Will, going to or present continuous?
The textbook rule says will for predictions and going to for predictions with evidence, which leaves most students guessing. Two questions work better: did you decide before you started speaking, and can you see it coming? This table is the short version that the will and going to worksheets with answers practice:
| Form | Use it for | Example |
| will | A decision made now, an offer, a promise, an opinion | I'll get it! I think it'll be busy. |
| going to | A plan made before, or evidence you can see | I'm going to paint the bathroom. Look, it's going to rain. |
| present continuous | An arrangement with a time or a place | We're flying to Lisbon on Friday. |
| present simple | Timetables | The train leaves at 7:15. |
Many sentences allow two forms. We're flying on Friday and we're going to fly on Friday are both correct; the present continuous just sounds more booked. Accept both unless the context makes one clearly better, and save your corrections for will where a plan was made long before.
Future tenses worksheets and lessons by level
Not sure of a student's level? The placement test gives you a band before you choose.
| Level | Material | Focus |
| A1-A2 | Aspirations in Life, Winter Vacation | will and going to for dreams and holiday plans |
| A2-B1 | Will vs Going To worksheet | Plans, decisions, offers and predictions, with will and going to exercises A2 students can do alone |
| A2-B1 | Life In 2030 (free) | Predictions with will and won't |
| B1-B2 | Future Forms worksheet | Five future forms in one email about the 2027 solar eclipse |
| B1-B2 | Summer Is Here! | Summer plans and the grammar to describe them |
| B1-B2 | Making Excuses | The future continuous for polite excuses |
The Future Forms worksheet doubles as a future forms lesson plan for B1-B2 groups: students hunt for each form in a real context, then place it on a scale from fixed to flexible. For the arrangements use, see also the present continuous page.
Plans and predictions in conversation
Future tense activities don't need a game. Ask about the next twelve months: what students are going to change, what they will probably never do, what they are doing next weekend. Making Excuses adds a social twist: how to say no politely with I'll be working late that evening. Each answer needs a different form, so the conversation itself is the practice.
A future tenses worksheet is useful before the conversation, not instead of it. Use one exercise as a warm-up, then move to real plans. Students who have just practiced the forms make fewer mistakes when they speak freely.
Future tenses FAQ
What is the difference between will and going to?
Will is for decisions made at the moment of speaking, offers, promises and opinions. Going to is for plans made earlier and for predictions based on what you can see. The Will vs Going To worksheet practices both with will and going to worksheets with answers.
Is it wrong to use will for weather forecasts?
No. Forecasts use will a lot. Going to is stronger when you can see the evidence yourself, such as dark clouds.
When should I introduce the future continuous?
At B1-B2, once will and going to are secure. It is most useful for polite questions such as Will you be using the car tonight?
Do the worksheets come with answers?
Yes. Every worksheet has a Teacher's Version with all the answers, and every exercise can be done as homework.
All future tenses worksheets and lesson plans come with a teacher subscription.