Lesson 07 – Future: Will & Going To

Two Ways to Talk About the Future

English has two main future forms — and each one has a different meaning

📌

What Are We Learning?

In English, we use Going To and Will to talk about the future. However, they are not interchangeable — the meaning changes depending on the situation.

The most important question is: When was the decision made? If you decided before speaking → use Going To. If you decide at the moment of speaking → use Will. This lesson will teach you all the specific uses of each form.

🔵 Going To

Plans & Intentions (decided before)

Use Going To when you have already made a plan or decision before the moment of speaking. You can also use it when you can see evidence that something is about to happen.

💬 "I am going to visit my aunt tomorrow." (I planned this yesterday.)
💬 "Look at those clouds! It is going to rain." (I can see the evidence.)

🟡 Will

Decisions, Offers & Predictions (decided now)

Use Will when you make a decision, offer, or promise at the moment of speaking. Also use it for predictions based on your opinion or belief, and for future facts.

💬 "The phone is ringing — I'll answer it." (Decision right now.)
💬 "I think Real Madrid will win tonight." (My opinion.)

⚡ The Core Rule

Ask yourself: "When was the decision made?"

→ Decision made BEFORE speaking (plans, intentions, visible evidence) = Going To

→ Decision made AT THE MOMENT of speaking (offers, spontaneous choices, beliefs) = Will

📅 Decision Timeline — Where is the decision made?

PAST

Before
speaking

Going To ✓

DECISION

Plan
made here

NOW

Speaking
moment

Will ✓

FUTURE

The event
happens

🎯

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Use Going To to express plans, intentions, and evidence-based predictions.
Use Will for spontaneous decisions, offers, promises, beliefs, and future facts.
Form the affirmative, negative, and question structures for both forms.
Identify the 3 main uses of Going To and the 5 main uses of Will.
Use time expressions correctly with future forms.
Apply 10 common phrasal verbs in future contexts.
Avoid the most common mistakes students make with future forms.

Going To — Form & Structure

How to form affirmative, negative, and questions with Going To

🔵 Going To — Affirmative Formula

Subject + am / is / are + going to + BASE VERB

📌 The verb after going to is ALWAYS in base form — never add -s, -ed, or -ing.

Subject	Affirmative ✅	Negative ❌
I	I am going to study. / I'm going to study.	I am not going to study. / I'm not going to study.
You	You are going to travel. / You're going to travel.	You are not going to travel. / You aren't going to travel.
He / She / It	She is going to work. / She's going to work.	She is not going to work. / She isn't going to work.
We	We are going to visit. / We're going to visit.	We are not going to visit. / We aren't going to visit.
They	They are going to play. / They're going to play.	They are not going to play. / They aren't going to play.

🔵 Going To — Question Formula

Am / Is / Are + Subject + going to + BASE VERB ?

Examples: Are you going to study tonight? · Is she going to call? · Are they going to travel?

✅ Short Answers — Yes

Are you going to study? → Yes, I am.
Is she going to work? → Yes, she is.
Are they going to travel? → Yes, they are.

❌ Short Answers — No

Are you going to study? → No, I'm not.
Is she going to work? → No, she isn't.
Are they going to travel? → No, they aren't.

📝 Wh- Questions with Going To

Wh- word + Am/Is/Are + Subject + going to + BASE VERB?

What are you going to do tomorrow? · Where is she going to travel? · When are they going to arrive?

Going To — When to Use It

The 3 main situations where Going To is the correct choice

Pre-made Plans & Intentions

You decided BEFORE the moment of speaking — plans, arrangements, or intentions that already exist

🔵 We are going to visit Manuel Antonio next weekend. (We booked the hotel already.)
🔵 She is going to study medicine. (She applied to university last year.)
🔵 I am going to call my parents tonight. (I promised them this morning.)
🔵 They are going to open a new restaurant. (They signed the lease last week.)

💡 Key signal: words like already, last week, last month or any past preparation show the decision was made before.

Evidence-Based Predictions

You can see, feel, or hear something RIGHT NOW that tells you what is about to happen

🔵 Look at those dark clouds! It is going to rain. (You can see the clouds NOW.)
🔵 He is driving so fast — he is going to crash! (You can see the dangerous driving.)
🔵 She looks very pale. She is going to faint. (You can see she looks ill.)
🔵 Be careful! You are going to spill that coffee. (You can see the cup tipping.)

💡 Key signal: Look!, Watch out!, Be careful!, I can see/feel/hear... — present visible evidence triggers going to.

Life Plans & General Intentions

Long-term decisions or life goals that you have decided on at some earlier point

🔵 I am going to learn guitar this year. (Long-term personal goal.)
🔵 We are going to buy a house in Heredia. (Family decision made months ago.)
🔵 He is going to retire in five years. (Planned life decision.)
🔵 They are going to start their own business next year. (Dream and intention.)

💡 These are intentions — not guaranteed to happen, but the person has made a conscious decision to pursue them.

Will — Form & Structure

How to form affirmative, negative, and questions with Will

🟡 Will — Affirmative Formula

Subject + will + BASE VERB

📌 Will never changes. It is the same for ALL subjects (I, you, he, she, we, they).
📌 The verb after will is ALWAYS in base form — never add -s, -ed, or -ing.
📌 Contraction: I will → I'll · She will → She'll · They will → They'll

Subject	Affirmative ✅	Negative ❌
I	I will help. / I'll help.	I will not help. / I won't help.
You	You will pass. / You'll pass.	You will not pass. / You won't pass.
He / She / It	She will arrive. / She'll arrive.	She will not arrive. / She won't arrive.
We	We will try. / We'll try.	We will not try. / We won't try.
They	They will win. / They'll win.	They will not win. / They won't win.

⚠️ Won't = Will Not

won't is the contracted negative form of will not. It is very common in spoken English. Note the spelling — it drops one 'l': will not → won't (NOT "willn't").

I won't tell anyone. · She won't be late. · They won't forget.

🟡 Will — Question Formula

Will + Subject + BASE VERB ?

Examples: Will you help me? · Will she come to the party? · Will they finish on time?

✅ Short Answers — Yes

Will you help? → Yes, I will.
Will she come? → Yes, she will.
Will they travel? → Yes, they will.

❌ Short Answers — No

Will you help? → No, I won't.
Will she come? → No, she won't.
Will they travel? → No, they won't.

📝 Wh- Questions with Will

Wh- word + Will + Subject + BASE VERB?

What will you do? · Where will she go? · When will they arrive? · Who will help you?

Will — When to Use It

The 5 main situations where Will is the correct choice

Spontaneous Decisions

You decide RIGHT NOW, at the moment of speaking — not before

🟡 The phone is ringing. — I'll answer it. (Decided this second.)
🟡 There's nothing to eat! — Don't worry, I'll order pizza. (Just thought of it.)
🟡 Oh! I forgot my keys. I'll go back and get them. (Decision made now.)
🟡 The bag looks heavy. I'll carry it for you. (Spontaneous offer + decision.)

💡 Key signal: The situation happens first (you see/hear something), then you immediately decide. No prior planning.

Predictions Based on Opinion or Belief

You believe something will happen — but you have no visible evidence right now

🟡 I think it will rain tomorrow. (My opinion — no clouds visible yet.)
🟡 I believe she will pass the exam. (I trust her, but no proof yet.)
🟡 He probably won't be on time — he's always late. (My belief based on experience.)
🟡 Don't worry, everything will be fine. (Reassurance / optimistic belief.)

💡 Key signal: I think, I believe, I'm sure, probably, maybe, I hope — these opinion markers signal "will" predictions.

Offers & Volunteering

You spontaneously offer to do something for someone else

🟡 You look tired. I'll make you some coffee. (Offer made right now.)
🟡 Don't worry about the bill — I'll pay. (Spontaneous offer.)
🟡 I'll help you with your homework after dinner. (Volunteering right now.)
🟡 I'll drive you to the airport — you don't need a taxi. (Offering a service.)

💡 Offers are always spontaneous — you see a need and decide to help RIGHT NOW. Never use going to for a spontaneous offer.

Promises

You make a commitment to someone — you give your word

🟡 I will never forget you. (Personal promise.)
🟡 I won't tell anyone your secret. (Promise to keep a secret.)
🟡 I will pay you back tomorrow, I promise. (Financial commitment.)
🟡 We will always support you. (Promise of ongoing support.)

💡 Promises use will — they are personal commitments made to another person, often with the word "promise" nearby.

Future Facts & Polite Requests

Things that will definitely happen (facts), or polite requests using "Will you…?"

🟡 The sun will rise at 5:47 a.m. tomorrow. (Objective future fact.)
🟡 She will be 30 years old next March. (Certain future fact.)
🟡 The meeting will start at 9 a.m. (Scheduled future fact.)
🟡 Will you please close the window? (Polite request.)
🟡 Will you help me move this table? (Asking for help politely.)

💡 For polite requests, the formula is: Will you + base verb...? It is softer than "Can you..." in formal situations.

Going To vs. Will — The Big Comparison

Side-by-side summary of every use — know exactly which form to choose

🔑 The Simple Version

Going To → I already thought about this. The decision is NOT happening now.

Will → I'm thinking about this RIGHT NOW. The decision is happening as I speak.

Use / Situation	🔵 Going To	🟡 Will
Pre-made plans	✅ "I am going to visit my mom tomorrow." (planned yesterday)	❌ Not for plans made in advance
Spontaneous decisions	❌ Not for decisions made right now	✅ "I'll answer the door." (decided this second)
Evidence-based predictions (you can see it)	✅ "Look! It's going to rain." (you see the clouds)	❌ Less natural with visible evidence
Opinion / belief predictions (no evidence)	❌ Less natural without evidence	✅ "I think it will rain tomorrow." (just your belief)
Offers	❌ Not used for spontaneous offers	✅ "I'll help you." (offer made right now)
Promises	❌ Less common for promises	✅ "I will never lie to you." (personal commitment)
Life plans & intentions	✅ "I am going to learn Japanese." (decision already made)	⚠️ Can work, but going to is more natural
Future facts	⚠️ Can work if the fact is pre-scheduled	✅ "She will be 25 next year." (objective fact)
Polite requests	❌ Not used for requests	✅ "Will you please close the door?" (polite ask)

🔵 Quick Recap — Going To

✅ Plans made before speaking
✅ Evidence-based predictions (you can see it)
✅ Life plans and intentions

Structure: am/is/are + going to + base verb

🟡 Quick Recap — Will

✅ Spontaneous decisions (decided now)
✅ Opinion/belief predictions (no evidence)
✅ Offers, promises, future facts, requests

Structure: will + base verb

Time Expressions with Future Forms

Common time words and phrases used with Will and Going To

⏰

Good news!

Most time expressions can be used with both Will and Going To. The choice between the forms does not depend on the time expression — it depends on the situation (pre-planned vs. spontaneous). These words simply tell you when the future event will happen.

Time Expression	Used with	Examples
tomorrow	Both ✓	I am going to call her tomorrow. I think it will rain tomorrow.
tonight	Both ✓	We are going to study tonight. I'll probably watch a movie tonight.
next week / next month / next year	Both ✓	They are going to travel next month. I think she will graduate next year.
soon / later	Both ✓	He is going to call you back soon. I'll talk to you later.
in [number] days / weeks / months	Both ✓	She is going to move in three weeks. He will retire in five years.
this weekend / this afternoon / this evening	Both ✓	We are going to visit grandma this Sunday. I'll finish the project this afternoon.
in the future	Both ✓	I am going to start my own business in the future. Technology will change everything in the future.
right now / immediately (for spontaneous decisions)	Will ✓	"There's no milk!" — "I'll go buy some right now." Decision made at this exact moment → Will
Look! / Watch out! / Be careful! (with visible evidence)	Going To ✓	Look! The vase is going to fall! You can SEE it happening → Going To

Phrasal Verbs in the Future

10 essential phrasal verbs used naturally with Will and Going To

🔗

Phrasal Verbs + Future Forms

Phrasal verbs combine with will and going to exactly the same way as regular verbs. The structure does not change — just replace the regular verb with the phrasal verb.

Examples: Subject + will + phrasal verb · Subject + am/is/are + going to + phrasal verb

call back WILL

To return a phone call to someone.

"I'm busy right now — I'll call you back in ten minutes."

help out WILL

To assist someone who is in a difficult situation.

"Do not worry about the project — I'll help you out this weekend."

pay back WILL

To return money that you borrowed from someone.

"Can you lend me 5,000 colones? I'll pay you back tomorrow, I promise."

come up with WILL

To think of an idea, plan, or solution.

"This plan is not working — we'll come up with a better one."

cut off WILL

To stop the supply of something (electricity, water, internet).

"If we do not pay the bill, they will cut off the electricity."

cut down on GOING TO

To reduce the amount of something (sugar, coffee, spending).

"My doctor said I need to be healthier. I am going to cut down on sugar and fast food."

fill out GOING TO

To complete a form or document with the required information.

"She has an appointment at the consulate tomorrow. She is going to fill out all the forms tonight."

get along with GOING TO

To have a good relationship with someone.

"The new team seems very friendly. I think I am going to get along with everyone easily."

end up GOING TO

To finally reach a situation or place, often unexpectedly.

"They are taking the wrong road. They are going to end up arriving two hours late."

look into GOING TO

To investigate or research a problem or situation carefully.

"There are some errors in the report. She is going to look into the problem before the meeting."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent errors students make with Will and Going To

I going to study tonight.

I am going to study tonight.

Rule: You always need am/is/are before "going to". Never skip the auxiliary verb.

She is going to works tomorrow.

She is going to work tomorrow.

Rule: The verb after "going to" is ALWAYS in base form — no -s, -ed, or -ing ending.

I will to study later.

I will study later.

Rule: "Will" is a modal verb — NEVER use "to" after it. Will + base verb (no "to").

She will goes to the store.

She will go to the store.

Rule: The verb after "will" is ALWAYS in base form. No -s added, even for she/he/it.

Will you to help me with this?

Will you help me with this?

Rule: Questions with will — Will + subject + base verb. No "to" after the subject.

He will going to travel next week.

He will travel OR he is going to travel.

Rule: NEVER combine will and going to. They are two separate structures — choose one.

The phone rings — I am going to answer it.

The phone rings — I will answer it.

Rule: Spontaneous decisions (made at the moment of speaking) always use WILL, not going to.

Look! Those clouds! It will rain soon.

Look! Those clouds! It is going to rain soon.

Rule: When you have visible evidence RIGHT NOW, use "going to" for the prediction — not will.

I will not never tell anyone. (double negative)

I will never tell anyone. / I won't tell anyone.

Rule: Never use two negatives together. "Will not never" is a double negative — it is wrong.

The contraction of will not is wont or willn't.

The contraction of will not is won't.

Rule: will + not = won't (with apostrophe). It drops one 'l'. NOT "wont" (different word) or "willn't".

Audio Examples — Listen & Repeat

Practice listening to natural Going To and Will sentences out loud

Click any card to hear the sentence. Practice repeating after each one.

🔵 Going To — Plan We're going to visit Arenal next weekend. Pre-made plan (tickets booked)

🟡 Will — Spontaneous The phone is ringing — I'll answer it! Decision made right now

🔵 Going To — Evidence Look at those clouds! It's going to rain! Visible evidence → going to

🟡 Will — Opinion I think she'll pass the exam. Prediction based on belief

🟡 Will — Offer You look tired. I'll make you some coffee. Spontaneous offer → will

🔵 Going To — Intention I'm going to learn guitar this year. Life goal / long-term intention

🟡 Will — Promise I won't forget your birthday. I promise! Personal promise → will

🟡 Will — Request Will you please close the door? Polite request → Will you...?

🔵 Going To — Negative She isn't going to come to the party. Negative going to (pre-planned decision)

🟡 Will — Negative I won't tell anyone your secret. Negative will (promise)

🔵 Going To — Question Are you going to study tonight? Going to question form

🟡 Will — Question Will they arrive before dinner? Will question form

Reading Passage

Read and identify Going To (blue) and Will (orange) in a real Costa Rica context

🔵 Going To — plan / evidence 🟡 Will — decision now / opinion / offer / promise

A Big Adventure in La Fortuna

La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela · Costa Rica 🇨🇷

My cousin Sebastián called me last night, and I told him everything about our upcoming trip to La Fortuna de San Carlos. We planned it two weeks ago, and I am so excited!

First, we are going to leave San José early on Friday morning — around 5 a.m. — because we want to avoid traffic. The drive will probably take about three hours. Luisa already bought the tickets, so we are going to travel by bus.

When we arrive, we are going to check in at a small eco-hotel near the Arenal Volcano. A friend recommended it last month, and it looks beautiful online. After checking in, we are going to have lunch at a traditional soda — a local Costa Rican restaurant. I already know what I am going to order: rice, beans, and fresh fish!

In the afternoon, we are going to hike the Arenal Volcano National Park trail. My friend who visited last year said the views are incredible. I think it will be the best experience of the whole trip. Oh — Sebastián just told me he wants to join us on the hike! I will call the park right now to check if there is space for one more person.

In the evening, we are going to relax at the Tabacón Hot Springs. We reserved our spots two weeks ago because they get very busy on weekends. The warm water will feel amazing after a long day of hiking. I am sure everyone will love it.

On Saturday morning, we are going to go white-water rafting on the Sarapiquí River. The guide sent us a message yesterday and said the river level is perfect right now — it will definitely be an exciting and safe ride! Do not worry about equipment — the company will provide everything we need: helmets, life jackets, and paddles.

After rafting, we have not decided yet. Maybe we will visit La Fortuna Waterfall, or maybe we will just find a nice restaurant and relax. I will decide when I see how tired everyone is.

I am going to take my camera on the whole trip because I want to photograph the Arenal Volcano, the wildlife, and the beautiful green landscape of Alajuela. Sebastián just said: "Do not worry about lunch on Saturday — I'll pack some sandwiches for everyone!" What a great cousin!

I am sure this trip will be one of the most beautiful memories of the year. La Fortuna de San Carlos will not disappoint us — it never does!

📖 Reading Comprehension Quiz

Answer the questions based on the reading passage above.

Grammar Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge of Will and Going To — 20 questions

← Back to Intermediate English