Mastering the Future with ‘To Be Going To’.

Hello everyone!

Today, we are going to dive into one of the pillars of the English future: the structure ‘to be going to’. I know that sometimes the future can be a bit confusing with so many options (will, present continuous, etc.), but don't worry. ‘To be going to’ is not just a grammar rule; it is a very useful tool to talk about your intentions, plans and even to predict things based on what we see.

From Global 4 Languages, we will guide you step by step through every corner of ‘to be going to’. We'll see how it's formed, when to use it (which is key!), and I'll give you the secret recipe to differentiate it from will, which is the million-dollar question. Ready to unravel the mysteries of this construction and take your English to the next level? Let's get to it!

What is ‘To Be Going To’ and how did we form it?

Before launching into the examples, let's understand how this versatile expression is constructed. The formula is simple, promise!

The verb ‘to be’ conjugated: This means am, is or are, depending on who is doing the action (the subject).
‘Going to’: This is the part that does not change, the part that tells us that something is ‘going to’ happen.
The main verb in its base form (infinitive without ‘to’): This is where you put the action you want to express (study, visit, play...).

So, the magic structure is:

Subject + am/is/are/are + going to + Verb in base form

Let's take a look at a few quick examples to make it clear:

Voy a estudiar para mi examen. (Voy a estudiar para mi examen.)
She is going to visit her grandmother. (Ella va a visitar a su abuela.)
They are going to play soccer this afternoon. (Ellos van a jugar al fútbol esta tarde.)

And how do we make sentences in the affirmative, negative and interrogative?

Easy as pie! Once you understand the basics, constructing any kind of sentence is a piece of cake.

In Affirmative:

I‘m going to travel to London next year. (Voy a viajar a Londres el año que viene.)
He‘s going to buy a new car. (Él va a comprar un coche nuevo.)
We‘re going to have a big party. (Vamos a hacer una gran fiesta.)

In Negative:

Para decir que algo «no va a» pasar, simplemente añadimos not justo después del verbo to be. ¡Así de sencillo!

I‘m not going to eat dinner tonight. (No voy a cenar esta noche.)
She isn’t going to come to the meeting. (Ella no va a venir a la reunión.)
They aren’t going to finish the project on time. (No van a terminar el proyecto a tiempo.)

Interrogative (to ask questions):

Aquí solo tenemos que intercambiar el orden del sujeto y el verbo to be. ¡Magia!

Are you going to watch the game? (¿Vas a ver el partido?)
Is he going to call her? (¿Él la va a llamar?)
Are we going to meet tomorrow? (¿Nos vamos a reunir mañana?)

When do we use ‘To Be Going To’?

The beauty of ‘to be going to’ is that it helps us to express two very specific types of future. Pay attention, this is the crux of the matter!

1. For your already decided plans and intentions

Este es, sin duda, el uso más común y el que más vas a emplear. Utilizamos «to be going to» para hablar de planes que ya hemos decidido hacer antes de hablar. No es una ocurrencia del momento, ¡sino algo que ya tienes pensado o programado!

Imagine someone asks you: "What are you going to do this weekend? If you already have everything organised in your head, you would use ‘to be going to’:

I‘m going to visit my parents on Saturday. (Voy a visitar a mis padres el sábado.) – La decisión ya está tomada, ¡ya lo tengo en mi agenda mental!
She‘s going to start a new diet next Monday. (Ella va a empezar una nueva dieta el próximo lunes.) – Es algo que ella ya ha planificado y decidido.
We‘re going to paint the living room this summer. (Vamos a pintar el salón este verano.) – Ya lo han hablado y se han organizado para hacerlo.

This usage emphasises that the future action is the result of a decision or preparation that occurred before we opened our mouths to say it.

2. For evidence-based predictions Clear

The second major use of ‘to be going to’ is to make predictions about the future, but with one very important condition: those predictions must be backed up by something we are seeing or hearing in the present. There is ‘evidence’ that makes us think that something is going to happen.

Think about these day-to-day situations:

«Look at those dark clouds! It‘s going to rain.» (¡Mira esas nubes oscuras! Va a llover.) – La evidencia (las nubes negras y cargadas) es clarísima: ¡lluvia a la vista!
«He’s driving too fast. He‘s going to crash!» (Está conduciendo demasiado rápido. ¡Va a chocar!) – Su manera de conducir es la evidencia de que se aproxima un accidente.
«The baby is crying. She‘s going to wake up her parents.» (El bebé está llorando. Va a despertar a sus padres.) – El llanto del bebé es la señal inconfundible de que los padres pronto estarán despiertos.

In these cases, we are not simply guessing or giving a random opinion; we are basing our prediction on current events or situations that make the future outcome very, very likely.

‘To Be Going To’ vs. ‘Will’: Goodbye to confusion!

Here comes one of the million dollar questions! When do I use ‘to be going to’ and when do I use will? Both speak of the future, yes, but the key is the timing of the decision and whether there is present evidence.

Will: Spontaneous Decisions and More Subjective Predictions

Decisiones espontáneas (en el momento): Usamos will para esas decisiones que tomamos «sobre la marcha», sin pensarlo mucho antes.
- «I’m thirsty. I ‘ll get a glass of water.» (Tengo sed. Cogeré un vaso de agua.) – Decisión tomada en ese instante.
Predicciones generales o simples opiniones: Will es perfecto para cuando damos nuestra opinión sobre el futuro, sin tener una evidencia clara que la respalde ahora mismo.
- «I think it will be sunny tomorrow.» (Creo que hará sol mañana.) – Es una opinión, no estoy viendo el sol ahora mismo para predecirlo.
Promesas, ofertas, solicitudes y amenazas: Para estos actos de habla, will es vuestro mejor aliado.
- «I will help you with your homework.» (Te ayudaré con tus deberes.) – Es una promesa.

The most important difference:

The main distinction between the two lies in the timing of the decision and the existence of evidence:

‘To be going to’: We use it for plans you already had in mind (the decision was made before you spoke) and for predictions based on something you see or know now.
‘Will’: We use it for decisions you make at the very moment of speaking and for preaching that is more of an opinion or assumption without obvious present evidence.

Compare these examples and you will see more clearly!

Situación	`Will`	`To Be Going To`
Decisión de último minuto	«Oh, the phone is ringing. I ‘ll answer it.»	(No aplica, es una decisión espontánea)
Plan previamente decidido	(No aplica, no es una decisión espontánea)	«I ‘m going to cook dinner tonight.»
Predicción sin evidencia	«I think humans will live on Mars someday.»	(No aplica, no hay evidencia presente)
Predicción con evidencia	(No aplica, `will` implicaría una suposición)	«Look! The cat is going to jump on the table.»

Extending the use of ‘To Be Going To’.

In addition to the two main uses we have already seen, ‘to be going to’ can appear in other contexts that enrich its meaning:

To ask about intentions:

It is very natural to use ‘to be going to’ in questions when we want to know someone's plans or intentions.

«What are you going to do after graduation?» (¿Qué vas a hacer después de graduarte?)
«Where are they going to spend their holidays?» (¿Dónde van a pasar sus vacaciones?)

To give firm orders or instructions (watch your tone!):

In a very direct and sometimes a bit authoritative tone, ‘to be going to’ can be used to indicate that something must happen or that someone is going to do something. It is less common, but you will see it!

«You ‘re going to finish your homework before you go out.» (Vas a terminar tus deberes antes de salir.) – Suena a «¡no hay discusión!»
«The company is going to implement the new policy next month.» (La empresa va a implementar la nueva política el próximo mes.) – Indica una decisión firme e innegable.

Avoid these common mistakes!

Si los conocéis, os será más fácil evitarlos:

Forget the verb ‘to be’: This is number one! Remember that we always, always, always need the am, is o are.
- ❌ Wrong: “I going to travel”.
- ✅Correct: ‘I am going to travel
Conjugar «going»: La parte going to es fija. El único verbo que conjugamos es to be.
- ❌ Wrong: «She is goes to study.»
- ✅ Correct: «She is going to study.»
Use ‘to’ before the main verb: El verbo principal siempre va en su forma base, ¡sin otro to delante!
- ❌ Incorrecto: «They are going to to play.»
- ✅ Correcto: «They are going to play.»
Confuse with Present Continuous for the future: Both forms are used for plans, but there is a nuance."To be going to» se centra en la intención o la predicción con evidencia. El Present Continuous es más para arreglos o citas ya confirmadas (como una cita en el calendario).
- «I am meeting John at 7 PM.» (Tengo una cita con John a las 7 PM.) – Es un arreglo ya cerrado.
- «I am going to meet John to discuss the project.» (Voy a reunirme con John para discutir el proyecto.) – Es mi intención o plan.

Practice!

The best way to make it stick is to use it, so let's get on with it! Here are some ideas for integrating ‘to be going to’ into your everyday life:

Talk about your plans: Every morning, think of three things you are ‘going to do’ during the day. For example: "I'm going to finish this report. I'm going to call my sister. I'm going to cook pasta for dinner."
Haz predicciones: Observa a tu alrededor y haz predicciones basadas en lo que ves. «Mira el cielo, va a hacer un día precioso». «Ese coche va muy rápido, le van a multar».
Write your plans: Write a short paragraph about your plans for the next month or year, using only ‘to be going to’!
Create dialogues: Imagine conversations with friends or family and practice how you would use ‘to be going to’ to ask and answer about plans.

Remember that it is not just about memorising the formula, but about understanding the intention and the evidence behind what you want to express. By mastering its uses for plans already decided and for predictions based on what you see, you will unlock a fundamental part of English!

The key, as always, is constant practice and paying attention to those little nuances between ‘to be going to’ and will. With this guide, you have all the tools to use this structure with confidence and accuracy, greatly improving your ability to communicate in English.

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