Will/be going to

English teachers have been teaching us that the idea and usage of 'will' equals to 'be going to' when I was in high school. But now, I'm afraid I disagree my teacher here. They are not that equivalent to each other.


#1. I am going to get married
#2. I will get married.
#1 says that the person is going to walk on the aisle in the near future and that person is preparing the wedding stuff right now or is going to prepare it soon, whereas #2 says that the person holds a postive attitude that she or he is the kind of person who prefer marriage rather than a single life.

#3. It is going to rain.
#4. It will rain.

#3 predicts that it's going to rain soon in 5 minutes or in half an hour, because there's thick gray sky over head and some related evidence that may cause rain. But #4 says that the raining will happen in a farther future time than within half an hour, and even farther.

#5. I will move to New York after I graduate from school.
#6. I am going to move to New York after I graduate from school.

This is another case. When you refer something to a future plan, both are used and carry the exactly the same meanig.


Do I make sense here? I need your comment. Thank you.



Pastel