The Future Simple Tense in English: Will and Going To

Q: How do you form the future simple in English?

There are two main forms. Will + base verb: "I will call you." And be going to + base verb: "I am going to call you." The main verb stays in its base form in both cases, and will is identical for every subject with no third-person -s.

Q: What is the difference between will and going to?

Use will for instant decisions, promises, offers and predictions based on opinion. Use going to for plans decided before speaking and predictions based on present evidence. For example, "I'll get it" (deciding now) versus "I'm going to call him tonight" (already planned).

Q: When should I use will for predictions?

Use will when your prediction is based on personal opinion, belief or general knowledge, often with phrases like "I think" or "probably": "I think it will rain tomorrow." If your prediction is based on evidence you can see right now, going to is more natural: "Look at those clouds — it's going to rain."

Q: How do I make the future simple negative?

With will, add not: "I will not / won't be late." With going to, make the verb be negative: "She is not / isn't going to come." The main verb stays in its base form in both negatives.

Q: How do I form questions in the future simple?

With will, put will before the subject: "Will you help me?" With going to, put the correct form of be before the subject: "Are you going to apply?" The base verb follows the subject in both.

Q: Is it correct to say "I will to go"?

No. Will is a modal verb and is always followed directly by the base form with no to: "I will go." Adding to after will is a very common error. Note that going to does include to, but that is a different structure.

Q: Does "will" change for he, she or it?

No. Unlike many verbs, will has the same form for every subject: I will, you will, he will, she will, it will, we will, they will. There is no -s in the third person, so "he wills go" is incorrect — it should be "he will go."

Grammar LexFizz Team 9 min read 15 June 2026

Part of the Verb Tenses Series

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Key Takeaways

The future simple is formed with will + base verb or be going to + base verb.
Use will for instant decisions, promises, offers and predictions based on opinion.
Use going to for plans already made and predictions based on present evidence.
Both forms are negated with not and questioned by inversion (Will you...?).
The present continuous can also express fixed future arrangements ("I'm meeting her tomorrow").

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Talking about the future is essential from your very first English conversations — making plans, predicting the weather, promising to help. English has two main ways to express the future simple: will and be going to. They overlap, but each has situations where it is clearly the better choice. This guide shows you how to form both, when to use each, and how to avoid the errors learners make most often.

How to Form the Future Simple

Both future forms keep the main verb in its base (infinitive) shape:

The Two Structures

Form	Structure	Example
will	subject + will + base verb	I will call you later.
going to	subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb	She is going to study medicine.

In speech, will is usually contracted: I'll, you'll, she'll. The form is identical for all subjects — there is no extra -s for third person.

Why it matters: Choosing will or going to correctly signals whether a decision is spontaneous or already planned — a subtle but important difference for natural English.

When to Use Will

Use will for:

Instant decisions made at the moment of speaking: "I'm cold — I'll close the window."
Promises and offers: "I'll help you with that."
Predictions based on opinion or belief: "I think it will rain tomorrow."
Future facts: "The sun will rise at 6 a.m."

When to Use Going To

Use going to for:

Plans and intentions decided before speaking: "We're going to visit Spain this summer."
Predictions based on present evidence you can see: "Look at those clouds — it's going to rain."

Pro tip: If you have already decided and perhaps made arrangements, going to is almost always the right choice over will.

Will vs Going To

Direct Comparison

Situation	Natural choice	Example
Decision made now	will	The phone's ringing — I'll get it.
Plan made earlier	going to	I'm going to call him tonight.
Prediction (opinion)	will	I think they'll win.
Prediction (evidence)	going to	She's going to have a baby.
Promise / offer	will	I'll send it tomorrow.

Present Tenses for the Future

English also uses present tenses to talk about the future in two cases:

Present continuous for fixed personal arrangements: "I'm meeting Sara at 7."
Present simple for timetables and schedules: "The train leaves at 9:15."

These overlap with going to but feel even more definite, because an arrangement or timetable already exists.

Negatives and Questions

Forming Negatives and Questions

Negative (will): I will not / won't be late.

Negative (going to): She is not / isn't going to come.

Question (will): Will you help me?

Question (going to): Are you going to apply?

Common Mistakes

Learners often add to after will ("I will to go") — will is always followed directly by the base verb. Another error is using will for plans already made, where going to sounds more natural. A third is changing the verb for third person ("he wills go") — will never takes -s. Finally, in conditional and time clauses we use the present, not the future: "When I arrive, I'll call you" — not "when I will arrive."

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you form the future simple in English?

There are two main forms. Will + base verb: "I will call you." And be going to + base verb: "I am going to call you." The main verb stays in its base form in both cases, and will is identical for every subject with no third-person -s.

What is the difference between will and going to?

Use will for instant decisions, promises, offers and predictions based on opinion. Use going to for plans decided before speaking and predictions based on present evidence. For example, "I'll get it" (deciding now) versus "I'm going to call him tonight" (already planned).

When should I use will for predictions?

Use will when your prediction is based on personal opinion, belief or general knowledge, often with phrases like "I think" or "probably": "I think it will rain tomorrow." If your prediction is based on evidence you can see right now, going to is more natural: "Look at those clouds — it's going to rain."

Can present tenses talk about the future?

Yes. The present continuous expresses fixed personal arrangements: "I'm meeting Sara at 7." The present simple expresses timetables and schedules: "The train leaves at 9:15." Both feel very definite because an arrangement or schedule already exists.

How do I make the future simple negative?

With will, add not: "I will not / won't be late." With going to, make the verb be negative: "She is not / isn't going to come." The main verb stays in its base form in both negatives.

How do I form questions in the future simple?

With will, put will before the subject: "Will you help me?" With going to, put the correct form of be before the subject: "Are you going to apply?" The base verb follows the subject in both.

Is it correct to say "I will to go"?

No. Will is a modal verb and is always followed directly by the base form with no to: "I will go." Adding to after will is a very common error. Note that going to does include to, but that is a different structure.

Why can't I use "will" after "when" or "if"?

In time and conditional clauses, English uses the present simple to refer to the future, not will: "When I arrive, I'll call you" and "If it rains, we'll stay home." The will appears in the main clause, while the when/if clause stays in the present.

Does "will" change for he, she or it?

No. Unlike many verbs, will has the same form for every subject: I will, you will, he will, she will, it will, we will, they will. There is no -s in the third person, so "he wills go" is incorrect — it should be "he will go."

How can I practise the future simple?

Write sentences about your real plans (going to) and spontaneous reactions (will), then complete gap-fill exercises that force you to choose between the two. LexFizz's Grammar Quiz and Cloze Dropdown exercises give free, targeted practice on the future simple.