Future Forms: Will vs. Going to – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Workplace situations where you see a colleague struggling and want to offer immediate help.
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each conversation.
1 Colleague: “The phone is ringing, but my hands are full of folders!”
You: “Don’t worry, I ______ it for you.”
(A) am going to answer
(B) answer
(C) will to answer
(D) will answer
2 Colleague: “These document boxes are too heavy for me to carry.”
You: “Wait a second, I ______ you carry them to the storage room.”
(A) will help
(B) am going to help
(C) help
(D) am help
3 Colleague: “Oh no, the printer is completely out of paper again.”
You: “I ______ some fresh paper from the supply closet right now.”
(A) gets
(B) will get
(C) am going to get
(D) will getting
4 Colleague: “I just spilled hot coffee all over my desk!”
You: “Step back! I ______ you some paper towels.”
(A) will bring
(B) bring
(C) am going to bring
(D) will to bring
5 Colleague: “It is absolutely freezing in this office.”
You: “You’re right. I ______ the air conditioner off.”
(A) am going to turn
(B) turn
(C) will turn
(D) will turning
6 Colleague: “I can’t reach that red folder on the top shelf.”
You: “I am taller than you. I ______ it down for you.”
(A) gets
(B) will get
(C) am going to get
(D) am get
7 Manager: “We don’t have enough chairs for the meeting at 3 PM.”
You: “I ______ three more chairs from the other room.”
(A) will fetch
(B) fetch
(C) am going to fetch
(D) will to fetch
8 Colleague: “I have a terrible headache, and I can’t look at the screen anymore.”
You: “Sit down and rest. I ______ you an aspirin and a glass of water.”
(A) bring
(B) will bringing
(C) will bring
(D) am going to bring
9 Colleague: “I forgot my lunch box at home today.”
You: “That’s fine. I ______ my sandwich with you.”
(A) am going to share
(B) will share
(C) shares
(D) will to share
10 Colleague: “I don’t know how to use this new scanner.”
You: “It’s easy! Give me the document, I ______ you how to do it.”
(A) will show
(B) show
(C) am going to show
(D) am show
11 Manager: “Who is fixing the broken internet router?”
You: “Tom ______ it this afternoon. He told me about it this morning.”
(A) will fix
(B) fixes
(C) will to fix
(D) is going to fix
12 Colleague: “The meeting room is locked, and the clients are waiting outside!”
You: “Keep them company. I ______ the key from the reception.”
(A) will find
(B) am going to find
(C) find
(D) will finding
13 Colleague: “Oh no! I dropped all my pens and sticky notes on the floor.”
You: “Don’t move, I ______ them up for you.”
(A) pick
(B) am going to pick
(C) will pick
(D) will to pick
14 Colleague: “I am already late for my bus, but I haven’t finished typing this email.”
You: “Go home! I ______ the email and send it for you.”
(A) am going to type
(B) will type
(C) type
(D) am type
15 Colleague: “We need someone to call Mr. Smith and tell him about the delay.”
You: “I have his number. I ______ him right away.”
(A) am going to call
(B) calls
(C) will calling
(D) will call
16 Colleague: “My car won’t start, and it’s raining heavily outside.”
You: “Don’t worry. I ______ you home after work.”
(A) will drive
(B) drive
(C) am going to drive
(D) will to drive
17 Colleague: “Look at that tall stack of files on the edge of the desk!”
You: “Watch out! It ______!”
(A) will fall
(B) falls
(C) is going to fall
(D) is go to fall
18 Colleague: “There is a spelling mistake on page 5 of the presentation.”
You: “Thanks for noticing. I ______ it before we print.”
(A) am going to correct
(B) correct
(C) will correct
(D) will correcting
19 Colleague: “I have too many customers to help right now.”
You: “I am free. I ______ the next customer for you.”
(A) help
(B) will help
(C) am going to help
(D) am help
20 Manager: “Has anyone booked the restaurant for our team dinner next Friday?”
You: “Yes, I ______ the restaurant yesterday. We have a table for ten.”
(A) will book
(B) am going to book
(C) booked
(D) book
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (D) will answer
- Why it is correct: You see your colleague struggling and make an instant decision to offer help.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) am going to answer is a meaning trap because you didn’t plan to answer it beforehand. (B) answer is the wrong tense (Common Mistake). (C) will to answer is a structural error.
2 (A) will help
- Why it is correct: A spontaneous offer of help upon realizing the boxes are too heavy.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) am going to help is a meaning trap (not a pre-arranged plan). (C) help is the wrong tense. (D) am help is a structural error.
3 (B) will get
- Why it is correct: Volunteering to get paper immediately after finding out the printer is empty.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to get is a meaning trap. (A) gets is the wrong tense and grammatically incorrect for “I”. (D) will getting is a structural error.
4 (A) will bring
- Why it is correct: An instant reaction to help clean up the spilled coffee.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to bring is a meaning trap. (B) bring is the wrong tense. (D) will to bring is a structural error.
5 (C) will turn
- Why it is correct: Offering to turn off the AC right after hearing the colleague complain about the cold.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) am going to turn is a meaning trap. (B) turn is the wrong tense. (D) will turning is a structural error.
6 (B) will get
- Why it is correct: An instant offer to reach for the folder because you are taller.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to get is a meaning trap. (A) gets is the wrong tense. (D) am get is a structural error.
7 (A) will fetch
- Why it is correct: Volunteering to grab chairs right when the manager mentions the shortage.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to fetch is a meaning trap. (B) fetch is the wrong tense. (D) will to fetch is a structural error.
8 (C) will bring
- Why it is correct: An immediate offer to provide an aspirin when learning about the headache.
- Distractor Analysis: (D) am going to bring is a meaning trap. (A) bring is the wrong tense. (B) will bringing is a structural error.
9 (B) will share
- Why it is correct: A spontaneous offer to share your lunch when your colleague says they forgot theirs.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) am going to share is a meaning trap. (C) shares is the wrong tense. (D) will to share is a structural error.
10 (A) will show
- Why it is correct: Volunteering to demonstrate how the scanner works on the spot.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to show is a meaning trap. (B) show is the wrong tense. (D) am show is a structural error.
11 (D) is going to fix
- Why it is correct (Analyze & Exception): In this specific case, Tom “told me about it this morning.” This means fixing the router is a pre-arranged task/plan, not an instant offer made at the moment of speaking. Therefore, “Be going to” is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) will fix is a meaning trap because it implies a sudden decision rather than a planned task. (B) fixes is the wrong tense. (C) will to fix is a structural error.
12 (A) will find
- Why it is correct: A sudden decision to go look for the key to solve the immediate problem.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) am going to find is a meaning trap. (C) find is the wrong tense. (D) will finding is a structural error.
13 (C) will pick
- Why it is correct: An instant offer to help pick up the dropped items.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) am going to pick is a meaning trap. (A) pick is the wrong tense. (D) will to pick is a structural error.
14 (B) will type
- Why it is correct: Offering to finish the email so the colleague won’t miss the bus.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) am going to type is a meaning trap. (C) type is the wrong tense. (D) am type is a structural error.
15 (D) will call
- Why it is correct: Volunteering to make the phone call immediately.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) am going to call is a meaning trap. (B) calls is the wrong tense. (C) will calling is a structural error.
16 (A) will drive
- Why it is correct: A spontaneous offer to give the colleague a ride home.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to drive is a meaning trap. (B) drive is the wrong tense. (D) will to drive is a structural error.
17 (C) is going to fall
- Why it is correct (Analyze & Exception): This is not an offer to help. It is a warning based on clear, present evidence (the tall stack of files leaning on the edge). For a prediction based on physical evidence, we must use “Be going to”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) will fall is a meaning trap (wrong context for predictions with evidence). (B) falls is the wrong tense. (D) is go to fall is a structural error.
18 (C) will correct
- Why it is correct: A spontaneous decision to fix the spelling mistake right after it is pointed out.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) am going to correct is a meaning trap. (B) correct is the wrong tense. (D) will correcting is a structural error.
19 (B) will help
- Why it is correct: Volunteering to assist the next customer when you see your colleague is overwhelmed.
- Distractor Analysis: (C) am going to help is a meaning trap. (A) help is the wrong tense. (D) am help is a structural error.
20 (C) booked
- Why it is correct (Analyze & Exception): This is a tense trap. The action of booking the restaurant was already completed “yesterday”. Therefore, we must use the Past Simple tense.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) and (B) are incorrect because the action is not in the future. (D) book is the wrong tense (Present Simple).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 Using “Will” for Instant Offers of Help
- Function: When you see someone in trouble (e.g., carrying something heavy, spilling water, or feeling unwell) and you want to volunteer to help them, you MUST use “Will”.
- Reason: This offer is a spontaneous reaction (an instant decision/offer). It arises at the exact moment of speaking. You did not plan to pick up their pen or carry their boxes before you arrived at the office.
- Structure: S + will + V (base form). Example: I will help you. / I will open the door.
2 Distinguishing from “Be going to” in the Workplace
- Only use “Be going to” when a task or action has been pre-arranged, assigned, or planned before the conversation takes place (As seen in Question 11: Tom was assigned the task of fixing the internet in the morning, so by the afternoon, he “is going to fix it”).
3 Common Communication Traps
- Beginner learners often use the Present Simple tense (e.g., I help you, I get it) when directly translating from their native language to offer help. However, in standard English, this is grammatically incorrect. Always remember to put “Will” before the verb when you mean “Let me do that for you!”.