USE 1      "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action

"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

USE 2       "Will" to Express a Promise

"Will" is usually used in promises.

USE 3     "Be going to" to Express a Plan

"Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

USE 4      "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction

Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

We use the will-future for predictions, assumptions, promises and when we do something spontaneously.

We use the going to-future with planned actions.

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.

We form the will-future with the auxiliary will and the infinitive of the verb.

We use the the same form of the verb every time regardless the subject.

In British English we sometimes use shall instead of will for the first persons (I/we).

Affirmative sentences:

Example:
He will play football.

NOTE: short/contracted form in the will-future:
He'll play football.

Negative sentences:

Example:
He will not play football.

NOTE: short/contracted forms in the will-future:
He won't play football. or
He'll not play football.

Questions:

Example:
Will he play football?

Form of the going to-future

We use a form of to be (am, are or is), going to and the infinitive of the verb.

Affirmative sentences:

Example:

I am going to play handball.
He/she/it is going to play handball.
We/you/they are going to play handball.

NOTE: Use am with I, is with he, she, it and with all other pronouns are.

We often use short forms in affirmative sentences in the going to-future.

Negative sentences:

Example:

I am not going to play handball.
He/she/it is not going to play handball.
We/you/they are not going to play handball.

NOTE: We often use short forms in negative sentences in the going to-future.

Questions:

In the going to-future we put the auxiliary (am, are or is) before the subject
(Auxiliary - Subject - going to - Verb - Rest).

Example:

Am I going to play handball?
Is he/she/it going to play handball?
Are we/you/they going to play handball?