Present Continuous and Going to for the Future in English

What is the difference between using the Present Continuous and Going To to talk about future actions in English? When should you use the Present Continuous or Be Going To for the future?

This question bothers many English learners—especially those who try to learn everything through rigid grammar rules and forget one essential truth:

👉 Language use matters more than grammar rules.

So if you’ve ever felt confused about this topic, this explanation will help you finally make sense of it.

Present Continuous and Going To for the Future

Let’s start with two very common sentences:

I’m meeting my friends on Saturday evening.
I’m going to meet my friends on Saturday evening.

Both sentences mean exactly the same thing.

Now comes the classic question:

Which one is more correct?
The Present Continuous or be going to?

The honest answer?

👉 Either one is perfectly fine.

In real-life English, you can use either form, and people will understand you immediately.
There is practically no difference in meaning.

The same applies to questions like:

What are you doing tomorrow?
What are you going to do tomorrow?

And to be completely honest, this is also correct:

What will you do tomorrow?

Yes — all three are acceptable in real English.

“Wait… That Can’t Be Right!” 🤨

At this point, some readers might think:

“That’s wrong! Grammar books say the Present Continuous means 100% certainty, and going to means about 90% certainty!”

Fair enough.

If using a rule like that helps you feel more confident, great. There’s nothing wrong with that as a learning shortcut.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

👉 This distinction is largely artificial and doesn’t reflect how English is actually used.

Those rules were created for teaching purposes, not because native speakers consciously follow them in real conversations.

What Do Grammar Experts Say?

One of the most respected usage-based references today, the Cambridge Grammar of English, explains it very clearly.

According to the book, both Present Continuous and be going to can be used to refer to future events when the speaker is closely involved in the decision or arrangement.

In other words:

👉 Both forms work. No dramatic difference in meaning.

Here are examples given by the grammar itself — without drawing sharp distinctions:

What are you going to drink?
What are you drinking?

I’m going to have a drink with Jill after the film.
I’m having a drink with Jill after the film.

She’s not going to borrow my car.
She’s not borrowing my car.

Karen’s going to arrive tomorrow. I couldn’t put her off.
Karen’s arriving tomorrow. I couldn’t put her off.

Same meaning. Same intention. Natural English.

The Key Takeaway for Learners and Teachers

The most important lesson here is simple:

👉 Learn grammar as usage, not as a set of rigid rules.

Many rules found in traditional grammar books don’t fully reflect how English works in real life. When you focus on patterns, examples, and natural usage, everything becomes easier—and far more intuitive.

So relax, enjoy the language, and keep developing a feel for how English is actually spoken.

Now that you understand how Present Continuous and going to work for the future, make sure to explore other ways English expresses future meaning.

Take care and keep learning! 😉

» This blog post was first published in Portuguese on December 11, 2009.