Will vs. Going to vs. Present Continuous (for future) – English Grammar Exercises for B1
Your friend is calling to invite you to a movie tonight, but you already have a dentist appointment. Choose the correct future form (A, B, C, or D) to complete the phone conversation naturally.
1 Friend: “Hey! Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?”
You: “I would love to, but I can’t. I ______ the dentist at 6:30 PM. I made the appointment last week.”
(A) will see
(B) see
(C) am seeing
(D) will seeing
2 Friend: “Oh, come on! You can cancel it. The new Marvel movie ______ at exactly 7:00 PM!”
(A) is starting
(B) starts
(C) will start
(D) is going to start
3 You: “I can’t miss this appointment. Look at my swollen cheek on the video call! It ______ a very painful extraction.”
(A) is going to be
(B) will be
(C) is being
(D) be
4 Friend: “Oh wow, that looks terrible! You must be in so much pain. I ______ over to bring you some painkillers right now.”
(A) am coming
(B) am going to come
(C) come
(D) will come
5 You: “No, it’s fine, I have some. After the appointment, I ______ straight home to sleep. I decided that this morning.”
(A) will go
(B) am going to go
(C) go
(D) am go
6 Friend: “That’s a pity. Well, Mark and I ______ dinner at the burger place before the movie. We reserved a booth.”
(A) will have
(B) have
(C) are having
(D) are going have
7 Friend: “Since you can’t come, I have an extra ticket. I ______ my brother to see if he wants it.”
(A) call
(B) am calling
(C) am going to call
(D) will call
8 You: “Good idea. Anyway, the dental clinic ______ at 8:00 PM, so I really need to leave the house soon.”
(A) is closing
(B) closes
(C) will close
(D) is going to close
9 Friend: “Wait, look out the window! The traffic is terrible. You ______ late for your appointment!”
(A) will be
(B) are
(C) are going to be
(D) are being
10 You: “You’re right, the cars are not moving at all. Okay, I ______ my bicycle instead. It’s faster.”
(A) ride
(B) am riding
(C) will ride
(D) am going to ride
11 Friend: “Good luck! What about tomorrow? I ______ a small party at my house. I have already invited ten people.”
(A) am hosting
(B) host
(C) will hosting
(D) am going host
12 You: “I can’t tomorrow either! My parents ______ to town for the weekend. We already booked their hotel.”
(A) come
(B) are coming
(C) will come
(D) will coming
13 Friend: “Oh, that’s nice! What time is their flight?”
You: “Their flight ______ at 9:15 AM tomorrow morning.”
(A) is arriving
(B) arrives
(C) will arrive
(D) is going to arrive
14 You: “I am so sorry I am missing everything. I promise I ______ to your next party!”
(A) come
(B) am coming
(C) am going to come
(D) will come
15 You: “What about Sunday? I ______ the new art museum. I bought my entry pass yesterday.”
(A) visit
(B) will visit
(C) am visiting
(D) will visiting
16 Friend: “Sunday works perfectly! I don’t have any plans, so I ______ with you!”
(A) will come
(B) am coming
(C) come
(D) am going come
17 You: “Great! The museum ______ its doors at 10:00 AM, so let’s meet at 9:45”
(A) is opening
(B) opens
(C) will open
(D) is going to open
18 Friend: “Look at my phone battery, it’s at 1%. My phone ______!”
(A) dies
(B) will die
(C) is dying
(D) is going to die
19 You: “Don’t worry, I ______ you my portable charger when I see you on Sunday.”
(A) am going to lend
(B) am lending
(C) will lend
(D) lend
20 You: “I must go now. I swear I ______ you tonight after my dentist appointment to confirm our Sunday plan.”
(A) text
(B) am texting
(C) am going to text
(D) will text
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) am seeing
Why it is correct: When declining an invitation, using the Present Continuous is the most polite and convincing method because it proves you have a fixed arrangement with someone else (the dentist). The appointment is booked and confirmed in your diary.
Distractor Analysis: (A) is for spontaneous decisions. (B) is a daily routine. (D) is structurally invalid.
2 (B) starts
Why it is correct: The start time of a movie at a cinema is an official, published timetable. For scheduled public events, we use the Present Simple tense.
Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) are not used for official public schedules.
3 (A) is going to be
Why it is correct: The speaker points to clear, present physical evidence (“Look at my swollen cheek!”). When making a prediction based on evidence you can see right now, you MUST use “going to”.
Distractor Analysis: (B) is a guess without hard evidence. (C) and (D) are grammatically incorrect.
4 (D) will come
Why it is correct: The friend is reacting to the swollen cheek and makes a sudden, spontaneous offer to help (“I will come over… right now”). Spontaneous offers and instant decisions require “will”.
Distractor Analysis: (A) and (B) imply the friend planned to come over before seeing the swollen cheek.
5 (B) am going to go
Why it is correct: The speaker says, “I decided that this morning.” This is a personal intention or plan formed before the moment of speaking. It does not involve another person, so “going to” is used instead of Present Continuous.
Distractor Analysis: (A) would mean deciding right now. (C) is a routine.
6 (C) are having
Why it is correct: “We reserved a booth.” This is a 100% confirmed, fixed arrangement involving the friend, Mark, and the restaurant. Present Continuous is the standard diary tense.
Distractor Analysis: (A) is for sudden decisions. (B) is a routine. (D) is grammatically incorrect.
7 (D) will call
Why it is correct: The friend just realized they have an extra ticket because you can’t come. They make an instant, spontaneous decision: “I will call my brother.”
Distractor Analysis: (B) and (C) would mean the friend planned to call the brother even if you had accepted the ticket!
8 (B) closes
Why it is correct: The closing time of a business (the dental clinic) is an official timetable. Present Simple is used.
Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) ignore the timetable rule.
9 (C) are going to be
Why it is correct: “Look out the window! The traffic is terrible.” This is undeniable present evidence leading to an inevitable outcome (being late). Use “going to”.
Distractor Analysis: (A) “will be” is used for guesses without direct visual evidence.
10 (C) will ride
Why it is correct: You see the traffic and instantly change your plan (“Okay, I will ride my bicycle instead”). A sudden change of mind requires “will”.
Distractor Analysis: (B) and (D) imply you planned to ride your bike before seeing the bad traffic.
11 (A) am hosting
Why it is correct: “I have already invited ten people.” The party is a fixed arrangement involving other people. Present Continuous is necessary.
Distractor Analysis: (B) is for timetables. (C) and (D) have grammar errors.
12 (B) are coming
Why it is correct: “We already booked their hotel.” This is a confirmed travel arrangement in the diary.
Distractor Analysis: (A) is for timetables. (C) is for predictions or spontaneous decisions.
13 (B) arrives
Why it is correct: The arrival of a commercial flight is an official timetable. Present Simple is used.
Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) are incorrect for public transport schedules.
14 (D) will come
Why it is correct: The word “promise” strictly requires the use of “will” for future actions.
Distractor Analysis: (A), (B), and (C) do not carry the communicative weight of a promise.
15 (C) am visiting
Why it is correct: “I bought my entry pass yesterday.” Purchasing a ticket makes this a fixed, confirmed arrangement. Present Continuous is required.
Distractor Analysis: (B) is for spontaneous decisions. (A) is a routine.
16 (A) will come
Why it is correct: The friend just heard about the museum and says “I don’t have any plans, so I will come with you!” This is a spontaneous decision made exactly at the moment of speaking.
Distractor Analysis: (B) and (D) imply the friend planned to go to the museum before you even mentioned it.
17 (B) opens
Why it is correct: The opening hours of a museum follow a published timetable. Present Simple is used.
Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) do not reflect the strict timetable rule.
18 (D) is going to die
Why it is correct: “Look at my phone battery, it’s at 1%.” This is clear, immediate physical evidence of something about to happen. Use “going to”.
Distractor Analysis: (B) is a guess without evidence. (A) is a routine fact.
19 (C) will lend
Why it is correct: The speaker is making a spontaneous offer to help solve the friend’s dying battery problem.
Distractor Analysis: (A) and (B) imply prior planning before the battery issue arose.
20 (D) will text
Why it is correct: “I swear” is a synonym for “I promise”. Promises always take “will”.
Distractor Analysis: (A), (B), and (C) are grammatically unnatural following an oath or promise.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The “Polite Refusal” Tense (Present Continuous):
- When someone invites you out, the most polite and convincing way to say no is to use the Present Continuous (am/is/are + V-ing).
- Why? Because it shows you have a Fixed Arrangement (a booked appointment or a confirmed meeting with someone else), meaning you cannot simply change your mind.
- Example: “I can’t go to the movie because I am seeing the doctor.” (It is in my diary).
2 The “Sudden Reaction” Tense (Will):
- Use Will when you make an Instant Decision, offer help, or change your mind right at the moment of speaking.
- Example: “You have a toothache? I will get you a painkiller.” / “The traffic is bad? I will take my bike instead.”
3 The “Evidence” Tense (Be Going To):
- Use Be going to when you can physically see/hear present evidence that something is about to happen.
- Example: “My battery is at 1%. My phone is going to die.”
4 The “Timetable” Tense (Present Simple):
- Use Present Simple for official, public schedules that do not depend on your personal choices (flights, clinic hours, movie times).
- Example: “The movie starts at 7:00 PM.” / “The clinic closes at 8:00 PM.”