Will, Going To, and Present Continuous for the Future

What you’ll learn

Choose forms for decisions, predictions, intentions, and arrangements.

បែងចែកការសម្រេចចិត្ត បំណង និងការណាត់ជួបអនាគត។

Meaning and use

Will often presents an immediate decision, offer, or prediction. Going to often expresses an intention already formed or a prediction based on present evidence. The present continuous commonly presents an arranged future event. These forms can overlap; the speaker chooses an emphasis rather than follows a single rigid timetable rule.

Will អាចប្រើសម្រាប់ការសម្រេចចិត្តភ្លាមៗ ឬការទស្សន៍ទាយ។ Going to បង្ហាញបំណងដែលមានស្រាប់ ឬភស្តុតាងបច្ចុប្បន្ន។ Present continuous បង្ហាញការណាត់ជួបដែលបានរៀបចំ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Immediate offer	I will help you.
Intention / arrangement	I am going to study. / I am meeting my tutor at six.

Examples

1. I will carry that bag for you.

   ខ្ញុំនឹងជួយយួរកាបូបនោះឱ្យអ្នក។

2. Look at those clouds. It is going to rain.

   មើលពពកទាំងនោះ។ មេឃទំនងជានឹងភ្លៀង។

3. We are meeting the manager tomorrow.

   យើងមានណាត់ជួបអ្នកគ្រប់គ្រងស្អែក។

4. I am going to save for a new laptop.

   ខ្ញុំមានបំណងសន្សំប្រាក់ទិញកុំព្យូទ័រយួរដៃថ្មី។

Everyday conversation

Dara: The phone is ringing.

Maly: I will answer it. I am expecting a call.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She going to study tonight.	She is going to study tonight.	Going to needs a form of be.
I will to help.	I will help.	A modal is followed by the bare infinitive.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete an immediate offer: That box looks heavy. I ___ help you.
2. Complete the arrangement: We ___ (meet) at the station at seven tomorrow.
3. Must going to and will always express different future events?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. will

   Will fits a decision made as the speaker responds.

2. are meeting

   The present continuous presents an arranged meeting.

3. No. They can describe the same event with different emphasis.

   Context and the speaker’s viewpoint matter.

Quick recap

• Immediate offer: I will help you.
• Intention / arrangement: I am going to study. / I am meeting my tutor at six.