Are you going to travel/travelling abroad next year?

[cftranslate]

In one of those 'choose the correct form of the verb' exercises, the students (now studying the future with Will, going to, present continuous) are supposed to choose between:

a) Are you going to travel abroad next year?

b) Are you travelling abroad next year?

Though maybe a) sounds more appropriate I find both natural.

I am interested in the opinion of a native speaker. Would you say both or just one?

I also tell them that the going to and the Present continuous forms for the future have a similar use.

Thanks

[lolwhites]

I imagine the writer of the exercise thinks we should choose (a) because it says next year, but there's nothing wrong with (b) either.

[metal56]

In one of those 'choose the correct form of the verb' exercises, the students (now studying the future with Will, going to, present continuous) are supposed to choose between:

a) Are you going to travel abroad next year?

b) Are you travelling abroad next year?

Though maybe a) sounds more appropriate I find both natural.

I am interested in the opinion of a native speaker. Would you say both or just one?

I also tell them that the going to and the Present continuous forms for the future have a similar use.

Thanks

Both.

[Stephen Jones]

The Present Continous is used for definite plans - that is to say the future event is securely anchored in the present.

"going to' here implies intention - that the future event is an intention that goes from the present.