[Grammar] will or are you going to in this sentence

[Kotfor]

The person you are talking to refuses to answer your question. What would these two mean to you in this situation?

1) Are you going to answer me?
2) Will you answer me?

I think that 1 is quite natural while 2 seems to be ambiguous. Is it possible that it has two meanings?

a) Will you answer me? (Like - will you open the door) - a polite request
b) It's like we are asking the fortuneteller whether it is going to happen in the future or not. (This meaning isn't applicable here but possible)

Does my understanding hold water?

 

[SoothingDave]

I don't see any difference in meaning between the two questions.

 

[Kotfor]

I don't see any difference in meaning between the two questions.

OK. If I give you this situation

1) Who is going to do the washing-up?
2) Who will do the washing-up?


I think the difference is clear. Doesn't the same difference apply to the first situation?

 

[billmcd]

The person you are talking to refuses to answer your question. What would these two mean to you in this situation?

1) Are you going to answer me?
2) Will you answer me?

I think that 1 is quite natural while 2 seems to be ambiguous. Is it possible that it has two meanings?

a) Will you answer me? (Like - will you open the door) - a polite request
b) It's like we are asking the fortuneteller whether it is going to happen in the future or not. (This meaning isn't applicable here but possible)

Does my understanding hold water?

If I were the speaker or listener, I would consider #2 slightly stronger or more forceful, but each would depend on the tone used in each of the questions.

 

[SoothingDave]

OK. If I give you this situation

1) Who is going to do the washing-up?
2) Who will do the washing-up?


I think the difference is clear. Doesn't the same difference apply to the first situation?

Sorry, I still don't see any difference in meaning. I know books that teach English try to make a difference between these two ways of expressing the future, but in most situations, in my experience, there is no difference.

 

[Kotfor]

Sorry, I still don't see any difference in meaning. I know books that teach English try to make a difference between these two ways of expressing the future, but in most situations, in my experience, there is no difference.

I understand. When I gave this example I did it because I have found a very similar example on the internet. They are basically the same.

What difference in meaning do you see between these two? - Yahoo! Answers

The asker asks this

What difference in meaning do you see between these two?

1) Oh, look at that mountain of dirty dishes! Who is going to wash all of those?
2) Oh, look at that mountain of dirty dishes! Who will wash all of those?

And most of the people found a difference

Answer 1:
1) 'Who is going to wash all of those?" This is asking who is going to get stuck doing the dishes.
2) "Who will wash all of those?" This on is asking for a volunteer to wash the dishes.

Answer 2:
For me "Who is going to wash all of those" or even better "Who's going to wash them all," is a more natural thing to say than "who will..." In theory the meaning is the same but "going to" has a feeling of taking on the task right in the near future whereas "will" suggests something less immediate. "Who will wash all of those" is something that a native English speaker is unlikely to say. It just doesn't sound like a normal way of talking.

Answer 3:
I agree with Neil, 1 sounds like a real question, 2 like a request.

Answer 4:
There is no difference in meaning between your two sentences. "is going to" implies future tense, i.e., "will."
Once again, they mean exactly the same.

As you can see the opinions differ.