To Be Going To - Structure
We use the structure to talk about future actions and events that have some present reality. If we say that something in the future is going to happen, it is usually already planned or decided, or it is starting to happen, or we can see it coming now. The structure is very common in an informal style, especially in speech.
Before this, learn: to be - Present Simple
1.Structure
1.1Structures Of Sentences
To form a sentence with to be going to structure, follow these basic rules:
S = Subject
QW = question word
Ving = main verb + ing
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + Affirmative | S + be (am/is/are) + going to + Verb + ... | I am going to call him. He is going to meet his parents. |
| - Negative | S + be (am/is/are) + not + going to + Verb + ... | We are not going to help him anymore. She isn't going to take this exam. |
| ? Question | (QW) + be (am/is/are) + S + going to + Verb + ...? | What are you going to do next? Is he going to tell her about it? |
Test yourself
2.Use
2.1Intention
The be going to form expresses the subject's premeditated (planned) intention to perform a certain future action and often an intention + plan.
Actions expressed by the be going to form are therefore usually considered very likely to be performed, though there is not the same idea of definite future arrangement that we get from the present progressive.
| Example |
|---|
| I'm going to buy a bicycle. |
| She is not going to be there. |
| I am going to meet Tom at the station at six. |
| I'm going to play you a Bach fugue. |
| Is she going to help her sister? |
| We are not going to explain it yo you. |
Test yourself
2.2Prediction
We use be going to to predict the future on the basis of present evidence - to say, that a future action or event is on the way, or starting to happen. It implies that there are signs that something will happen.
The be going to form can express the speaker's prediction of the immediate/fairly immediate future . The time is usually not mentioned, but the action is expected to happen in the near or immediate future.
| Example | Sign or Evidence |
|---|---|
| Look at those clouds! It's going to rain. | We can see the clouds. |
| Listen to the wind. We 're going to have a rough crossing. | We can hear the wind. |
| Sarah is going to have another baby in August. | She is probably pregnant now. |
| Look out! We are going to crash! | We can see that the situation is dangerous. |
| How pale that girl is! She is going to faint. | She is pale now. |
| The lift is going to break down. | It is probably making strange noises or behaving in a strange way |
| He is going to get better. | There are signs of recovery. Perhaps his temperature has gone down. |
Test yourself
3.Frequently asked questions
When do you use "be going to" in English?
Use be going to for plans you have already decided on and for predictions based on what you can see now. For example, "I'm going to buy a bicycle" (a plan made before speaking) and "Look at those clouds! It's going to rain" (a sign you can see). The form is am, is or are + going to + the base form of the verb: "She's going to call you tonight."
Be going to vs present continuous for future plans: what's the difference?
Be going to shows an intention you have decided on; the present continuous shows a fixed arrangement, often agreed with someone else. "I'm going to see a dentist" means you plan to, while "I'm seeing the dentist at ten tomorrow" means the appointment is booked. For many plans the two overlap and both are correct: "I'm going to meet Tom at six" and "I'm meeting Tom at six."
Be going to: "She going to call", "She are going to call" or "She is going to call"?
Say "She is going to call": be going to always needs am, is or are, and it must match the subject. "She going to call" and "She are going to call" are both wrong. Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they: "I'm going to cook", "It's going to rain", "They're going to win." The short form "She's going to call" is correct too.
What verb form comes after going to: "going to buy" or "going to buying"?
After going to, use the base form of the verb, with no -ing, -ed or -s ending. Say "I'm going to buy a car", not "I'm going to buying a car" or "I'm going to bought a car". The verb stays in the base form in negatives and questions too: "She isn't going to come" and "Are you going to stay?"
Be going to in questions and negatives: "Are you going to...?" or "Do you going to...?"
Use am, is or are, not do or does, because be is already the helping verb in be going to. Say "Are you going to tell her?", not "Do you going to tell her?", and "I'm not going to buy it", not "I don't going to buy it". For a question, put am, is or are before the subject: "Is he going to help?" For a negative, put not after it: "We aren't going to wait."
