Be Going To: Plans & Predictions

Next week, Maria and her husband, Paul, are going to travel to London for a holiday. They have their tickets and hotel reservation.

“We are going to visit the British Museum on Monday,” Maria says happily. “And in the evening, we are going to see a famous show in the theatre. It is going to be wonderful!”

Her friend, Julia, looks out the window. “Look at those dark clouds, Maria! It is going to rain today, and probably next week in London too. Are you going to pack an umbrella?”

“Yes, I am going to buy a new umbrella today,” Maria replies.

Julia asks, “Is Paul excited?”

“Yes, he is,” Maria laughs. “But he isn’t going to spend all his time at museums. He is going to watch a football match on Saturday. We are going to have a great time.”

When we want to talk about our future plans or make predictions based on what we can see right now, we use be going to.

The Formula: Be + going to + base verb

To form this structure, you always need three parts:

1. The verb to be (am / is / are)
2. The phrase going to
3. The base verb (infinitive without to)

Positive and Negative Forms

In everyday conversations, we almost always use contracted forms of the verb “to be”:

• Positive:
  • I’m going to buy a phone.
  • He’s going to study tonight.
  • We’re going to visit our parents.
• Negative: Add not after the verb “to be”.
  • I’m not going to go out.
  • She isn’t going to play tennis. (or She’s not going to…)
  • They aren’t going to buy the house. (or They’re not going to…)

Questions

To ask a question, put the verb “to be” (am/is/are) before the subject.

• Are you going to study English tonight? → Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
• Is she going to visit London? → Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
• Where are you going to stay? → We are going to stay in a hostel.
• What is he going to cook? → He is going to cook pasta.

When to use ‘Be Going To’

1. Future Plans and Decisions: Things you decided before speaking.
   • “I am going to buy a new car next month.” (You already decided and have the money).
   • “We are going to visit Paris in June.” (You already bought the plane tickets).
2. Predictions Based on Current Evidence: Predicting what will happen because of what you can see right now.
   • “Look at those black clouds! It is going to rain.” (You see the clouds, so you know it will rain).
   • “Watch out! You are going to drop that glass!” (You see the glass slipping from their hand).

Be Going To vs. Will

• Use be going to for planned actions: I’m going to meet Sarah tomorrow. (Planned).
• Use will for quick, unplanned decisions made just now: A: “We have no milk.” B: “Really? I’ll go buy some.” (Unplanned).

Common Mistakes for Spanish Speakers

• Leaving out the verb “to be”: Incorrect: I going to buy a computer. Correct: I am going to buy a computer.
• Leaving out the word “to”: Incorrect: We are going eat pizza. Correct: We are going to eat pizza.
• Using ‘will’ for planned events: Incorrect: Tomorrow I will visit my grandmother. Correct: Tomorrow I am going to visit my grandmother.