Going to and Will - prediction

Question

Morning! I'm just wondering about a phrase that I've just seen. Can somebody help me?

In the sentence: "The train will leave at 11:45". I think that the speaker is saying something that he actually knows, so it's a prediction based on something he can see (or hear), right? So, shouldn't we use GOING TO instead of WILL?

Because I've read that WILL is for predictions based on our opinion. Am I misinterpreting?

Thanks!

There are various uses of will, as explained here. Here, it means 'is scheduled to'. — Kate Bunting, Feb 10 '23 at 15:22
I think you are looking for a difference that doesn't really exist. In modern US English at least, they are virtually interchangeable. — stangdon, Feb 10 '23 at 15:28
Does this answer your question? Differences between Going to and Will in Informal and Formal English — FumbleFingers, Feb 10 '23 at 18:50

alphabet · Answer 1 · 2023-02-10T15:37:47.430

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You are never required to use "going to." You can always use "will" instead of "going to," though it often sounds more formal. But the reverse isn't true: in some contexts, you can't use "going to" and need to use "will."

Incidentally, in this particular case native speakers would often use the simple present: "The train leaves at 11:45." Edit: This is because we often use the simple present to describe future events that occur at a known, scheduled time.

edited Feb 10 '23 at 15:37

answered Feb 10 '23 at 15:32

alphabet

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Mostly agreed, but I don't think the simple present is really used because the train always does that - we use the simple present for a lot of scheduled events, like "My plane lands in Paris at 8 PM tomorrow." – stangdon Feb 10 '23 at 15:34
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Good point, edited. – alphabet Feb 10 '23 at 15:37
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You are never "required" to use either one. – Lambie Feb 10 '23 at 16:15
"Watch out! That dog is going to bite!" doesn't mean the same as "Watch out! That dog will bite!", so that's at least one context where you're "required" to use one or the other, depending on what you mean. – FumbleFingers Feb 10 '23 at 18:28
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Thanks everyone! It's awesome have people to help English learners here! – Honda Feb 10 '23 at 21:49

Going to and Will - prediction

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