Grammar · Talking About the Future
The Future Tense (Will, Going To)
I will help you. Lightning is going to hit the clock tower. Two ways to talk about the future, with the film Back to the Future.
Grammar › Talking About the Future › The Future Tense (Will, Going To)
The rule in one sentenceUse will for what you think, promise or decide right now (I will help you, Doc), and use going to for a plan you made before, or for something you can already see coming (Lightning is going to hit the clock tower).
About the film
Back to the Future is a film from 1985. Marty McFly is a teenager in a small American town. His friend Doc Brown is a scientist with wild white hair. Doc builds a time machine inside a DeLorean car. By accident, Marty travels back to 1955, thirty years before his own time. There he meets his mother and father when they were young. Now he has a big problem: his parents must fall in love, or Marty will never be born. And to get home, he needs a bolt of lightning and a car that drives at eighty-eight miles per hour.
What does it do?
English has more than one way to talk about the future. The two most common are will and going to. They both point to later, but they tell the listener something different.
will is for a thought, a promise or a decision that you make while you speak. going to is for a plan you already have, or for something that is clearly coming because you can see the signs.
Here is a quick test. Ask yourself: did I decide this before now, or can I see it coming? If yes, use going to. If it is only a guess, a promise or a fresh decision, use will.
In speech, both forms get shorter. Listen for these:
I think the car will work. Look, the car is going to hit the wall!
The first is a hope. The second is a sign you can see with your own eyes. Signs and plans take “going to”.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
will — will + verb
Marty will drive the car at eighty-eight miles per hour.
Doc won’t listen to Marty about the future.
will not → won’tWill the time machine work?
Will + subject + base verbgoing to — be + going to + verb
Marty is going to play at the school dance.
His parents aren’t going to meet without his help.
am not / isn’t / aren’t + going toIs lightning going to hit the clock tower?
Am / Is / Are + subject + going to + base verbRemember: will never changes. It is the same for I, you, he and they. going to always needs am, is or are in front of it.
When to use each one
will
going to
Words that help: will or going to?
These words often come with one form or the other.
will → a guess or a promise
going to → a plan or a sign
Common mistakes
❌ Marty going to drive the car.
✅ Marty is going to drive the car.
“Going to” always needs “am”, “is” or “are” before it.
❌ Doc will builds a time machine.
✅ Doc will build a time machine.
After “will”, the verb stays in its base form. No -s.
❌ Look at the sky! It will rain.
✅ Look at the sky! It is going to rain.
You can see the sign. Signs take “going to”.
❌ I am going to help you, I promise!
✅ I will help you, I promise!
A promise made now takes “will”.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
The present tenses can talk about the future too.
✅ The school dance starts at eight. (a timetable: present simple)
✅ Marty is playing at the dance on Saturday. (a fixed arrangement: present continuous)
✅ Marty is going to play at the dance. (a plan: going to)
All three are correct. They just show how fixed the plan is.
Practice: will or going to?
Eight questions. Choose one answer. You get the answer, and why.
1. I think Marty ___ get home safely.
“I think” is a guess → will.
2. Look at the sky! Lightning ___ hit the tower.
“Look!” means you can see the sign → going to.
3. Don’t worry, Doc. I ___ help you.
A promise made now → will.
4. Doc ___ test the car tonight. He planned it last week.
A plan made before now → going to.
5. Marty ___ play the guitar at the dance. He practised all week.
“Going to” needs “is” before it.
6. Doc ___ listen to Marty about the future. He says it is too dangerous.
The negative of “will” is “won’t”.
7. Marty: “OK, I ___ drive the car myself!”
A quick decision, made right now → will.
8. Watch out! That car ___ hit the wall!
You can see it coming → going to.
Your turn
Choose one ending. Then listen to your sentence.
Every sentence here is correct. Pick the one that is true for you. Say it out loud too!
Keep going
This film’s lesson
More lessons
Now hear it in the film
You have just learned the future tense with Back to the Future. Now hear the whole film explained in English.
The full listening episode on the same film — a slow, clear movie review with the language used in real speech, and a free transcript.
IntermediateEpisode 07Watch on YouTube