What's the difference?

Hi,

It will rain tomorrow.

It's going to rain tomorrow.

In this example, there is really no difference.



But in other cases, 'going to' commonly suggests the existence of some kind of 'plan', at least in the mind of the speaker.

eg 'I'm going to buy a car tomorrow' is more natural than 'I will buy a car tomorrow'.

They're about equal here. I just hope they're true. We haven't had more than about an inch since May.

Very little. It all depends 'how' you see the future. Generally speaking, we make a distinction between 'plans' and 'forecasts'. When we talk about 'plans' now, we tend to use the present continuous or 'be going to', as in: "I'm meeting some friends for a pizza tonight." Here, we're talking about a pre-arranged future. Let's face it, most futures are 'planned'. I could say: "I'm going to meet som

"Rain" is a prediction. With predictions "will" and "to be going to" are used interchangeably.

Personally though, i n the case of rain, I would use "going to" in normally speech and "will" if I were being argumentative.

As others already explained, "will " or "going to" are about the same in this context.

In general, "will" weighs a little more in emphasis than "going to".

What's the difference?

It will rain tomorrow. < cold rain prediction

It's going to rain tomorrow.< warm rain prediction

will is coldly confident, as if the speaker has ordered it to rain; going to is warmly suggestive, as if the speaker has seen signs of rain.

CalifJimWhat's the difference?

will is coldly confident, as if the speaker has ordered it to rain; going to is warmly suggestive, as if the speaker has seen signs of rain.

I have a post or two somewhere about "cold will" and "warm going to". It's not exactly my own creation, but almost. It is a liberal interpretation of comments by linguists that I have read over the years. Don't ask me to quote them, because I can't. It seems, however, that there is at least some agreement that in purely impressionistic terms will is emotionally cool and r