For many people, including natives, there is little or no differences between going to and will.

  Many do not
even pay attention to these differences because they just want to communicate and for them both are future and
both are the same.  But we are not here to simply learn to communicate but to do it effectively and correctly.
Therefore, we are going to review the differences.

Let´s say Billy wants to marry Ivana.

He comes to her and asks her if she will marry him. Because he is NOT sure
what she will respond he asks with WILL: "Will you marry me?"

She is delighted and responds "Yes, I will!"

He goes home and knowing that she accepted and more sure that it will
happen he tells his father with the Going to "Dad, me and Ivana, we are going
to get married!"

Arrangements begin and Billy calls his best friend and tells him when and
where: "John, me and Ivana are getting married 3rd November!" and again
asks an insecure question "Will you be my best man?" :)

WILL is the most insecure! That’s why it is of course for:

- offers (Shall I help you carry the bags?) (I’ll help you carry the bags)

- promises (because they are rarely ever kept) (I will marry you)

- predictions when you are not sure what will really happen (Some day I will be a
millionaire)

A prediction is your picture or imagination of something that you cannot change. This means that predictions
are often about things apart from yourself, such as society, other people, and trends. It is also possible to make
predictions about yourself, e.g. “I’ll lose all my hair by the time I’m 50”

- instant decisions without planning before (in a bar - I will have a Coca Cola)

BE GOING TO is for:

- plans and arrangements (I’m going to save money for a new car)

A plan is something that you have decided, e.g. a New Year’s resolution, an ambition, a goal, or something on a
to-do list. Examples include “I’m going to give up smoking this year” and “I’m just going to chill this
weekend”. Because it is used for plans, “I’m going to” often means exactly the same as “I’m planning to” and is
the most common tense to answer “What are your plans for…?” questions with.

- predictions when it is already certain that something is going to happen (You see a boy
on a bike heading for a tree. It is not difficult to predict that: He is going to crash!)

The most common explanation for the difference between “It will rain” and “It’s going to rain” is that “going
to” is used when you have present evidence such as a visual clue, e.g. a black cloud. By contrast, “It will rain”
might be because it always does this time of year or that is happens; every time I try to have a barbecue.
- planned decisions (in a bar - My stomach hurts. I am going to have some tea)

PRESENT CONTINUOUS is the most secure of all three Future Tenses! It is for:

- plans and arrangements when already set a specific time and place! (I am seeing the
doctor tomorrow at 10)

An arrangement can be defined as something that has already involved someone else, e.g. when you booked
your hotel room, made an appointment with the dentist, or made a date with someone. “Bookings/
reservations”, “dates”, “appointments” and “meetings” are all useful examples.

     WILL                         GOING TO                PRESENT CONTINUOUS

   promises, offers                      /                                         /

   predictions 50%           predictions 99%                             /

  instant decisions          planned decisions                           /

                                          plans                        plans (time and place)