Future forms

• We use going to for things we have already decided to do, it's our plan or intention:

'I'm going to study Law at university next year'

It can also be used to express a prediction. It is based on evidence:

'It's late! You're going to miss the train.'

• We use present continuous for future arrangements when a time / place has been agreed (most of the times 'going to' is also possible). However, with the verbs 'go', 'leave', 'come', 'meet', 'have', we tend to use the present continuous.

'I'm having dinner with my colleagues tomorrow night'

• We use 'will', 'won´t' for instant decisions at the moment of speaking, offers, promises and predictions:

'I'll buy the blue sweater' (in a shop) INSTANT DECISION

'There's no milk left. I'll go and buy some' / Shall I buy some milk? OFFERS

'I'm sorry. I won't do it again' PROMISES

'I think families will be smaller in the future' *PREDICTIONS

*For predictions, will / won't and going to can both be used. However, when you can see that something is about to happen it is more common to use going to: 'He's going to crash' (I can see him going towards a tree)

Activity 1: Click on the words in the correct order.
Activity 2: Choose the correct answer.
Activity 3: Future plans. Choose the correct answer.
Activity 4: Will or going to?
Activity 5: Will or going to?