Published at February 17, 2025

Course on the Future with "Be Going to" - TOEIC® Preparation

TOP-Students™

The future with "be going to" is another common form in English to talk about actions or events that are going to happen in the future.

How to form the future with « be going to »?

Here's how to form the future with "be going to" in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences:

Form	Structure	Examples
Affirmative	Subject + be + going to + verb	I am going to study. He is going to travel. They are going to play.
Negative	Subject + be + not + going to + verb	I am not going to watch TV. She is not going to come. We are not going to wait.
Interrogative	Be + subject + going to + verb ?	Are you going to join the meeting? Is he going to leave? Are they going to eat?

When to use the future with « be going to »?

Here are the contexts in which we use the future with « be going to »:

A. « be going to » for decisions or future plans

When a person has already made a decision about a future action, we use « be going to ». This form emphasizes that the decision is already made.

I am going to start a new book tomorrow.
We are going to visit London next summer.
Are they going to organize a surprise party for her birthday?

B. « be going to » for making predictions

When a situation or clues clearly show that an event is going to happen, "be going to" is used to express this certainty. These clues are often tangible and physical evidence that allow us to be certain that the event will occur.

The sky is dark, and the wind is getting stronger. It is going to rain soon.
He is coughing a lot. He is going to see a doctor.

C. « be going to » to talk about a near future

"Be going to" is used to talk about events that are going to happen very soon, sometimes even in the next few minutes or hours. This usage emphasizes the imminence of the action.

The train is going to leave in 20 minutes.
The show is going to start soon.

The expression "be about to" can also be used in this context of near future. This expression emphasizes the imminence of the action more than "be going to".

The plane is about to take off.
She is about to call you.
The movie is about to start, hurry up!

D. « will » OR « be going to », which to choose?

"Be going to" is used for planned actions or predictions based on facts.
- We are going to attend the conference in Paris.
"Will" is often used for spontaneous decisions, offers, or predictions without evidence.
- He will probably fail the exam.

In general, « be going to » is used to talk about a near future, while « will » is more often used to talk about a slightly more distant future.

I am going to visit my grandmother next weekend.
I will visit my grandmother next summer.

Conclusion

The future with « be going to » is a common future form in English and in the TOEIC®. But there are other future forms that you must also master, here are the courses on other future forms: