Be going to vs Present continuous - English In A Minute

Hi! This is Kee from BBC Learning English,

and today I'm going to tell you the differences

between 'be going to' and the present continuous

to talk about future plans.

We use 'be going to' to talk about future plans.

The plan will probably take place,

but it's not a definite plan.

If I say:

I'm going to meet my friends this weekend,

it means I made plans with my friends,

but it could mean that we haven't decided where to

meet, nor have we decided what time to meet.

On the other hand, we use the present continuous

to talk about future plans that are almost definite.

If I say:

I'm meeting my friends this weekend,

it means I made plans with my friends,

and we may have decided where to meet

and what time to meet.

So, this plan is almost definite and it's difficult to cancel.

So remember,

the present continuous describes a more definite plan

than 'be going to'.