LoginFuture with 'Going to'
This detailed lesson covers the Future Tense with 'Going to' in English, featuring comprehensive examples and a quiz to test your knowledge.
What Is 'Future with Going to'?
A common way to talk about the future in English is by using 'be going to'. Technically, 'going to' is not a tense. It is a phrase that is used to talk about the future.
Future with 'Going to': Structure
To talk about the future with 'going to,' use 'be' + 'going to' + the base form of the main verb. In this structure, 'be' can be contracted. Take a look at the examples:
She is going to visit her parents next weekend.
Remember, 'visit' is the base form (infinitive without 'to').
I'm going to take my son to the zoo.
Gonna
In spoken English and in informal situations, native speakers use 'gonna' instead of 'going to.' Remember that using this form is not acceptable in writing and formal situations. Here is an example:
This is gonna be a good day!
Remember 'gonna' is the contracted form of 'going to,' so you must use 'infinitive without to' after it.
Future with 'Going to': Negation
To make a negative sentence using 'going to', 'not' is added between the verb 'be' and 'going to.' In this case, it is possible to contract either the 'be' verb or the negative marker 'not,' but not both at the same time. Here are some examples:
It's going to rain. → It's not going to rain.
They are going to love the party. → They aren't going to love the party.
Future with 'Going to': Questions
To make yes/no questions, you need to put the verb 'be' at the beginning, followed by the subject, and then 'going to' and the rest of the sentence. Take a look at this example:
He's going to buy a new car. → Is he going to buy a new car?
To make wh- questions, you need wh- question words at the beginning of the question, followed by the verb 'be,' the subject, 'going to,' and the rest of the sentence. Take a look at the following example:
He's going to eat dinner at a restaurant. → Where is he going to eat dinner?
Future with 'Going to': Uses
'Be going to' is commonly used in informal contexts to talk about the future. It can be used to talk about:
Plans and arrangements
Predictions
Certainty about near future
Plans and Arrangements
We use 'be going to' to talk about our future plans. Often, we have already made up our minds about those plans and we are quite certain that they will happen. Here are the examples:
I'm going to start looking for a new job this month.
Here, you are quite certain that you will start looking for a job.
We need potatoes to make dinner. I'm going to buy some.
Here you have already made up your mind to buy potatoes.
Sometimes, by using 'be going to,' we refer to other people's intentions and plans. For example, plans of those that are in charge or an authority. Check out the examples:
The government is going to talk about global warming.
Our boss is going to fire him tomorrow.
Predictions
'Be going to' is commonly used to predict something in the future that we think will probably happen. In the following examples, the structure is clearly used to show that you see signs that lead you to believe something will happen.
The sky is getting darker. It's going to snow.
Here the speaker is predicting that it will snow based on the observation that the sky is getting darker.
It's 3-0. They are going to lose!
It is predicted that they will lose the game based on the current score of 3-0.
Expressing Certainty About Near Future
We can also use the expression 'be going to' to talk about events that are about to happen in the near future or have just started happening. For example:
The doctor says I am going to have a baby in June.
She is going to start a new job next week.
Tip!
In some informal situations, we can use 'be going to' to give instructions or emphasize that something needs to be done. Check out this example:
You're going to do your homework right now.
In this example, the person is instructing someone that they should do their homework immediately.
Review
You can use 'be going to' to talk about future plans and predictions. The table below summarizes the structure of this phrase in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences:
Structure | subject + am/is/are + going to + base form of verb |
|---|---|
affirmative | He is going to start a choir class. |
informal | He is gonna start a choir class. |
negative | He is not going to start a choir class. |
contraction | He's not going to start a choir class./ He isn't going to start a choir class. |
yes/no question | Is he going to start a choir class? |
-wh question | What is he going to do? |
'Be going to' is used in the following contexts:
To talk about plans
To predict the future
To express certainty about near future events
To give orders
Quiz:
Sort the words to make a negative sentence.
Choose the correctly formed question using 'be going to.'
Is going he to buy a new car?
Where is he going to eat dinner tonight?
What is he going do tomorrow?
Is he going buy a new car?
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'going to' and the verb in parentheses.
We
(not go) to the beach tomorrow because it's too cold.
(he/take) the bus to work?
My brother
(start) a new job next month.
When
(you/visit) your parents?
Match each sentence with its correct function or explanation based on the use of 'be going to.'
Which sentence shows certainty about an event happening in near future?
They are going to travel to Spain someday.
Hurry up! The concert is going to start.
She's going to learn French next year.
We might go to the beach tomorrow. Do you want to join us?
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