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what's up everybody this is jack from
tofluency.com and in this english lesson
we're going to look at the difference
between will be going to and the present
continuous when talking about the future
[Music]
let's start with three examples I will
get my haircut I will get my haircut and
going to get my haircut I'm going to get
my haircut I am getting my haircut I am
getting my haircut we'll be going to and
the present continuous
all three are used to talk about the
future it's difficult to know in which
situations you use will or be going to
or the present continuous but by the end
of this lesson
you will have a clearer understanding of
when to use these three tenses so let's
get started with a story
imagine that we decide to throw a party
that we decide to to have a party for
one of our friends and we all need to
bring something to the party we all need
to contribute something for this event
because I'm an expert when it comes to
beer I say okay I'll bring some beer
I'll bring some beer to the party you
say I'll bring complete that sentence
I'll bring maybe you said some food or
I'll bring some chips or I'll bring a
cake but we both used will to talk about
this and that is because we made the
decision to bring beer or a cake in the
moment of speaking we didn't have the
intention to do this before the
conversation and that's one of the ways
we use will when we make the decision to
do something in the future while we are
speaking here are some more examples to
make that clearer my wife and I are
sitting on the sofa it's 7:00 p.m.
kids over in bed and my wife says let's
watch stranger things
let's watch stranger things I'll say
great I'll make some tea I'll make some
tea I didn't have the intention to make
tea before we had that conversation the
decision to make tea was made during
that conversation it doesn't matter if
that future action is in the immediate
future or the distant future for example
let's say that you are in a meeting and
your boss says ok we need somebody to
give a presentation at the big
conference next year and you say I'll do
it I'll do it again you didn't have the
intention to give this presentation
before the meeting you made that
decision while speaking so far the
examples are I'll bring the drinks I'll
bring a cake I'll make some tea I'll do
it
going back to the example about the
party later that day you see a friend
and he asks you about this party and you
say yeah it's going to be great jack
is going to bring some beer jack is
going to bring some beer the intention
of bringing beer was made before that
conversation therefore we can't use will
we need to either use be going to or the
present continuous and at this stage
it's important to know that B going to
and the present continuous can be
flexible and in fact in many situations
you can use both with more or less the
same meaning so you can say jack is
bringing some beer to the party Jack is
bringing some beer to the party before I
said to my wife I'll make some tea I'll
make some tea but look at this example
I'm going to make some coffee do you
want some I'm going to make some coffee
do you want some the intention to make
coffee was there before I asked that
question I already had that intention
therefore I don't use will I didn't make
the decision to do that in the moment
I'm going to make some coffee
do you want some going back to the
example of the presentation in the
meeting you said I'll do it I'll do it
but imagine later that day you meet one
of your friends at the pub you say oh
I'm going to give a big presentation
next month I'm going to give a big
presentation next month now when we're
talking about our plans and arrangements
and intentions for the future we
normally use be going to or the present
continuous I've talked about a few
examples of how we use will but in most
cases we use be going to in the present
continuous because we normally know our
plans and intentions before the
conversation but why is the difference
between be going to and the present
continuous
well the present continuous is mainly
used for arrangements and in most cases
there is a specific time and date for
this for example I have a football game
at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday a friend asked me
if I want to go to his party on Sunday
afternoon I say I'm so sorry I can't go
I'm playing football at 3:00 p.m. it's
an arrangement it's a plan with a
specific time and date I'm playing
football at 3:00 p.m.
another example is I have an appointment
at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the
hairdresser's here I would say I'm
getting my haircuts on Tuesday I'm
getting my haircut on Tuesday but if you
don't have a set plan or an arrangement
then we tend to use be going to for
example I'm going to get my haircut soon
I'm going to get my haircut soon in this
example I don't have an appointment but
it's my intention to get my hair
I'm go to get my hair cut soon and
here's a conversation where we can use
this example with will my wife says Jack
your hair is bloody awful
your hair is bloody awful I say what do
you mean Kate says that's just no style
to it it looks terrible
I say Wow okay I'll get cut soon notice
that the intention to get my hair cut
wasn't there before the conversation I
made the decision to do this during the
conversation that's why I use will so
going back to the three examples I gave
at the start of the video I'll get my
hair cut soon I'm going to get my hair
cut soon I'm getting my hair cut on
Tuesday the first one the intention is
there but I've made the decision during
the conversation the second one the
intention is there but I already decided
to do this before the conversation and
the last one is an arrangement I have
the appointment I'm getting my haircut
on Tuesday so that is the main
difference between will be going to and
the present continuous
[Music]
let's look at a few more examples using
be going to and some very specific cases
when we use this the first one is I'm
going to mow the lawn this weekend now
when it comes to these types of
activities we tend to use be going to
because we don't make arrangements with
people to do this I'm going to mow the
lawn this weekend we're going to clean
the house on Sunday I'm going to do my
homework tonight these are types of
activities where we tend to use be going
to let's talk about predictions now
because when we are predicting the
future we can use either will or be
going to for example when we're talking
about our party I think Paul is going to
come I think Paul is going to come or I
think Paul welcome I think Paul will
come but if you are basing your
prediction on current evidence there
news been going to the example that many
of you have seen before is this look at
that black cloud it's going to rain the
black cloud is the evidence that we are
using for our prediction look at that
black cloud it's going to rain or Mike
Tyson looks so focused he's going to
knock out the other guy soon he's going
to knock out the other guy soon
[Music]
we can also use both be going to and
will in the first conditional for
example if it rains we'll cancel the
party
if it rains we'll cancel the party or if
it rains we're going to cancel the party
if it rains we're going to cancel the
party
I want to end on three examples that are
used very specifically the first one is
this what are you doing tomorrow what
are you doing tomorrow this is what we
ask when we're trying to find out
somebody's availability so we can
suggest something let's say we have a
party tomorrow which we do you can say
what are you doing tomorrow do you want
to come to this great party you'll
notice we use the present continuous to
do this what are you doing
Sunday morning the next one is this you
might hear your boss say okay if you're
one I'll be in the office tomorrow or
okay everyone I won't be in the office
tomorrow
the boss uses will here to talk about a
future fact here are two more examples
I'll be in London this time next week
I'll be in London this time next week
they'll be on the plane this time
tomorrow they'll be on the plane this
time tomorrow and finally let's
introduce another tense here the train
gets in at 7 a.m. the train gets in at 7
a.m. this is a present simple and we can
use a present simple to talk about the
future too this is four things on a
schedule or a timetable the train gets
in at 7 a.m. it's on a schedule another
example is I leave tomorrow at 7 a.m. I
leave tomorrow at 7 a.m.
I'm taking a flight which is why I'm
using it in this way I leave tomorrow at
7 a.m. and finally what time does the
lesson star what time does the lesson
start so we have covered a lot in this
lesson what I recommend you do is if
anything is unclear watch it again and
then leave any questions you
have below speaking of leaving things
below also write a few examples using be
going to will and the present continuous
if you want creates some type of
dialogue so that you give the example
some context and finally know that this
is not easy it's going to take you a
long time to truly understand when to
use will be going to and the present
continuous but to help you I've created
a playlist over here so click over there
watch those videos and you'll have a
much better understanding of this area
if you've enjoyed it please like and
share thank you so much for being here
[Music]
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About this lesson
Compare “will”, “be going to”, and the present continuous for talking about the future, including plans, arrangements, and predictions.