Will VS Going To ,, a fatal question !!! :-S

[hema_maf]

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

السؤال دا من زمان محيرنى جدا , و بعد ما بحثت عنه فى موقع longman , لقيت الإجابة عليه Will و استاذى بيقولى لا الإجابة المفروض تكون Going to

و لكن عند إعادة التأكد من الإجابة لقيت الإجابة اتعدلت , و وضحت أكتر بكتير , فحبيت اعرض عليكم الموضوع دا و استفيد من رأيكم بردو ::-

Choose: The weather forecast says it (will - is going to) rain tomorrow. I think the correct answer is "is going to" because it is prediction based on evidence. The weather forecast doesn't give personal opinions. Do you agree?


First, let me say that grammar about different forms of the future is very complex and often more than one form can be used in a sentence, sometimes depending on what the speaker intends to emphasize. So while we teach students to follow certain rules, you might hear native speakers use different forms.
Instead of using the word “evidence” in these rules, use Michael Swan’s term, “present reality.” “If we say that something in the future is going to happen, it is usually already planned or decided, or it is starting to happen, or we can see it coming now.” (Swan, page 188)

“We prefer will for predictions when there is not such obvious outside evidence — when we are talking more about what is inside our heads: what we know, or believe, or have calculated.” (Swan, p 191)

Weather forecasts are based on data that is gathered and analyzed, not on “present realities.” The weather forecast itself is more likely to use will -- or a mix of going to and will -- but the sentence in question here is not the weather forecast itself but a repetition of what the forecast says. When I am reading the forecast, I might take that as "evidence" and use going to.

In the case of talking about the weather, both will and going to are often possible, and we should learn to accept that on tests. However, there are other cases where the difference bewteen the two forms is clearer.

Let’s look at a few other examples to clarify what Swan means by “present reality” or “evidence.”

Don’t lend your car to Ahmed. He’ll crash it. (a prediction based on my knowledge of his driving habits.)
Look out! We’re going to crash! (present reality: we are seconds away from hitting something)

Some day my daughter will marry and have a baby. (a prediction based on my knowledge of what people usually do)
My daughter is going to get married. (present reality: she’s engaged)
My daughter is marrying next week. (arrangements have been made)
My daughter is going to have a baby. (present reality: she’s pregnant)
My daughter and her husband both have blue eyes, so their baby will have blue eyes. (prediction based on my knowledge of genetics)
(Michael Swan. Practical English Usage, 3rd ed. Oxford, 2005.)

و نفس السؤال اتكرر و الإجابة كانت اوضح :

The weather forecast says it (will - is going to) rain. I think the best answer is "is going to" because their prediction is based on evidence. However, I frequently find "will" used in this sentence. What do you think?

!

The grammar of the future forms is one of the most complex areas of grammar. Linguists find it difficult to define the uses of the various forms, and often more than one is possible. This is especially true of the choice between will and going to.
If you have read the forecast, you can take that as evidence and say that it is going to rain. Others may choose will because they don't see any "present reality" such as dark clouds in the sky -- or simply because in this case the two forms are both used.
Forecasters themselves base their predictions on calculations. They sometimes use will, sometimes going to. They might say, for example, "It's going to be a rainy day tomorrow. Temperatures will be in the low 20s and there will be showers throughout the day." In a forecast, will is shorter and a bit more formal than going to, so those may also be reasons why it is used.
There are other cases when one form of the future is almost always used instead of others, but talking about the weather is more problematic unless we accept that there can be more than one correct answer.




ايه رأى حضراتكم ؟؟

[hema_maf]

ارجو المناقشة أو المشاركة فى التصوريت على الأقل !!

[yaramoha]

i think the correct answer is ---is going to as it based on evdience

[SA3EEDY]

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks
u r right

[omar30]

نفس الكلام حصل معايا والاجابات كانت مختلفة لكن انا كنت مصمم علي (لو الكلام علي حالة الجو ـأو علي درجات الحرارة تبقي الاجابة going toحتي لو الجملة مافيهاش دليل

[hema_maf]

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة omar30

حتي لو الجملة مافيهاش دليل

لا , اختلف معاك فى دى ,,
لو واحد عادى بيتوقع الجو تانى يوم بدون دليل يبقى هتاخد Will
لكن لو خبير ارصاد تبقى بالإجماع Going To

[YOUNIS TAHA]

من موقع لونجمان بشأن الإجابة على نفس السؤال

(c) Weather forecasts are based on data that is gathered and analyzed. That may constitute a form of "present reality" or "evidence". In the reports themselves, however, the form will is often used because it is more formal and less cumbersome than saying going to repeatedly. Frequently weather reporters will begin with going to and then continue with will.

(42) It's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow. It will be sunny and breezy all day. The high will be 32 and the low at night will be 22.

But when we talk about tomorrow's weather based on what it is now, not on a published forecast based on data, the "present reality" is not so clear. The fact that the weather has been bad for three days does not necessarily mean that it will continue to be bad. Weather can change quickly. Either future form can be used. See also section 1f above.

(43) It's been rainy for three days. It probably will be the same tomorrow.
(44) It's been rainy for three days. It's probably going to be the same tomorrow.

In contrast to the above, where either form can be used, there are two examples in the Sec 2 textbook, page 22, where one form is the better choice.

The first is someone reading a brochure about England.

(45) I think the weather in England will be cold and rainy.

She is not reading a weather forecast about the very near future (the next day or two), but a brochure about travel facts. Based on her reading, she predicts what the weather will be when they travel. Will is the better choice here.

In the other example on that page, someone is looking at the sky and sees that it is clear.

(46) It's going to be another very sunny day.

She is basing her statement about today based on the present reality of a clear sky. Going to is the better choice here.

The present continuous is not used for predictions, so it is not used to talk about future weather conditions.

(47) *It's raining tomorrow.

Conclusion

Once again, teachers and test writers must be aware that the future forms are very complex in English and that often more than one form can be used in a given sentence. The choice of form might depend on what the speaker intends to emphasize. While there are some situations in which one form or the other is clearly correct, there are many other situtions in which more than one form can be used.


ed 19/05/11

References:

L. G. Alexander. Longman English Grammar. London: Longman, 1988.

Raymond Murphy. English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge Unversity Press, 1985.

Michael Swan. Practical English Usage, 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

[ياسر اشرف]

يا جماعة الاجابة ان شاء الله Going To

[darkfox133]

I think the answer is going to as prediction is based on evidence and really talking about the future causes alot of confusion to students but we try to facilitate it to students by telling the matter of the evidence.Also using will for prediction and arrangement confuses them too.Matters are much easir for native speakers as they learn them since being toddlers.It is something that implanted into their souls.to tell the difference between different future forms , I introduce the following sentences to students and let them think of the difference
1-I will fly to London next week
2-Iam going to Fly to London next week
3-Iam flying to London next week
4-I fly to london next week at 7.00
This is something that can help them to tell the difference.However , it is confusing.

[ShahiNda A7Med]

Choose: The weather forecast says it (will - is going to) rain tomorrow

[mool_hassan]

Choose: The weather forecast says it (will - is going to) rain tomorrow

[على عسل]

Both of them are correct

[nadaaaa]

the correct answer is "is going to " it's commen and known