Be going to
English Grammar Notes
Positive & Negative Sentences
The positive and negative structures for Be Going To are as follows:
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| I am going to | I am not going to |
| You are going to | You are not going to |
| He is going to | He is not going to |
| She is going to | She is not going to |
| It is going to | It is not going to |
| We are going to | We are not going to |
| You are going to | You are not going to |
| They are going to | They are not going to |
The structure BE GOING TO is normally used to indicate the future in English. We use this structure:
1. When we have already decided or we INTEND to do something in the future. (Prior Plan)
The decision has been made before the moment of speaking.
- I'm going to go to India next year.
- We talked about it yesterday and I'm going to quit my job tomorrow.
2. When there are definite signs that something is going to happen. (Evidence)
Something is likely to happen based on the evidence or experience you have.
- It's so cold! I think it is going to snow
3. When something is about to happen:
- Get back! The bomb is going to explode.
Questions with BE GOING TO
Questions are formed by changing the order of the subject and the verb BE:
| Affirmative | You | are | going to | win the race. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | BE | GOING TO | ||
| Question | Are | you | going to | win the race? |
| BE | Subject | GOING TO | ||
You are going to be sick if you eat that. (Positive sentence)
Are you going to be sick if you eat that? (Question)
We are going to take orange juice to the party. (Positive sentence)
Are we going to
take orange juice to the party? (Question)
BE GOING TO in the Past Tense
When BE GOING TO is used in the past tense, it refers to something that was going to happen but in the end it did not happen.
Examples:
- I was going to call you but I lost your phone number.
- It was going to rain but suddenly the sun appeared.
- We were going to buy a new TV but then we changed our minds.
- You were going to be my bridesmaid but then you slept with my fiancée.
Gonna
Sometimes when we speak quickly, GOING TO sounds like GONNA. While it is grammatically incorrect, it is used a lot in very informal English. You will also occasionally see the word Gonna written in song titles or in song lyrics.
I'm gonna go to the beach tomorrow.
= I'm going to go to the beach tomorrow.
He's gonna bring his girlfriend to the party.
= He's going to bring his girlfriend to the party.
Next activity
See the difference between Going to and Will when talking about the future
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