Primary English: Will and Be Going To

Primary English: Will and Be Going To — Tutor Lesson Plan

2026-10-27

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary English

Students can write both forms but cannot choose. One line settles it: a decision made now takes will, a plan already made takes be going to.

Objectives — the student can use will for instant decisions and predictions, use be going to for plans, and inflect the be verb correctly.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Be verbs	Which be verb with he and they?	is and are
Base verbs	Give five base verbs	Correct
Time markers	Find tomorrow, next week	Circled

02 Lesson flow (40 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-6 min	Contrast	I will help you. / I am going to visit my aunt.	Say how they differ
6-14 min	Will	Form and use	Three sentences
14-24 min	Be going to	Plans	Three sentences
24-32 min	Choose	Ten sentences	Choose and justify
32-37 min	Fix errors	Board “I am will go”	Correct it
37-40 min	Exit check	Three questions marked at once	Finish alone

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Instant decision: will

You are cold? I will close the window.
The decision is made as you speak, so will. Predictions also take will: it will rain tomorrow.

Student writes one instant-decision sentence.

Scene 2: Plans: be going to

I am going to visit my aunt on Sunday, because it is already arranged.
The be verb follows the subject: am, is or are, then going to, then the base verb.

Note: going to is always followed by the base form.

Scene 3: When both work

For predictions either form often works, but in exams choose by meaning: a plan takes be going to, a sudden decision takes will.

Student explains the reason for each choice.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Instant decision	The phone is ringing. I ___ answer it.	will	will answer
Plan	We ___ visit Grandma on Sunday.	be going to	are going to visit
Prediction	Look at those clouds! It ___ rain.	either form	is going to rain
Negative	He ___ (not come) tomorrow.	will not + base	will not come

Sanity check (teach this): Both forms take the base verb: nothing takes -ed or -ing after will or to.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
I ___ (help) you with that bag.	will help	Instant decision
She ___ (study) in Canada next year.	is going to study	A plan
They ___ (not arrive) before six.	will not arrive	Negative form

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Two auxiliaries	I am will go	Choose one.
Be missing	He going to travel	He is going to travel.
-ing after to	going to visiting	Base verb after to.
Tense clash	Yesterday I will go	Time marker and tense must agree.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

English chapter index — Use the three questions on this page

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Instant decision takes	will	All right: grammar main line complete
A plan takes	be going to	One wrong: re-teach the boundary
Verb form after going to	Base form	Two wrong: repeat scene 1

09 Tutor FAQ

Teach shall?

Recognise only; primary students need not use it.

When both forms are possible?

Choose by meaning, plan or instant decision.

Students drop the be verb.

Make them write subject plus be before going to.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.