of 'shall' has survived in modern British English specifically in this offer/suggestion pattern, even though 'shall' has otherwise largely disappeared from everyday speech in favour of 'will'. 'Will I open a window?' sounds distinctly unnatural to most native speakers.
Where do you put 'probably' and 'definitely' in future sentences with 'will'?
In positive sentences, 'probably' and 'definitely' go immediately after 'will': 'I'll probably go home for Christmas.' In negative sentences, they go immediately before the negative 'won't': 'I definitely won't go.' Placing the adverb at the end of the clause ('I'll go probably', 'won't go definitely') is a common error among learners whose first language places such adverbs at the end of the sentence.
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Last updated: · Satori Editorial