Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / June 2006

Ali Asoag schrieb:

Some broad outlines:

We use "will" to express spontaneous decisions taken at the time of
speaking, to make general predictions, to refer to future facts and to
refer to habitual action in the present - "will" is also used in the
main clause of "type one" conditional sentences (this can be seen as a
form of prediction).

We use "going to" when expressing intentions (decisions taken at an
earlier time) and to make predictions based on present evidence.

This is by no means exhaustive and I'm sure I've left out some usages. A
full explanation with examples would be considerably longer.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

Hi Einde,

I've decided to take a crack at this or we'll have all kinds of stuff
that will deeply confuse the OP, as you have already pointed out. I've
made a special study of the future precisely because the way English
expresses the future is so completely alien to Greek learners. It is
also the only real work that I've done in Greece that I've been truly
proud of, most likely because I've never seen it expressed like this.

So, Ali, here we go:

When you think about the future in English, first try drawing two,
side-by-side overlapping circles. Label one "Will" and the other "Be
going to." The circles must overlap because there is a good deal of
overlap in the way these two forms are actually used, in real speech
and writing, as opposed to clear-cut grammar explanations.

Draw a horizontal arrow underneath the two circles aiming toward "Be
going to." Underneath that, write "intention." Leave plenty of space
underneath it and draw another horizontal arrow going the opposite
direction. Label that one "prediction."

In their key uses, "will" and "be going to" are interchangeable. The
only difference lies in whether the language user wishes to stress the
"intention" or "prediction" aspect of what s/he wants to say. Usually,
the user doesn't care, of course.

But when there is a strong intention being shown:

I hate my teacher. I AM GOING TO kill him.

When there is a strong prediction:

In the Argentina-Mexico game in the Round of 16 at the World Cup, the
score WILL be 2-0.

Write these two sentences in the spaces under the arrows.

------

There are several things that fall outside of this basic problematic of
"will" and "be going to," more specifically, about three for "be going
to," but about six for "will."

For "Be going to" we have:

PRESENT CAUSE:
This is what one of the posters has incorrectly identified as something
that will happen in the near future. The real explanation goes like
this: if you can see that it is going to happen with your own eyes, or
otherwise sense it, the CAUSE is obvious in the PRESENT.

Look at that plane! It's falling out of the sky! It's going to crash!

Look at those black clouds!

I sense a great disturbance in the Force. Many people have already died
or are going to die.

SECRET/SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE
Sometimes, we know things because we are professional specialists. For
instance:

When you try to understand this explanation, I am sure it's going to
confuse you.

Look at that colt over there. Do you see his front hoof, how he's
limping a bit? He's not going to win the race.

Sometimes, we know things because we know secrets:

Do you know that John is going to be fired tomorrow? I know because my
sister dates the boss's secretary, and she learned the news three days
ago.

Look at that horse. He's not going to win this race. The fix is in.

Many times, native speakers tend to use "be going to" instead of "will"
when they make predictions in order to emphasize how certain they are
based on their secret or special knowledge. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT "BE
GOING TO" IS A STRONGER FORM THAT "WILL."

Get down from that wall, young man! You're going to break your neck!
When Mexico plays Argentina, Argentina's going to kick some major a.s.
Take my word for it.

PERSONAL SCHEDULES:
Often, the present continuous is used to express the future:

I'm having a party tomorrow. Would you like to come?

In all cases when the present continuous is used to express the future,
"be going to" may also be used. In Southern England and the
Northeastern United States, native speakers still prefer the present
continuous for these uses, but by and large the rest of the
English-speaking world couldn't care less. As a person raised in
Northeastern United States, I'm one of the nay-sayers. However, even
someone like me would not ALWAYS use the present continuous to express
a definite arrangement for the future. We just show a definite
preference for the form.

Now, for WILL:

"Will" is generally used for refusals, both personal and impersonal.

She won't call. She doesn't love me.
My car won't start. I wonder what's wrong with it.

Strictly speaking, this is not really one of its uses as a future
tense. After all, if you're talking about a future refusal, it's a
PREDICTION, which takes us back to our primary diagram...the two
overlapping circles. Or, secret/special knowledge...

I know my sister. There's no way she's going to go out again with
someone who threw a banana cream pie in her face. Dumb move, buddy.

INSTANT DECISIONS:
By far, this is the place where "will" reigns supreme and the strongest
rule in the fuzzy English grammatical future.

The phone's ringing! I'll get it.
No pizza's left! Damn! We'll order some more.

PROMISES:
And I-ee-I-ee-I WILLLLL ALWAYSSSSS LOOOOVEE YOUUUU!!!

EXPRESSIONS OF CERTAINTY/UNCERTAINTY:
I'm sure the match will be close.
I think the moon will rise tomorrow.
I'm utterly positive that my sister will never go out with you again.

(However, many native speakers disregard this rule, usually because it
conflicts with the "secret/special knowledge" rule or "present cause"
given above under "be going to."

I'm utterly positive that my sister is NEVER, but NEVER going to go out
with you again.
Do you think it's going to rain? I mean, those clouds over there are
rather dark.

OFFERS:
Hi beautiful girl! I'll carry your books for you, if you like.

In British English in its most British manifestation, what is generally
called RECEIVED PRONUNCIATION or THE QUEEN'S ENGLISH, this short form
of "will" is generally "shall" in its longer form, but only rarely is
it expressed in the long form except in the questions "shall I" or
"shall we?" "Shall you" is, more or less, an insult.

AGREEMENTS:
Agreements are like promises, as in:

On or before the twenty-eighth day of May in the Year of Our Lord two
thousand and seven, I, credoquaabsurdum, do solemnly swear that I will
leave Greece, under penalty of perjury.

REQUESTS:
Will you please be quiet?
Will you shut the door please?

Native speakers generally use "would" in such sentences to seem more
polite, if they feel such a need.

----------------------

Yet, Ali, in order to be able to correctly express yourself in the
future, you also need to study the Present Simple, the Present
Continuous, the Future Continuous, the Future Perfect, the Future
Perfect Continuous and modals, as well as a host of less important
ways, specifically, as Einde pointed out FOURTEEN. My advice to you
continues to be: GET A GOOD GRAMMAR BOOK or FIND A TEACHER!