Learning Tenses - Step Six - Future Time

Will, Going to, Present Continuous

• WILL is normally known as the predictive future, and describes known facts, or what we suppose is true ( I'll be late home this evening )
  

This can also take the form of an assumption ( That'll be Jim at the door)

• WILL is also used to express an immidiate decision. (I'll take this one)

• BE GOING TO describes intentions or plans. At the moment of speaking the plans have already been made. (I'm going to wait here until Carol gets back)

Going to is also used to describe an event whose cause is present or evident. (Look at that
tree! It's going to fall)

• PRESENT CONTINUOUS describes fixed arrangements, especially social and travel arrangements. A time reference is usually included. Note the strong similarity to the GOING TO future. ( I'm having a party next week and I'm going to have party next week)