0
Anonymous Posted 9 years ago
Grammar
"Will" versus "going to"
Hi,
I am a bit confused about something. I have read that one of the uses of "will" is to "give or ask for information about the future" (e.g. examples from that source: "Her parents will be here in about an hour", "All her friends will come to her wedding.").
On the other hand, one of the uses of "going to" is to express "plans or decisions made before speaking."
But . . . a plan that has been made before speaking can also appear as information that is given about the future, cannot it not? Thus, the two can be arguably interchangeable, no? Eg
1. Her parents will be here in about an hour. (source example)
1. Her parents are going to be here in about an hour. (my example)
2. All her friends will come to her wedding. (source example)
2. All her friends are going to come to her wedding. (my example)
What am I missing? Or am I missing anything at all?
I am a bit confused about something. I have read that one of the uses of "will" is to "give or ask for information about the future" (e.g. examples from that source: "Her parents will be here in about an hour", "All her friends will come to her wedding.").
On the other hand, one of the uses of "going to" is to express "plans or decisions made before speaking."
But . . . a plan that has been made before speaking can also appear as information that is given about the future, cannot it not? Thus, the two can be arguably interchangeable, no? Eg
1. Her parents will be here in about an hour. (source example)
1. Her parents are going to be here in about an hour. (my example)
2. All her friends will come to her wedding. (source example)
2. All her friends are going to come to her wedding. (my example)
What am I missing? Or am I missing anything at all?
Top answer
You're not missing anything. They are often interchangeable.
- You're not missing anything.
- They are often interchangeable.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
3 Answers
0
0
0
In trying to explain the differences between the ways of expressing the future, many course books and student grammars often appear to suggest that only one way is correct and appropriate in each situation. This is simply not true,
0
Related Questions