Will for the future

[Belles1654]

I hear the simple future but I can't seem to grasp it to teach.
Is this usage okay:
I am going to go to Denver and I will return on the 18th.
or am I forced to say, since i have a plan,
I am going to Denver and I am going to return on the 18th.
Is there no "simple" future with "will"?? Help:)

Thank you in advance, Belles

[Alan]

Hi Belles,

I've done some notes on the future for the site, which may be of interest: Will Future

and my latest newsletter concerns the future: Looking Ahead

Let me know if they offer any help.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Belles1654]

Hello Alan,

Thank you, Alan, what a great article. I enjoyed reading "Looking Ahead". It speaks directly to my fear. I never know what to say about the future in English. After I read your article, I realized that there is a gap in the future tense, and so we tend to create patches. Thanks again, you've given me the confidence I need to actually talk about the future in some coherent way! Belles

[Torsten]

Hello Belles,

It's great to hear you like our materials. Now you might want to try this will-future test and tell us your results.

Many thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, photographs: Motocross

[Belles1654]

Torsten, I aced it. The lesson was well learned. Thank you and I thank the site for having such great and useful information and such willing teachers and participants. :)-Belles

[Al07]

Hi belles!
I guess your problem is the discrimination between the use of 'be going to' and that of 'will' to express a plan or an intention. As far as I know, 'be going to' is used to express a premeditated plan in the future. In your example "I'm going to go to Denver and return on the 18th." This is what you have planned to do. The degree of certainty is to some extent higher than when you say: "I will go to Denver and return on the 18th." which is a future probability.
I will redecorate my room. (future intention, probability in the future, willingness...)
I am going to redecorate my room. (Plan in the future, this will certainly happen since I have already bought some paint.)
Situation: You see me going out of a supermarket with a bucket of paint and you say:
I see you've bought some paint! What are you going to do?
My answer would be :"Well, I'm going to redecorate my room."
I hope this will help you.
ALI from Algeria.

[Molly]

[Molly]

[Molly]