Learn Simple Future: be going to Tense in English
Express future plans and intentions with be going to.
Grammar Focus
Be going to is a future structure used to talk about plans, intentions, and predictions based on present evidence. It is one of the most common ways to express the future in everyday spoken English, and native speakers use it constantly in casual conversation. Understanding it will immediately improve both your listening comprehension and your ability to express future ideas clearly.
- Use be going to for plans and intentions you have already decided: "I am going to start a new course next week."
- Use it for predictions based on evidence: if you see dark clouds, you say "It is going to rain."
- The form changes with the subject: am going to (I), is going to (he/she/it), are going to (you/we/they)
- The verb that follows going to is always the base form (infinitive without to): "She is going to cook dinner."
- In spoken English, going to is often shortened to gonna, but always write the full form in formal contexts
Form & Structure
Affirmative
Negative
Questions
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong form of 'be' with the subject
Tip: Match the verb 'be' to the subject: am (I), is (he/she/it), are (you/we/they).
Adding 'to' before the base verb twice
Tip: 'Going to' already includes 'to' — the base verb follows directly without another 'to'.
Using the infinitive with 'to' instead of the base verb
Tip: After 'going to', always use the base form of the verb (eat, go, study — not to eat, to go, to study).
Why This Grammar Matters for Listening and Speaking
Talking about weekend or holiday plans
Making predictions based on visible evidence
Discussing life decisions and goals
Giving warnings or expressing inevitability
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This lesson content was created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.
Quick Summary
| Use | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + **am/is/are** + **going to** + base verb | I **am going to** visit my grandmother this weekend. |
| Negative | Subject + **am not / is not / are not** + **going to** + base verb | I **am not going to** eat fast food anymore. |
| Questions | **Am / Is / Are** + subject + **going to** + base verb? | **Are** you **going to** call him later? |
If you want to talk about the future in English, you need to know 'be going to.' This structure is one of the most important and frequently used ways to express future plans, intentions, and predictions in English. Whether you are telling a friend about your weekend plans, warning someone about a danger you can see coming, or talking about a big life decision, 'be going to' is the natural, everyday choice that native speakers reach for without thinking. For beginner learners, mastering 'be going to' is a genuine breakthrough moment. Suddenly you can express not just what is happening now, but what is going to happen — and that opens up an enormous range of conversations. You can talk about your dreams, your schedule, your worries, and your goals. You can understand English films, podcasts, and conversations far more easily when you recognise this structure being used around you. Unlike some grammar structures that feel artificial or complicated, 'be going to' feels very natural once you understand it. It follows a consistent pattern, it connects logically to the idea of having a plan or seeing something coming, and it appears constantly in real spoken English — often contracted to 'gonna' in informal speech. Learning it well will make you a more confident and accurate English speaker and listener. In this article, we are going to cover everything you need to know about the 'be going to' future. We will explain what it is, when to use it, how to form it correctly in affirmative sentences, negatives, and questions, as well as the most common mistakes learners make and how to avoid them. We will also compare 'be going to' with 'will' so you can choose the right future form in any situation. By the time you finish reading, you will have a thorough understanding of this essential English grammar structure and you will be ready to use it naturally in your own speaking and writing.
What is 'Be Going To' in English?
'Be going to' is a grammatical structure in English that is used to talk about the future. It is made up of two parts: the verb 'be' (which changes form depending on the subject) and the phrase 'going to,' which is then followed by the base form of a main verb. Together, these elements create a future expression that feels intentional and grounded — either in a decision already made or in evidence visible in the present moment. This structure is different from simply saying 'I go tomorrow' (which is not natural in English for most future events) or even using 'will,' which carries a slightly different meaning and feel. 'Be going to' suggests that the future event is connected to something in the present — a plan that already exists in someone's mind, or a result that is already clearly on the way. For example, 'I am going to study medicine' tells us this is a decision already made, a clear intention. 'Look at that car — it's going to crash' tells us the speaker can already see the evidence pointing toward that outcome. In both cases, 'be going to' connects the future event to present reality, and that is what makes it such a powerful and natural-sounding choice.
Read the full grammar guide
When to Use Be Going To
There are two main situations where 'be going to' is the right choice in English. The first situation is when you are talking about plans and intentions — things you have already decided to do. When someone has made a decision, formed a plan, or committed to doing something in the future, 'be going to' is the natural and most accurate way to express it. For example: 'I am going to start exercising more,' 'She is going to study abroad next year,' or 'We are going to redecorate the living room.' In all of these cases, the decision is already made. There is a clear intention in the speaker's mind. The second situation is predictions based on present evidence. When you can see, hear, or otherwise observe something that clearly points toward a future outcome, 'be going to' is the right choice. For example: 'He's going to miss the train — look how slowly he's walking,' or 'She hasn't eaten all day; she's going to be really hungry tonight.' The speaker is not just guessing — they are drawing a logical conclusion from something they can already observe. Signal words and phrases that often appear with 'be going to' include: this weekend, next week, next month, tomorrow, soon, in the future, after this, when I finish, and similar time expressions that point forward from the present moment.
How to Form Be Going To
Forming 'be going to' correctly requires getting three things right: the correct form of 'be,' the invariable phrase 'going to,' and the base form of the main verb. Let's look at each sentence type in detail. For affirmative sentences, the structure is: Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb. Use 'am' with 'I,' 'is' with he, she, and it, and 'are' with you, we, and they. Examples: 'I am going to cook dinner,' 'He is going to call you,' 'They are going to arrive early.' In spoken English, contractions are extremely common: 'I'm going to,' 'He's going to,' 'They're going to.' For negative sentences, insert 'not' after the form of 'be': Subject + am not / is not / are not + going to + base verb. Contractions are again common: 'I'm not going to,' 'He isn't going to,' 'They aren't going to.' Examples: 'I'm not going to eat that,' 'She isn't going to come,' 'We aren't going to make it on time.' For yes/no questions, move the form of 'be' to the front: Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + base verb? Examples: 'Are you going to stay?' 'Is he going to join us?' 'Am I going to need a visa?' For wh- questions, add a question word at the start: 'What are you going to do?' 'Where is she going to work?' 'When are they going to arrive?' Always remember: the main verb that follows 'going to' must be in the base form — never add -s, -ing, or -ed to it.
Common Mistakes with Be Going To
Even learners who understand 'be going to' in theory often make a number of predictable mistakes in practice. Being aware of these errors will help you avoid them and sound more accurate and natural. The most frequent mistake is using the wrong form of 'be.' Because the verb 'be' must agree with the subject, learners sometimes use the wrong form — for example, 'She are going to leave' instead of the correct 'She is going to leave.' Always remember: am for I, is for he/she/it, and are for you/we/they. This subject-verb agreement rule applies to 'be going to' exactly as it does everywhere else. The second common mistake is adding an extra 'to' before the main verb. The phrase 'going to' already contains 'to,' so you do not need to add it again before the base verb. 'I am going to to study' is incorrect — the correct form is simply 'I am going to study.' This is a small but noticeable error. A third mistake is using the infinitive form (with 'to') instead of the base verb after 'going to.' For example, 'He is going to to play football' — only one 'to' belongs in this structure, and the main verb needs no 'to' of its own. Write 'He is going to play football.' Finally, some learners confuse 'be going to' with 'will' and use them interchangeably in all situations. While both express the future, 'be going to' is specifically linked to existing plans or visible evidence, whereas 'will' is used more for spontaneous decisions and general predictions without evidence. Using 'will' where 'be going to' is expected can sound unnatural in context.
Be Going To vs Will for Future
Both 'be going to' and 'will' are used to talk about the future in English, and beginners are often confused about which one to choose. While both are grammatically correct in many situations, they carry slightly different meanings and are preferred in different contexts. 'Be going to' is used when a decision or plan already exists in the speaker's mind — it is a pre-planned intention. For example, 'I am going to call him tonight' means the speaker has already decided to make that call. It is also used for predictions based on visible evidence, as discussed above. 'Will,' on the other hand, is more often used for decisions made at the moment of speaking — spontaneous choices. If someone asks 'Who wants to answer first?' and you decide right then, you say 'I will!' not 'I am going to!' 'Will' is also preferred for general predictions, promises, and offers that do not rely on already visible evidence. 'I think it will rain tomorrow' (a general guess, not based on clouds you can see right now) uses 'will,' while 'Look at those clouds — it's going to rain' (evidence visible right now) uses 'be going to.' In practice, native speakers sometimes interchange the two, but understanding this distinction will help you sound more precise and natural in formal and informal English alike.
Practice In This Page
1. I _____ visit my grandmother this weekend.
Show answer
am going to
2. I _____ eat fast food anymore.
Show answer
am not going to
3. She are going to leave early.
Show answer
She is going to leave early.
4. I am going to to travel next year.
Show answer
I am going to travel next year.
5. He is going to to eat lunch now.
Show answer
He is going to eat lunch now.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does 'be going to' mean in English?
- 'Be going to' is a structure used to talk about the future. It expresses plans and intentions that have already been decided, as well as predictions based on something you can see or observe in the present. For example, 'I am going to travel to Spain' means it is already planned, and 'It is going to rain' means you can see evidence of the rain coming.
- How do I form 'be going to' correctly?
- The structure is: subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb. Use 'am' with I, 'is' with he/she/it, and 'are' with you/we/they. For example: 'I am going to study,' 'She is going to cook,' 'They are going to leave.' The verb that follows 'going to' must always be in the base form — never add -s, -ing, or -ed.
- What is the difference between 'be going to' and 'will'?
- 'Be going to' is used for plans already decided and predictions based on visible evidence. 'Will' is used for spontaneous decisions made at the moment of speaking and for general predictions or promises. For example, 'I am going to visit Rome' (already planned) versus 'I will answer the phone' (decided right now in that moment).
- Can I use 'gonna' instead of 'going to'?
- 'Gonna' is the informal spoken contraction of 'going to' and is extremely common in natural speech. You will hear it constantly in films, music, and casual conversation. However, you should avoid writing 'gonna' in formal contexts such as essays, emails, or exams. Always use the full written form 'going to' in formal writing.
- How do I make a negative sentence with 'be going to'?
- To make a negative, add 'not' after the form of 'be': I am not going to, he/she/it is not going to, you/we/they are not going to, followed by the base verb. Common contractions include 'isn't going to' and 'aren't going to.' For example: 'She isn't going to come to the party' or 'We aren't going to finish on time.'
- How do I form questions with 'be going to'?
- To form a yes/no question, move the form of 'be' to the beginning of the sentence: Are you going to stay? Is he going to call? For wh- questions, add the question word first: What are you going to do? Where is she going to study? The main verb always stays in the base form after 'going to' in questions as well.