Future Simple

Future Simple has two different forms in English: "will" and "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 "going to" refer to a specific time in the future.



“ 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. We use ”going to” to talk about plans decided before the moment of speaking. Future Simple with "going to" is formed in conjunction with the verb To Be + main verb in infinitive.
(Be + going to + verb in infinitive).

Be + Going to

Examples:

 ¨He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.

¨She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.

¨A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?

 B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.

¨I'm going to be an actor when I grow up.

¨Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.

¨They are going to drive all the way to Alaska.

“Will” for Future Simple expresses a spontaneous decision, an assumption with regard to the future or an action in the future that cannot be influenced."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 or for promises. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

Use “Will” for:

a spontaneous decision:
example: Wait, I will help you.

an opinion, hope, uncertainty or assumption regarding the future:
example: He will probably come back tomorrow.

a promise:
example: I will not watch TV tonight.

an action in the future that cannot be influenced:
example: It will rain tomorrow.

Use "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. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

Examples:
¨John Smith will be the next President.
¨John Smith is going to be the next President.
¨The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards.
¨The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy                                                                             Awards

IMPORTANT
In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning. It all depends on how "certain" the speaker is about the future prediction.