Going to

A2 Talking about the future Grammar

Talk about future plans, intentions, and predictions based on present evidence with going to.

Overview

Be going to is one of the most common ways to talk about the future. It is mainly used for plans and intentions that already exist, and for predictions based on something we can see or understand in the present. If you have already decided to do something, you can say, I’m going to start a new course next month. If dark clouds are covering the sky, you can say, It’s going to rain. In both cases, the future idea is connected to the present.

The structure is simple: use the correct form of be — am, is or are — followed by going to and the base form of the main verb. For example, I’m going to travel, She’s going to study, and They’re going to leave early. In negative sentences, add not: He isn’t going to come. In questions, put the verb be before the subject: Are you going to stay? The important idea is that going to does not simply mean “future”; it usually shows that there is already a plan, an intention, or some present evidence for what will happen next.

1. The form

The structure is:

Subject	Verb be	going to	Main verb
I	am	going to	study
You / We / They	are	going to	travel
He / She / It	is	going to	rain

The main verb stays in the infinitive without to after going to:

I am going to call my sister tonight.
She is going to start a new course.
They are going to move next month.

The short forms are very common in conversation:

Full form	Short form
I am going to	I’m going to
You are going to	You’re going to
He is going to	He’s going to
We are going to	We’re going to
They are going to	They’re going to

2. Plans and intentions

Use going to when you have already decided to do something before the moment of speaking. The plan does not need to be arranged with another person.

I’m going to learn Italian this year. I have already bought a book.
We’re going to paint the kitchen at the weekend.
Maya’s going to apply for a new job.

The decision exists before the conversation. The speaker is announcing an intention, not making the decision at that moment.

3. Predictions from present evidence

Use going to when something in the present shows that a future event is likely.

Look at those clouds. It’s going to rain.
Be careful! You’re going to drop that box.
The team is playing very well. They’re going to win.

The prediction is based on evidence that is visible, known or already happening now. Expressions such as Look!, Be careful! and I can see… often introduce this kind of prediction.

4. Questions and negatives

To make a question, put the correct form of be before the subject:

Are you going to stay here tonight?
Is he going to tell us the truth?
What are they going to do next?

To make a negative, add not after the verb be:

I’m not going to buy a car this year.
She isn’t going to come with us.
We aren’t going to cancel the meeting.

The main verb still stays in the base form after going to.

5. Questions and short answers

To form a question, place am, is or are before the subject:

Are you going to travel this summer?
Is he going to call later?
Are they going to stay with you?

Short answers use the verb be. Do not repeat going to:

Are you going to travel this summer? — Yes, I am.
Is he going to call later? — No, he isn’t.
Are they going to stay with you? — Yes, they are.

6. Question words

Question words come first, followed by be, the subject and going to.

What are you going to do?
Where are they going to stay?
When is she going to leave?
Who are you going to invite?

7. Time expressions

Going to is often used with tonight, tomorrow, this weekend, next week, next month, next year, later and soon.

We’re going to leave tomorrow.
She’s going to start a new course next month.
I’m going to call him later.

8. Going to, will or the present continuous?

These future forms can sometimes describe the same event, but the speaker’s meaning is different.

Form	Main use	Example
going to	A previous intention or evidence-based prediction	I’m going to cook tonight.
will	A decision made now, a promise, or a general prediction	I’ll cook tonight.
present continuous	A fixed arrangement, usually with a time or another person	I’m cooking with Ana at eight.

Compare:

The phone is ringing. I will answer it. I decide now.
I bought all the ingredients. I’m going to cook tonight. The intention already exists.
I’m cooking with my brother at seven. The arrangement is fixed.

Going to usually focuses on an intention or a general plan, while the present continuous often suggests that the arrangement is already organised. Will is often used for decisions made at the moment of speaking, promises, and predictions based more on opinion than on clear present evidence.

9. Common mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
I going to call you later.	I’m going to call you later.
She is going to calling her mother.	She is going to call her mother.
Are going to they leave soon?	Are they going to leave soon?
Do you going to come?	Are you going to come?
She’s going to works tomorrow.	She’s going to work tomorrow.

Exercises

1. Choose the correct form

Complete each sentence with the correct form of be going to and the verb in brackets.

Answers

Look at that tree! It ___ (fall).
We ___ (visit) our grandparents next Sunday.
___ you ___ (watch) the film tonight?
She ___ not ___ (join) the club this year.
They have saved enough money. They ___ (buy) a new computer.

2. Complete the sentences

Complete each sentence with the correct form of going to and the verb in brackets.

Answers

I ___ (call) my sister tonight.
She ___ not ___ (buy) that dress.
___ they ___ (travel) next weekend?
Look at those clouds! It ___ (rain).
We ___ (start) a new course next month.

3. Talk about your plans

Listen to the text and answer the questions. Read the transcript after your first listen.

This Saturday, Nora is going to visit a small island with her brother. They are going to take the first ferry in the morning, and they are going to spend the whole day there. Nora is going to bring some food, a camera and a warm jacket because the weather is going to be cold. Her brother is going to take a map because they want to walk to an old lighthouse on the other side of the island.

The sky is already very dark, and the wind is getting stronger. Nora looks at the clouds and says, “It’s going to rain.” Her brother thinks they are still going to have a good day, but they are not going to stay outside if the weather becomes dangerous. If the ferry stops running, they are going to return home and try again next weekend.

Answers

Where is Nora going to go?
What are Nora and her brother going to take in the morning?
Why is Nora going to bring a warm jacket?
What evidence shows that it is going to rain?
What are they going to do if the ferry stops running?