Is it going <to rain> <to be raining> all day?

[Michaelll]

Is there any big difference in meaning between the two sentences (below) in this context?

It's raining now, and you have a feeling it's going to last all day.
You believe that your wife, who is sitting next to you, will have heard the weather forecast. You ask her:

• Is it going to rain all day?
• Is it going to be raining all day?

 

[Tdol]

You could ask either question. The second may add a bit of emphasis- for instance, if the rain is annoying you or keeping you from doing something.

 

[jutfrank]

How big is 'big'? Isn't it better to ask what the difference is?

 

[emsr2d2]

What you will learn as you continue to study and continue to read good English content is that there are some verbs we can use in both continuous and simple tenses with very little change in meaning, and some that simply don't work in the continuous.

For example, the verb "to be" is used in the continuous only in very specific circumstances, such as "You're being silly". However, we don't say, for example "I'm being hungry".
"It rained all day" and "It was raining all day" is an example of a sentence in which both are perfectly acceptable and natural.

 

[Michaelll]

How big is 'big'? Isn't it better to ask what the difference is?

Maybe it is better. I just figured you'd say there is some difference (the difference in the aspects) anyway, so I decided to skip this part.

Thank you all.