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Old 14-Jun-2006, 11:57
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Default going to - will

She will/is going to have a baby. <= which one is right?
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Old 14-Jun-2006, 12:01
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Default Re: going to - will

It would depend on the context, Lenka.

She's going to have a baby. <it's a planned event>
She will have a baby. <It's a future fact>
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Old 14-Jun-2006, 19:00
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Default Re: going to - will

Well, I supposed you'd answer like this, actually .
But for me it is difficult to decide from the context - e.g. We're going to/will spend summer holiday in France. Our friend (who is going to/will have a baby) will go/is going to go/ is going with us.

It's very confusing for me... I know all the grammar rules, but I can't use them... It's not that easy for me.

I'll try to guess... I'd put there going to, will, will go... Is that right? I suppose it isn't...
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Old 14-Jun-2006, 19:15
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Default Re: going to - will

As a rule of thumb, use 'going to' - it is never incorrect when you are describing an intended future event, and this is almost always true for reported speech.

For example, "We're going to spend OUR summer holidayS in France. Our friend, who is going to have a baby, will be going with us." This is correct, and the most natural English.

'Will' usually sounds unnatural in these contexts except when used as an emphatic or contradictory. For example, "So she won't be going with you after all? No, of course she will go with us." But even here, "No, of course she will be going with us." is perfectly OK.

As Casiopea says, the simple future auxiliary 'will' should really only be used to describe plain facts. For example, "When will you finish your essay?" "I will finish it tomorrow."
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Old 14-Jun-2006, 19:17
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Default Re: going to - will

I can understand exactly what you mean,Lenka,because it happens to me as well.
Here I would say 'she's going to have a baby' if she's already pregnant.'she will have a baby' in for e.g. 'she will have a baby when she gets married'
What do you think?
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Old 15-Jun-2006, 13:18
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Default Re: going to - will

It's really difficult (at least for me).
She might be going to have a baby both in the first and second sentence (context) you wrote, might not she?
I'd say both "She's going to have a baby when she gets married" (she's planning it)...
And "she'll have a baby"... I would think this could be right if it is really sure - for example if she's in her 8th month... You can be sure she will/is going to (?) have a baby when you look at her...

Anyway, I'd say it like this in Czech - English isn't my native language (which is quite evident I guess) and I don't really know how to use it at all.
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