Simple Future has two different forms in English: &quot;will&quot; and &quot;be going to.&quot; 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 &quot;will&quot; and &quot;be going to&quot; refer to a specific time in the future.</p>


<h3>FORM Will</h3>
<p>[will + verb]</p>
<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>You <strong>will help</strong> him later.</li>

      <li><strong>Will</strong> you <strong>help</strong> him later?</li>
	  <li>You <strong>will not help</strong> him later. </li>
    </ul>
</div>

<h3>FORM Be Going To</h3>
<p>[am/is/are + going to + verb]</p>
<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>You <strong>are going to meet</strong> Jane tonight.</li>
      <li><strong>Are</strong> you <strong>going to meet</strong> Jane tonight?</li>

      <li>You <strong>are not going to meet</strong> Jane tonight. </li>
    </ul>
</div>
<p><a href="simplefutureforms.html">Complete List of Simple Future Forms</a></p>
<h3>USE 1 &quot;Will&quot; to Express a Voluntary Action</h3>
<p>&quot;Will&quot; 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 &quot;will&quot; to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use &quot;will&quot; when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use &quot;will not&quot; or &quot;won't&quot; when we refuse to voluntarily do something. </p>

<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>I <strong>will send </strong> you the information when I get it.</li>
      <li>I <strong>will translate</strong> the email, so Mr. Smith can read it. </li>

      <li><strong>Will</strong> you <strong>help</strong> me move this heavy table?</li>
      <li><strong>Will</strong> you <strong>make</strong> dinner?</li>
      <li>I <strong>will not do</strong> your homework for you.</li>

      <li>I <strong>won't do</strong> all the housework myself!</li>
      <li>A: I'm really hungry.<br>
        B: I<strong>'ll make</strong> some sandwiches.</li>
      <li>A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep.<br>

        B: I<strong>'ll get</strong> you some coffee.</li>
      <li>A: The phone is ringing.<br>
        B: I<strong>'ll get</strong> it.</li>
    </ul>

</div>
<h3>USE 2 &quot;Will&quot; to Express a Promise</h3>
<p>&quot;Will&quot; is usually used in promises.</p>
<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>I <strong>will call</strong> you when I arrive.</li>

      <li>Don't worry, I<strong>'ll be</strong> careful.</li>

      <li>I <strong>won't tell</strong> anyone your secret.</li>
    </ul>
</div>
<h3>USE 3 &quot;Be going to&quot; to Express a Plan</h3>
<p>&quot;Be going to&quot; 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. </p>

<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>He <strong>is going to spend</strong> his vacation in Hawaii.</li>
      <li>She <strong>is not going to spend</strong> her vacation in Hawaii.</li>

      <li>A: When <strong>are</strong> we <strong>going to meet</strong> each other tonight?<br>
        B: We <strong>are going to meet</strong> at 6 PM.
      </li>
      <li>I<strong>'m going to be</strong> an actor when I grow up.</li>

      <li>Michelle <strong>is going to begin</strong> medical school next year. </li>
      <li>They <strong>are going to drive</strong>  all the way to Alaska. </li>
      <li>Who <strong>are</strong> you <strong>going to invite</strong> to the party? </li>

      <li>A: Who <strong>is going to make</strong> John's birthday cake?<br>
        B: Sue <strong>is going to make</strong> John's birthday cake.</li>
      </ul>
</div>
<h3>USE 4 &quot;Will&quot; or &quot;Be Going to&quot; to Express a Prediction</h3>

<p>Both &quot;will&quot; and &quot;be going to&quot; can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In &quot;prediction&quot; 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.</p>
<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>

      <li>The year 2222 <strong>will be</strong> a very interesting year.</li>
      <li>The year 2222 <strong>is going to be</strong> a very interesting year.</li>
	</ul>
	<ul>
      <li>John Smith <strong>will be</strong> the next President.</li>

      <li>John Smith <strong>is going to be</strong> the next President.</li>
	</ul>
	<ul>
      <li>The movie &quot;Zenith&quot; <strong>will win</strong> several Academy Awards.</li>

      <li>The movie &quot;Zenith&quot; <strong>is going to win</strong> several Academy Awards.</li>
    </ul>
</div>
<h3>IMPORTANT</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>No Future in Time Clauses<a name="tc"></a></h3>

<p>Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, <a href="simplepresent.html">Simple Present</a> is used. </p>
<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>
    <ul>
      <li>When you <strong>will arrive</strong> tonight, we will go out for dinner. <em class="incorrect">Not Correct</em></li>

      <li>When you <strong>arrive</strong> tonight, we will go out for dinner. <em class="correct">Correct</em></li>
      </ul>
</div>
<h3>ADVERB PLACEMENT</h3>
<p>The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.</p>
<div class="ex">
    <p>Examples:</p>

    <ul>
      <li>You will <strong>never</strong> help him.</li>
      <li>Will you <strong>ever</strong> help him?</li>
	  </ul>
    <ul>

      <li>You are <strong>never</strong> going to meet Jane.</li>
      <li>Are you <strong>ever</strong> going to meet Jane?</li>
      </ul>
</div>