Future with Going to in English

Overview

"Going to" is one of the two main ways to talk about the future in English. It is used for plans, intentions, and predictions based on present evidence. When you have already decided to do something, or when you can see that something is about to happen, "going to" is the natural choice.

At the CEFR A2 level, "going to" is essential for talking about your plans and intentions: "I'm going to visit my parents this weekend," "We're going to move to a new apartment." It conveys more certainty and pre-planning than "will," which is used for spontaneous decisions.

The structure uses the present continuous of "go" plus the infinitive of the main verb: "am/is/are + going to + base verb." In casual speech, "going to" is often pronounced "gonna," but this should be avoided in writing.

How It Works

Formation

Subject	Be	Going to	Base Verb	Example
I	am	going to	study	I'm going to study medicine.
He/She/It	is	going to	study	She's going to study medicine.
You/We/They	are	going to	study	They're going to study medicine.

Negatives and Questions

Type	Structure	Example
Negative	Subject + be + not + going to + verb	I'm not going to buy that.
Question	Be + subject + going to + verb?	Are you going to buy that?
Wh-question	Wh- + be + subject + going to + verb?	What are you going to do?

Two Main Uses

Use	Example	Explanation
Plans and intentions	I'm going to start a new job next month.	Decision made before the moment of speaking
Predictions based on evidence	Look at those clouds. It's going to rain.	You can see the evidence now

Going to vs Will

Going to	Will
Pre-planned decision	Spontaneous decision
"I'm going to cook dinner tonight." (planned)	"Oh, there's no food. I'll order pizza." (just decided)
Evidence-based prediction	Opinion-based prediction
"She's going to have a baby." (visible evidence)	"I think she'll be a great mother." (opinion)

Common Time Expressions

Expression	Example
tomorrow	I'm going to call him tomorrow.
next week/month/year	We're going to move next month.
this weekend	She's going to visit her parents this weekend.
tonight	They're going to watch a movie tonight.
soon	He's going to finish soon.

Examples in Context

English	Note
I'm going to study medicine.	Plan/intention
Look at the clouds! It's going to rain.	Evidence-based prediction
They're going to get married in June.	Plan
Are you going to buy that jacket?	Question about intention
She's not going to like this news.	Prediction based on knowing her
We're going to paint the house this summer.	Planned action
He's going to be late -- look at the traffic.	Evidence-based prediction
I'm going to learn to play guitar.	Intention/resolution
What are you going to do after university?	Question about plans
It's going to be a beautiful day.	Prediction based on current weather

Common Mistakes

Using "will" for pre-planned decisions

• Wrong: I will go to the dentist tomorrow. (already planned)
• Right: I'm going to go to the dentist tomorrow.
• Why: When you made the decision before the moment of speaking, "going to" is the natural choice. "Will" suggests you just decided.

Forgetting the verb "be"

• Wrong: I going to study tonight.
• Right: I'm going to study tonight.
• Why: "Going to" requires the verb "be" (am/is/are). Without it, the sentence is grammatically incomplete.

Using "going to" with "go" awkwardly

• Wrong (but technically correct): I'm going to go to the store.
• Better: I'm going to the store.
• Why: When the main verb is "go," the "going to go" combination sounds repetitive. It is common and acceptable to drop the second "go."

Writing "gonna" in formal contexts

• Wrong (in writing): I'm gonna call you later.
• Right (in writing): I'm going to call you later.
• Why: "Gonna" is the spoken pronunciation of "going to." It is widely understood but should not be used in any writing except very casual text messages or dialogue.

Usage Notes

In spoken English, "going to" is almost always pronounced as "gonna" (/ˈɡʌnə/). This is standard pronunciation in both British and American English and is not considered sloppy or incorrect in speech. However, keep "going to" in all written English except the most informal contexts.

Both British and American English use "going to" in the same way. There are no significant differences between the varieties.

In casual conversation, the line between "going to" and "will" can blur, and native speakers sometimes use them interchangeably. However, in clear cases (evidence-based predictions, strong pre-planned intentions), "going to" is distinctly preferred.

Practice Tips

• Plan your weekend: Write out your weekend plans using "going to": "On Saturday, I'm going to sleep late. Then I'm going to meet a friend for coffee. We're going to go shopping."
• Look and predict: Look at pictures or out the window and make predictions based on what you see: "That man is running -- he's going to miss the bus. The sky is clear -- it's going to be warm today."
• Compare with will: For each "going to" sentence you write, think about whether "will" could work and why or why not. This sharpens your understanding of both structures.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Continuous -- understanding am/is/are + -ing is the foundation for the "going to" structure