Consider these two sentences:
- It will be storming all day tomorrow, we need to go shopping tonight.
- It will storm all day tomorrow, we need to go shopping tonight.
The difference being "will be storming" and "will storm".
What exactly is the difference between these two sentences? Could they possibly mean something different (even if slightly)? If they are different, when to use each one?
Best Answer
This is a question about the difference between expressing the future by using will + the plain form of the verb, and expressing it by using will + be + the -ing form of the verb (the progressive form). To show the difference, it’s first necessary to adjust the examples a little:
The first is much more likely to be what a native speaker would say. It emphasises the continuous nature of the rain suggested by the adverbial all day. In fact, in this context the second version with will would hardly ever be used. If the weather forecast is for rain, but not necessarily for prolonged rain, a speaker might say As it’s going to rain tomorrow . . .