Be going to (plans & predictions)

When you've already decided to do something, or you can see something coming, English often uses be going to + a verb. I'm going to call her tonight (a plan you've made). Look at those clouds — it's going to rain (a prediction you can see coming). It's one of the most natural ways to talk about the future, and the pattern is the same every time.

The structure is am / is / are + going to + base verb. The only part that changes with the subject is am, is or are — going to and the main verb stay exactly the same.

Quick shortcut: you pick am / is / are to match the subject (like the present of be), add going to, then the base form of the verb — I'm going to stay, she's going to win.

When do we use be going to?

There are two main jobs.

1. Plans and intentions you decided before now:

• I'm going to study tonight.
• We're going to visit my grandparents on Sunday.
• She's going to start a new job next month.

2. Predictions from present evidence — something you can see, hear, feel, or already know that points to the future:

• Look at those clouds — it's going to rain.
• Be careful! You're going to drop those plates.
• She has practised every day. She's going to win.

In both cases the present situation points to the future: the plan already exists, or the evidence is there now.

Form: am / is / are going to

You choose am, is or are to match the subject — exactly as you would with the present of be — then add going to and the base verb.

In everyday English we almost always use the short forms: I'm, you're, he's / she's / it's, we're, they're.

• I'm going to be late.
• She's going to love this.
• We're going to move to a new home.

Notice the verb after going to never changes — it's always the base form: ✅ She's going to buy a car, never ❌ She's going to buys a car and never ❌ She's going to bought a car.

This article is about going to + verb (I'm going to call her). That's different from I'm going to school, where to school is a place — there going is just the verb go, not the future pattern.

Making negatives

To make a negative, put not after am / is / are. In speech you'll hear two common patterns: I'm not, isn't, aren't — or the 's not / 're not contractions.

• I'm not going to wait.
• He isn't going to come. / He's not going to come. (is not)
• They aren't going to agree. / They're not going to agree. (are not)
• It's not going to work.

Asking questions

To ask a question, put am / is / are before the subject:

• Are you going to come?
• Is she going to call?
• What are you going to do tomorrow?
• Where are they going to stay?

For short answers, repeat am / is / are:

• "Are you going to help?" — "Yes, I am." / "No, I'm not."
• "Is it going to rain?" — "Yes, it is." / "No, it isn't."

Be going to and will

Both talk about the future, but they feel different. Be going to fits a plan you've already made or a prediction you can see coming, while will often fits a decision made at the moment of speaking or a prediction based on opinion rather than present evidence. It's a helpful guide, not a strict rule.

• I'm going to visit Spain next year. (already decided — a plan)
• "The phone's ringing." — "OK, I'll get it." (decided right now)
• I think it will rain tomorrow. (opinion) — Look at those clouds — it's going to rain. (evidence)

You'll also hear the present continuous for fixed future arrangements, especially with a time and place: I'm meeting Sam at six. At A2 it's enough to know that be going to is your reliable choice for plans and evidence-based predictions — the fine differences come later.

Common mistakes

• ❌ I going to call her. → ✅ I'm going to call her. (don't drop am / is / are)
• ❌ She is going to buys a car. → ✅ She is going to buy a car. (base form after going to)
• ❌ We going to be late. → ✅ We're going to be late.
• ❌ Are you going to coming? → ✅ Are you going to come?
• ❌ He no going to help. → ✅ He isn't going to help.

Quick check

In this quick check, use be going to with the verb in brackets:

1. Look at the sky — it ____ (rain).
2. We ____ (move) to a new home next month.
3. ____ you ____ (come) to the party? (question)
4. I ____ not ____ (wait) any longer. (negative)

Key takeaways

• Use be going to + base verb for plans decided before now (I'm going to study) and predictions from present evidence (It's going to rain).
• The form is am / is / are + going to + base verb — only am / is / are changes with the subject.
• The verb after going to stays in the base form: ✅ going to buy, never ❌ going to buys / bought.
• Negatives add not (isn't / aren't going to); questions put am / is / are first (Are you going to…?).