A1-A2 grammar reference
Be going to for the Future
Use be going to for an intention decided before the moment of speaking or for a prediction supported by something you can see or know now.
Form at a glance
Form: subject + am/is/are going to + base verb
When to use it
- A prior intention:
I am going to learn to drive this year.
- A prediction from present evidence:
Look at those clouds. It is going to rain.
- A plan whose details may not be fixed:
We are going to visit family in July.
Sentence patterns
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + be + going to + V | She is going to apply. |
| Negative | S + be not + going to + V | We are not going to move. |
| Question | Be + S + going to + V? | Are they going to stay? |
| Wh-question | Wh-word + be + S + going to + V? | What are you going to cook? |
Compare the meaning
Be going to
Prior intention/evidence: I am going to call Maya tonight.
Will
Immediate decision/opinion: I forgot Maya; I will call her now.
Common mistakes
- The form of be must agree with the subject:
I am
,she is
,they are going to leave.
- Use the base verb after to:
going to study
, notgoing to studying.
- For a firm personal arrangement, the present progressive is often more natural:
I am meeting Jo at six.
Nuance and natural usage
- In informal speech, going to may sound like gonna, but gonna is generally unsuitable in standard writing.
- Past was/were going to describes an intention that may not have happened:
I was going to call, but it got too late.