Future Forms: Will vs. Going to – English Grammar Exercises for A2
A Friday afternoon conversation between you and your classmate (Tom) about your upcoming family weekend trip.
Choose the best answer to complete the conversation. Pay attention to the context to distinguish between pre-arranged plans and instant decisions made at the moment of speaking.
1 You: “Guess what! My family and I ______ to Da Nang tomorrow morning.”
(A) are go to travel
(B) travel
(C) are going to travel
(D) will travel
2 You: “We already have the tickets. We ______ by plane.”
(A) will fly
(B) are going to fly
(C) will flying
(D) fly
3 You: “My mom packed our bags last night. She ______ a lot of photos on this trip.”
(A) is going to take
(B) will take
(C) takes
(D) is take to
4 You: “I bought a new swimsuit because I ______ in the sea all day.”
(A) am going swim
(B) swim
(C) will swim
(D) am going to swim
5 You: “My dad booked a nice hotel by the beach. We ______ there for two nights.”
(A) stay
(B) are go to stay
(C) are going to stay
(D) will stay
6 Tom: “That sounds fun! ______ the famous night market?”
(A) Will you visit
(B) Do you visit
(C) Will you to visit
(D) Are you going to visit
7 You: “Yes, we are! My mom ______ some local seafood there.”
(A) is going to buy
(B) buys
(C) will buy
(D) is go to buy
8 Tom: “What about your little brother? ______ the amusement park?”
(A) Is he going to see
(B) Will he see
(C) Does he see
(D) Will he going to see
9 You: “No, he ______ the amusement park this time because it is closed for repairs.”
(A) won’t visits
(B) isn’t going to visit
(C) doesn’t visit
(D) won’t visit
10 Tom: “I saw the weather forecast for Da Nang. ______ sunny all weekend!”
(A) It will be
(B) It goes to be
(C) It is going to be
(D) It is be
11 You: “That’s great! We ______ a lot of time indoors.”
(A) won’t spend
(B) aren’t going to spend
(C) won’t to spend
(D) don’t spend
12 Tom: “Are you taking your dog with you?”
You: “No, my grandparents ______ him while we are away. They agreed yesterday.”
(A) watch
(B) are going watch
(C) will watch
(D) are going to watch
13 Tom: “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
You: “We ______ the house at 6 AM.”
(A) are going to leave
(B) leave
(C) will leave
(D) are leaving to
14 You: “My dad already rented a car. He ______ us from the airport to the hotel.”
(A) is go to drive
(B) is going to drive
(C) will drive
(D) drives
15 Tom: “I wish I could go to the beach too. I have no plans for the weekend.”
You: “Don’t be sad! I ______ you a nice souvenir from the market!”
(A) will bring
(B) am going to bring
(C) bring
(D) will to bring
16 Tom: “Thanks! Oh, I don’t have my phone right now. How can I see your pictures?”
You: “Give me your email address. I ______ them to you on Sunday evening.”
(A) send
(B) will sending
(C) will send
(D) am going to send
17 Tom: “Look at the classroom clock, it’s already 4 PM! We need to go home.”
You: “Oh, you’re right! I ______ my books into my backpack now.”
(A) am put
(B) am going to put
(C) will put
(D) put
18 Tom: “Do you need help carrying that heavy bag?”
You: “Yes, please. It’s too heavy for me. ______ it for me?”
(A) Will you carry
(B) Do you carry
(C) Will you to carry
(D) Are you going to carry
19 You: “Wait, I can’t find my keys!”
Tom: “Don’t worry, I ______ you look for them before we leave.”
(A) will help
(B) am going to help
(C) help
(D) will helping
20 You: “Found them! Anyway, I must go now. I ______ my bedroom before dinner because my mom asked me to do it this morning.”
(A) am going to clean
(B) will clean
(C) am go to clean
(D) clean
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) are going to travel
- Why it is correct: The trip is a pre-arranged plan (context: talking about upcoming weekend plans). We use “be going to”.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) travel is Present Simple, a common mistake for learners. (A) are go to travel is a structural error. (D) will travel is a meaning trap because “will” is for instant decisions, not fixed plans.
2 (B) are going to fly
- Why it is correct: The phrase “already have the tickets” proves this is a definite, pre-arranged plan.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) will fly is a meaning trap. (C) will flying is a structural error. (D) fly is incorrect as Present Simple is not used for personal plans here.
3 (A) is going to take
- Why it is correct: Taking photos is an intended plan for the trip, supported by the mother “packing bags last night”.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) will take is a meaning trap (not a spontaneous decision). (C) takes is a common mistake (Present Simple). (D) is take to is a severe structural error.
4 (D) am going to swim
- Why it is correct: Buying a new swimsuit was an action done for a pre-decided purpose (swimming).
- Distractor Analysis: (C) will swim is a meaning trap. (B) swim is the wrong tense. (A) am going swim is a structural error (missing “to”).
5 (C) are going to stay
- Why it is correct: The dad “booked a nice hotel”, making this a clear arrangement.
- Distractor Analysis: (D) will stay is a meaning trap for pre-arranged events. (A) stay is a common mistake. (B) are go to stay is a structural error.
6 (D) Are you going to visit
- Why it is correct: Tom is asking about your family’s pre-existing itinerary.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Will you visit is a meaning trap (usually used for invitations or spontaneous decisions). (B) Do you visit is the wrong tense. (C) Will you to visit is a structural error.
7 (A) is going to buy
- Why it is correct: This is another pre-planned intention of the mother.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) will buy is a meaning trap. (B) buys is a common mistake. (D) is go to buy is a structural error.
8 (A) Is he going to see
- Why it is correct: Asking about the little brother’s prior plan during the trip.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Will he see is a meaning trap. (C) Does he see is the wrong tense. (D) Will he going to see is a structural error.
9 (B) isn’t going to visit
- Why it is correct: The park being closed is a known fact, so “not visiting” is part of the established plan.
- Distractor Analysis: (D) won’t visit is a meaning trap (sounds like a sudden refusal). (C) doesn’t visit is a common mistake. (A) won’t visits is a structural error.
10 (C) It is going to be
- Why it is correct: A future prediction based on present evidence (having seen the weather forecast).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) It will be is a meaning trap (used for subjective predictions without clear evidence). (D) It is be is the wrong tense. (B) It goes to be is a structural error.
11 (B) aren’t going to spend
- Why it is correct: A logical intention based on the known weather forecast.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) won’t spend is a meaning trap. (D) don’t spend is a common mistake. (C) won’t to spend is a structural error.
12 (D) are going to watch
- Why it is correct: The grandparents “agreed yesterday”, meaning this is a settled plan.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) will watch is a meaning trap (not a spontaneous decision). (A) watch is the wrong tense. (B) are going watch is a structural error (missing “to”).
13 (A) are going to leave
- Why it is correct: The departure time is part of the organized schedule.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) will leave is a meaning trap. (B) leave is a common mistake. (D) are leaving to is a structural error.
14 (B) is going to drive
- Why it is correct: The dad “already rented a car”, so driving the family is a firm arrangement.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) will drive is a meaning trap. (D) drives is the wrong tense. (A) is go to drive is a structural error.
15 (A) will bring
- Why it is correct: (Analyze & Exception) Despite the overall trip being planned, the promise to buy a souvenir is an instant decision/promise made right at the moment of seeing the friend sad. We must use “will”.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) am going to bring is a meaning trap (the speaker didn’t plan to buy the souvenir before this exact moment). (C) bring is the wrong tense. (D) will to bring is a structural error.
16 (C) will send
- Why it is correct: The promise to send photos via email is made spontaneously after learning Tom doesn’t have his phone.
- Distractor Analysis: (D) am going to send is a meaning trap (not a pre-existing plan). (A) send is the wrong tense. (B) will sending is a structural error.
17 (C) will put
- Why it is correct: An instant decision made upon suddenly noticing the clock says 4 PM.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) am going to put is a meaning trap (the speaker just realized it was late). (D) put is the wrong tense. (A) am put is a structural error.
18 (A) Will you carry
- Why it is correct: We use “Will you” to make a spontaneous request or ask for immediate help.
- Distractor Analysis: (D) Are you going to carry is a meaning trap (it asks about their plan, which is unnatural for a request). (B) Do you carry is the wrong tense. (C) Will you to carry is a structural error.
19 (A) will help
- Why it is correct: An instant offer to help upon realizing the friend lost his keys.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) am going to help is a meaning trap (Tom couldn’t have planned to help before knowing about the lost keys). (C) help is the wrong tense. (D) will helping is a structural error.
20 (A) am going to clean
- Why it is correct: The mother “asked me to do it this morning”, making the room cleaning a pre-arranged obligation/plan before the conversation started.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) will clean is a meaning trap (not a spontaneous decision). (D) clean is the wrong tense. (C) am go to clean is a structural error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 “Be going to” (Prior Plans & Intentions)
- Function: Used when a decision to do something was made BEFORE the moment of speaking. In this test, buying tickets, booking a hotel, and packing bags for the weekend trip are all pre-arranged plans.
- Structure: S + am/is/are + going to + V (base form).
2 “Will” (Instant Decisions, Promises & Offers)
- Function: Even within the context of a planned trip, any reactions or choices made at the exact moment of speaking (e.g., promising to buy a gift when seeing a friend sad, offering to help find keys, or making a sudden request) must use “Will”. These decisions did not exist before the conversation started.
- Structure: S + will + V (base form).
3 Meaning Traps (Predictions: Evidence vs. Belief)
- Learners often confuse predictions. If there is clear, present evidence (e.g., I saw the weather forecast), you must use Be going to. If it is just a subjective guess without evidence, you use Will.