Going to: Future Plans and Intentions (A2)
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- #Grammar
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Be going to expresses plans, intentions and predictions based on present evidence. This lesson shows you how to form it and when to choose it for talking about the future.
Going to is how English expresses future plans and intentions — things you have already decided to do. I'm going to look for a new job, We're going to move house next year. The decision exists before the moment of speaking, which is exactly what separates it from will.
It has a second job that is just as important: predictions based on present evidence. When you can see the reason for your prediction right now, going to is the natural choice — Look at those clouds, it's going to rain. The evidence is visible, so the future feels already set in motion.
The structure is be + going to + base verb, and because be is the auxiliary, questions and negatives are formed from be alone. In speech going to is almost always reduced to gonna, which is normal and natural to hear but should not be written except when deliberately representing informal speech.
How to form Going To
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (I) | am going to + base verb | I'm going to call her. |
| Affirmative (he/she/it) | is going to + base verb | She's going to study law. |
| Affirmative (you/we/they) | are going to + base verb | They're going to move. |
| Negative | am/is/are not going to | We aren't going to wait. |
| Question | am/is/are + subject + going to | Are you going to apply? |
| Short answer | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Is he going to come? — Yes, he is. |
Going To: the key rules
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Be going to + verb expresses plans and intentions decided before speaking.
We're going to rent a flat in June.
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It also predicts from present evidence you can see.
Look at those clouds — it's going to rain.
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Form: am/is/are + going to + base verb; negatives and questions run through be.
Is she going to apply? — No, she isn't going to apply this year.
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With go and come, native speakers often shorten: 'We're going to the beach' rather than 'going to go'.
I'm going to the gym after work.
When to use Going To
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Plans and intentions already decided
The main use — something you decided before this conversation began.
I'm going to start running three times a week.
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Predictions from present evidence
When something visible now tells you what will happen next.
She's going to fall! The traffic is terrible — we're going to be late.
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Things about to happen
Often with about to or in a moment, for the very near future.
The film is going to start in a minute.
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Talking about future arrangements informally
In everyday speech, going to often overlaps with the present continuous for plans.
We're going to see my parents at the weekend.
going to vs. will
Both talk about the future, but they differ in when the decision was made and what the prediction is based on.
going to — decided before now
Plans made in advance, and predictions supported by evidence you can see.
I'm going to buy a car — I've saved for months. Look, it's going to rain.
will — decided now
Spontaneous decisions made as you speak, offers, promises, and predictions based on opinion.
That's heavy — I'll help you. I think it will rain tomorrow.
Going To in example sentences
- I'm going to take a course in September.A plan already decided.
- They're going to sell the house.Intention formed before speaking.
- Look at the sky — it's going to snow.Prediction from visible evidence.
- We aren't going to change our minds.Negative with be.
- Are you going to tell him?Question by inverting be and the subject.
- She's going to be a wonderful teacher.Prediction based on what the speaker already knows.
- I was going to call you, but I forgot.Past form for an intention that did not happen.
- It's going to be a long day.Very common fixed prediction pattern.
Going To in a real conversation
See how going to marks decisions already made, while will appears for the one decided on the spot.
Petra:What are you going to do after the course?
Sam:I'm going to apply for a job in Dublin.
Petra:Are you going to move there permanently?
Sam:That's the plan. My sister's going to help me find a flat.
Petra:That sounds expensive. Actually, I'll lend you my guidebook.
Sam:Thanks! It's going to be a big change.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
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I will visit my aunt tomorrow — it's been planned for weeks.
I'm going to visit my aunt tomorrow.
Pre-made plans take going to; will is for decisions made at the moment of speaking.
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She going to call you.
She's going to call you.
The structure needs be — never drop am/is/are.
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It's going to raining.
It's going to rain.
After going to comes the base verb, not the -ing form.
Check yourself: 10 Going To questions
Answer these and see the reason for each one. They are 10 of the 60 exercises in the full Going To practice set.
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I ___ going to study medicine next year.
- is
- are
- be
- am
Show answer
am — The first-person singular auxiliary is am.
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___ you going to tell him the truth?
- Are
- Will
- Do
- Is
Show answer
Are — A going to question begins with the form of be that matches the subject.
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What ___ they going to do about the leak?
- do
- are
- is
- am
Show answer
are — They takes are in a going to question.
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We ___ going to have a barbecue on Sunday.
- is
- be
- are
- am
Show answer
are — The plural subject we takes are as the auxiliary before going to.
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Which sentence is correct?
- I going to call him.
- I am go to call him.
- I'm going call him.
- I'm going to call him.
Show answer
I'm going to call him. — The structure needs be, going to and then the base verb, with nothing missing.
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Which time expression fits going to?
- next month
- two years ago
- yesterday
- last week
Show answer
next month — Going to points forward, so it takes future time expressions.
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I ___ going to look for a new flat in the spring.
Show answer
am — The first-person singular form of be is am.
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He ___ going to apologise, whatever anybody says.
Show answer
isn't — The negative is formed on the auxiliary be, not on going.
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They ___ going to be late; the traffic is terrible.
Show answer
are — They takes are as the auxiliary.
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How long ___ you going to stay in Ankara?
Show answer
are — You takes are in a going to question.
Practise Going To today
Focus on the difference between a decided plan and a decision made while speaking.
- Write six things you are going to do in the next month.
- Write four predictions based on something you can actually see right now.
- Decide going to or will: The phone's ringing — I ___ answer it. / I ___ visit Rome in May.
- Write three sentences with was going to for plans that did not happen.
Going To: frequently asked questions
What is the real difference between going to and will?
Timing of the decision. Going to means the intention already existed before you spoke; will means you are deciding at this moment. Compare a phone ringing: I'll get it is the natural response because you decide as you speak, whereas I'm going to get it would imply you had planned to answer that specific call in advance. For predictions, going to points to present evidence and will points to opinion or belief.
Can I say I'm going to go?
Yes, it is completely correct, and very common. Some speakers avoid it because the repetition sounds clumsy and shorten it to I'm going — I'm going to Spain in July. Both are acceptable. The full form I'm going to go to Spain is not an error, simply a little heavier, and it is often used when the emphasis falls on the intention rather than the destination.
Is gonna correct English?
It is an accurate representation of how going to is pronounced in ordinary connected speech, by native speakers at every level of education. Understanding it is essential for listening. Writing it, however, is only appropriate in dialogue, song lyrics, informal messages and deliberately casual writing. In any formal or academic context, write going to in full.
What does was going to mean?
It expresses an intention in the past that was not carried out, and it usually carries a note of explanation or apology: I was going to phone you, but I ran out of time. She was going to apply, but the deadline passed. The structure is very useful in real conversation, because unfulfilled plans come up constantly, and it is formed simply by putting be into the past.