Construction to be going to in English: rules, translation, examples, schemes. Construction "To be going to": a clear rule and many examples Education going to

When learning a new foreign language, a person first of all masters the forms of the present tense. But life around takes place not only at the point "now", sooner or later it's time to talk about the past and discuss the future. In the case of the English language, many students have questions regarding the use of a particular construction and its features, as well as semantic subtleties in translation. And very often such questions relate to the construction to be going to, since it stands at a kind of "junction", where on the one hand is Future Simple, and on the other is Present Continious. It is related to the first by the described time - both there and there it is about the alleged events of the future, and with the second - the way of formation. The verb to be and the verb to go with the ending -ing and then the semantic verb in the infinitive (only the verb "to be" is allowed to change at times, the forms of other verbs, for example, instead of going - gone are considered by the rules as a gross mistake and ignorance of the whole structure).

It should be noted that this formula is most often found in colloquial speech, it can make the language being studied more "alive". Also, with its help, you can avoid a common speech error, which gives out in the speaker a person who is not a native speaker. The use of will is necessary when it comes to unambiguously approved plans, where to be going to should be used. The rules for its use, despite the widespread fear of saying the wrong thing, making a mistake in speech, are quite simple. So, what and in what situation should you choose?

Basic rule for to be going to

The main difference between will and to be going to is the speaker's degree of confidence that some action will happen in the future. The simple future tense assumes that the person using it believes that some action will happen in the future, but it may not happen with equal probability. And the expression to be going to is a signal that the action will either definitely happen (for example, there are a number of obvious signs indicating this), or the speaker shares his plans, talks about pre-planned actions. In other words, either we assume some kind of action, hope for a chance, or we ourselves planned for something to happen, and even took certain steps towards this.

Examples for the rule on to be going to

Let's look at a few short, simple examples to illustrate the difference between using to be going to and will. Speaking about the events around us, for example, about the weather, we can say:

It will rain. - It will rain.
Look at these clouds! It is going to rain right now. - Look at those clouds! It's going to rain right now.

In the first case, it only assumes future rain, which may or may not fall. Perhaps the speaker just overheard someone talking about what he would be. But there is no certainty that this will happen. In the second case, it is known for sure that now the weather will change - for example, because the sky is covered with clouds, the wind has risen, a few small drops have fallen. Something similar happens when it comes to actions.

Telling about your plans using to be going to

An example of a statement about plans and its analysis

I will buy milk. - I'll buy milk.
I "m going to buy milk today. - I will buy milk today

In the first case, the speaker could, for example, open the refrigerator and not see milk there. He closed the refrigerator and said that he would buy milk, but it is not known when he will do it or if he will do it at all. Maybe it was a momentary thought, which he forgot to think about in a minute. In the second case, the speaker will definitely buy milk and do it today, not tomorrow or in a week, because this action was a clear plan that will not be changed in any way. In addition, this structure has a shade that makes the coming event inevitable.

To be going to - rules of use and features of the meaning in the past tense

Grammatically, the use of this construction in the past tense is no different from its use in Present, but in translation it has one important semantic feature, which will be discussed a little later. So, having decided to talk about plans that took place in the past, the speaker used was / were going to. The rule, it would seem, is the same, but with an elementary example, you can understand that everything is not as obvious as it seems:

I was going to read a book, but then I started to listen to music. I was going to read a book, but I started listening to music.

As can be seen from the example, in the past tense, the construction to be going to takes on the meaning of a planned action, which for some reason did not happen either in the past or in the present. You should keep this in mind when talking about past actions. If the action was planned and happened, then the sentence might look something like this:

I was planning to travel and later I did it. - I planned to travel, and later I did. (This sentence also emphasizes that the journey has been planned for quite some time.)

Additional subtleties

The combination to be going to has a colloquial form gonna, which can only be used in informal speech, among close friends. And in many ways, this option, like wanna, which replaces want to do for simplicity and fluency, is more common in American English, which tends to simplify. For correct British speech (by "correct" one should understand the speech of the educated population), the use of full forms is more characteristic.

In addition, there is a verb that is not used with the combination to be going to - this is to go and to come. That is, the use, for example, according to the rule going to go is evaluated as an erroneous statement. This is due to the fact that verbs that are close in meaning cannot be used in one construction of this type. Therefore, instead of the structure to be going to, Present Continious should be used. Thus, according to the rule, going to go is replaced by am/is/are/was/were going:

I "m going home instead of I" m going to go home.

conclusions

As you can see from the examples above, understanding the difference and the correct use of will and to be going to not only makes the speaker more lively, but also helps convey the right shades of meaning. We hope that the rules on be going to with examples helped in comprehending not the easiest, but such a necessary English language.

To express an action in the future, the verb is often used instead. to go in the form + of the main verb without the particle to = I am/He, she is… going to + infinitive.
Turnover value …to be going to + infinitive – I intend to. I am going to learn English – I am going (intend) to learn English.

affirmative form		Negative form		Interrogative form
I	am going to work	I	am not going to work	Am	I	going to work?
he she it	is going to work	he she it	is not going to work	Is	he she it
we you they	are going to work	we you they	are not going to work	Are	we you they

Abbreviated forms:

‘m= am
‘re= are
‘s= is
aren't= are not
isn't= is not

The use of the construction …to be going to + infinitive

1. Action in the future, the prerequisites for the accomplishment of which are available in the present.

Examples: Look at those black clouds in the sky. It 's going to rain. Look at those dark clouds in the sky. It looks like it's going to rain.

2. Intention to perform an action in the near future (when such a decision has already been made).

Examples: I 'm going to have shower. - I am going to take a shower.
She 's going to change her job. She is going to change jobs.

3. In circulation …to be going to + infinitive, the infinitive can be used in the passive voice.

Examples: Don't tell her she is going to be fired. Don't tell her that she is going to be fired (she will be fired).

We have already managed to study the future simple tense with you Future Simple, which is used to indicate actions in the future tense, in particular decisions made during a conversation, predictions for the future, and expressing one's own opinion about future events.

But what if we are talking about planned actions for the future? For this purpose, there is a special phrase in English to be going to, which translates as to get ready to do something. However, it can also be used to indicate predictions for the future given the current situation at the moment.

Use of turnover to be going to

Therefore, we can conclude that turnover to be going to several use cases:

Intentions for the future;
Predictions based on the current situation.

Let's look at a few examples.
I am going to see a doctor tomorrow. I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow.

The sky is dark. It is going to rain. The sky is dark. It will be raining.

Try to answer the question, which of the 2 sentences expresses intention for the future, which of them is a prediction for the future?

In the first sentence we see that it is intention for the future, and we can assume that this is a scheduled visit to the doctor. While in the second sentence we see a description of the situation At the moment(the sky is dark), and judging by this fact, we can predict that it will rain.

As for grammatical forms, the inflected part in circulation to be going to is a verb to be, which is conjugated in the present tense has the form am/is/are. Particle to (going to) says that after the turn there should immediately be a verb in an indefinite form, what you are going to do.

For example, I am going to read a book. I'm going to read a book.

He is going to ride a bike. He is going to ride a bike.

We are going to spend our holidays in the country. We are going to spend our holidays in the countryside.

Negative form of turnover to be going to

The negative form of this turnover is built very easily with the help of a negative particle not, which is added to the inflected part of the turnover, the verb to be (am not, is not, are not). You can use both abbreviated forms and full forms. (Isn't, aren't, I'm not)

For example, I'm not going to watch a film tonight. I'm not going to watch a movie today.

She isn't going to buy a new dress. She is not going to buy a new dress.

They aren't going to repair their car themselves. They are not going to fix the car themselves.

Interrogative form of turnover to be going to

The question is built only with the help of a permutation of the verb to be and subject. Verb to be will take 1st place in the question, and the subject - 2nd place.

Short answers are also given using the verb to be and the corresponding pronoun.
Do the following exercises to consolidate the material.

Tasks for the lesson

Exercise 1. Make up 2 sentences for each case of using the turnover to be going to.

Exercise 2. Give short answers to questions.
1. Are you going to see him at 6 tonight?
2. Is it going to rain? There are a lot of dark clouds in the sky.
3. Are they going to take the children to the cinema tonight?
4. Is he going to be late for school? It is already 8 a.m.
5. Are you going to arrange a Halloween party?

Exercise 2.
1. Yes, I am. / No, I am not.
2. Yes, it is. / No, it isn't.
3. Yes, they are. / No, they are not.
4. Yes, he is. / No, he isn't.
5. Yes, I am. / No, I am not.

The topic of today's article is our plans for the future, or rather, how to talk about them correctly in English.

This is the best design for this. to be going to. (do something) . The rules for using this turnover and many examples will be the basis of my article today.

So, the translation of this figure of speech into Russian is “ going to do something". The variable part is the verb to be (by the way, there is a separate article about this verb, read here)

Making suggestions and questions

We recall that for each personal pronoun there is own form of the verb to be, namely:

We are You are They are

He is She is It is

We are trying to apply the construction in practice, we will translate the sentence: "We are going to spend this summer in Thailand":

We are going to spend this summer in Thailand.

If you have to say what's going to He, then only to be will change (see above):

He is going to spend this summer in Thailand.

And now we will in every possible way deny that we have so much money and our plans for the summer:

We are not going to spend this summer in Thailand.

He is not going to spend this summer in Thailand.

To do this, you need to substitute the particle not , and consider that we coped with the envy of our neighbor :-).

And if we ourselves really want to know where she is going on vacation with her new friend? Our favorite to be ( English is nowhere without it, so I advise you to make friends with this verb and its forms ) put before the subject:

Where are you going to spend this summer with your new boy-friend?

When else is this design used?

The construction to be going means:

Intention(the decision was made before the moment of the statement):

He is in hospital and I am going to call him(i.e. I knew he was in the hospital and decided to call him some time ago).

Another option is possible - please consider the difference:

He is in hospital and I will call him(in this case, our intention to call was not planned at the time of speaking, we decided so right now).

An event that is highly likely to happen(i.e. we sort of predict the future based on facts):

The doctor said: “Everything is going to be okay now after surgery.”

Can be used for orders :

And you are not going to stop me!

Note: with verbs of motion to come And to go this construction is usually not used, instead it is used Present Continuous .

I am going out tonight. ( Not "I am going to go out tonight")

construction in the past

It can be used in the past tense when we say that were going do something. The changeable part is the same to be, only in the form of the past tense.

Form was for pronouns I, he, she, it.

By construction, the proposal is no different from those discussed above:

I was going to spend that summer in Thailand.

I was not going to spend that summer in Thailand.

was I going to spend that summer in Thailand?

Yes, one last thing.

IN colloquial speech this design is often shortened to to be gonna. You can often hear it in movies, songs, and your English-speaking friends.

English - Grammar - Verb - Turnover to be going to

Turnover to be going to

Formed by a verb to go in the Present Continuous form ( am / is / are going - it matters here going, going) and the infinitive of the semantic verb with the particle to .

1 Used to express an intention to take an action in the future:

To avoid tautology, the form with be going to not used with verbs to go And to come. Instead, they usually use the Present Continuous form of these verbs:

instead of He is going to come here. - they say: He is coming here.

He going to come(come) here.

When are you go ing home?

When you gonna(will you go) home?

2 This turnover is also used to express the high probability or inevitability of actions in the future, since their signs are obvious in the present: (forecasted future).

Watch out! Those boxes are going to fall over! Carefully! Those boxes now fall down.

The sky is clearing up; the rain is going to stop in a minute.

The sky is clearing; rain stop In a minute.

The difference in the use of Present Continuous and to be going to .

Present Continuous highlights the existence of prior agreements(appointed meeting time, purchased ticket, etc.), and to be going to draws attention to the presence solutions about what they are going to do:

I am meeting him tomorrow. (Present Continuous)

I dating with him tomorrow.(already agreed)

I am going to meet him tomorrow.

I going to meet with him tomorrow.(I already made a decision, but he doesn't know about it yet)

The difference in the use of Future Indefinite and to be going to .

Eating turnover to be going to emphasize that there is already an intention planned before the moment of speech to carry out an action in the future. Form Future Indefinite presents future events as mere probable facts; conveys an intention to do something, but without firm conviction, as with to be going to; or conveys intentions, decisions that arose at the time of the conversation.

We have run out of sugar.

I know. I 'm going to buy some.

I 'll buy some when I go shopping.

We're out of sugar.

I know. I going to buy his.

I buy when I go to the store.

What is the difference between will and going to?

There are several stereotypes about expressing future action that are firmly planted in the minds of many who study English.

So, stereotype number one: any future action is will. The option is very profitable: Future Simple is easy to learn, any beginner can accurately form and use it.

Stereotype number two: going to is just " going to do something” and point. There are no other values.

Proceeding from these two "rules" and proposals are built. There is a certain logic to following these stereotypes, but it is often deceptive because it does not allow you to accurately express your idea.

In this article, we will dispel stereotypes, expand our knowledge of grammar, and take a closer look at the differences between using Future Simple(or just will) and construction going to .

As always, we will consider in the context of the situations that we will compare. Usually will going to get confused when talking about decisions or forecasts for the future.

Decision

Will indicates that the decision spontaneous, that is, the speaker did not think about this decision in advance.

— Any plans for the weekend?
— I have not decided. I think I will visit my parents.

- Any plans for the weekend?
— I haven't decided. I think I'll visit my parents.

In this situation, it is clear that the decision about plans for the weekend is made at the moment of speaking and the speaker has not thought about it before.

Hmm, I think I will become a doctor!

“Hmm, I think I will become a doctor!”

This is a spontaneous answer, which children usually give to such questions.

Requests, promises, threats, warnings are also transmitted with the help of will, because they are most often expressed spontaneously.

If the decision is thought out in advance, before the conversation, then it already goes into the category plans, so you should use going to .

— Any plans for the weekend?
Yes, I am going to visit my parents.

- Any plans for the weekend?
I am going to (plan) to visit my parents.

Using going to, the speaker shows that he has already thought about and planned everything.

— Billy, what do you want to be in the future?
— I am going to be a doctor. Biology is my favorite subject.

Billy, what do you want to be in the future?
— I plan to become a doctor. Biology is my favorite subject.

This answer implies that the child has already thought about it, the decision is considered and more like a plan.

Prediction

Future Simple is used when we express our forecast about future action, based on our own considerations, expectations. Therefore, will is used with verbs:

maybe(May be),

I'm sure. - I'm sure.

I'm certain. - I am convinced.

There is no doubt. - Undoubtedly.

I'm afraid. - I'm afraid that. and others of similar importance.

This can be said by a person who, in principle, now does not have the prerequisites for obtaining wealth, but he feels that he can succeed.

This is your personal opinion, the employer may think differently. That is, this forecast is rather subjective.

And one more thing to take into account: will is more often used to express assumptions about the more distant future.

However, if the sentence begins with a verb think or phrases I'm sure. I'm certain. There is no doubt. and the others above, this does not mean that they must be followed by will . When choosing means of expressing the future tense, one should pay attention to the context, to the situation.

If there is concrete, visible evidence that the action will happen, then going to should be used to convey this:

I think at the beginning of a sentence is not a guarantee that will will follow. In the above situation, the speaker most likely has visible confirmation that his fortune will soon increase, which allows him to make such a forecast with confidence.

And one more example:

In this situation, the speaker knows for sure (or almost certainly) that the candidate has little chance due to lack of experience.

If you see that something is about to happen when you have visible evidence that the action will take place, then it is better to express it with going to rather than will . Usually the interlocutor's attention to such actions is attracted by the words: Look! Listen! Be careful! or others that indicate that something will inevitably happen in the near future:

look! He is standing on the edge of the cliff, he is going to fall! - Look! He's standing on the edge of a cliff, he's about to fall

Look at the sky, I think it's going to rain. – Look at the sky, I think it will rain.

Of course, Future Simple has more meanings than going to . You can remember all the meanings of Future Simple by reading this article. By the way, on our website there is also material devoted to the details of the use of going to

Expand your knowledge every day, do not be lazy to look at the grammar guide or our website if in doubt. And if you find it difficult to learn English on your own, then contact our professional teachers. It's very easy to start - take an introductory lesson, make sure that Skype lessons are convenient and effective, create a convenient schedule - and forward to new achievements!

Design be going to. Theory. Difference from Future Simple and Present Continuous

Design be going to refers to frequently used constructions of the English language. The construction is widely used both in written and even more so in oral speech. Be going to translates as 'gather'. If we consider the construction be going to from the point of view of grammar, then we can divide it into two parts:

As you can see, the variable part of this construction is the verb to be, and therefore, it is thanks to the change to be that the construction be going to is consistent with the subject and has the forms of the present and past simple tenses.

Be going to PRESENT SIMPLE.

Consider the use of be going to in Present Simple.

Be going to PAST SIMPLE.

Consider the use of be going to in Past Simple.

Usually, use be going to limited to the two times described above - Present Simple and Past Simple.

Basic rules and features of the use of be going to.

The use of be going to often overlaps with the use of verbs in the Future Simple or Present Continuous. Consider these cases, as they often cause difficulties.

The difference between be going to and Future Simple.

Be going to means ‘going to do something’, while the verbs in Future Simple indicate spontaneity / momentary decision. Compare:

Polly's going to visit her granny on Sunday. Polly is going to visit her grandmother on Sunday.

MOTHER: Polly, you granny's just phoned. She feels bad.

POLLY: OK, I will visit her on Sunday.

(MOM: Polly, Grandma called. She doesn't feel well.

POLLY: Okay, I'll visit her on Sunday)

In the first case, we are talking about a deliberate intention, and in the second, a momentary decision caused by circumstances.

The difference between be going to and Present Continuous.

One of the meanings of Present Continuous is an indication of an action planned for the future.

Polly is visiting her granny on Sunday. Polly plans to visit her grandmother on Sunday.

Then What is the difference between be going and Present Continuous? There is a difference, although it is not always obvious.

The use of Present Continuos for planned activities usually means:

having an agreement with someone
availability of pre-purchased tickets or any other preparations for future action.

Be going to only expresses a personal intention to carry out some action.

Polly is visiting her granny on Sunday. (Polly plans to visit her grandmother on Sunday. She made arrangements with her grandmother, perhaps bought tickets, bought her a present, or something like that.)

Polly is going to visit her granny on Sunday. (On Sunday, Polly plans to visit her grandmother. Polly decided this without agreeing with anyone.)

It is worth emphasizing once again that the difference between be going and Present Continuous can be obvious only from the context. Without context, both sentences - Polly is visiting her granny on Sunday and Polly is going to visit her granny on Sunday - will be true and we will not be able to stop at one specific option.

Be going, as a rule, is not used with the verbs go and come. If in Russian ‘I’m going to go’ is a perfectly acceptable phrase, then in English ‘I’m going to go’ does not sound quite correct. Instead of ‘I’m going to go’ (I’m going to go) and ‘I’m going to come’ (I’m going to come), just use ‘I’m going’ and ‘I’m coming’.

Be going can mean inevitability, great probability, evidence of a future event. As a rule, the context describes signs that the event will occur.

Polly's missed the bus. She's going to be late. Polly missed her bus. She will probably be late.

You will probably also find the article Ways of Expressing the Future Tense in English useful, where you will find not only theory, but also exercises on this topic.

8 Comments for “Design be going to. Theory. Difference from Future Simple and Present Continuous "

thank you so much for the info - very helpful and easy to understand

The expression to be going to in English

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When we want to say about the intention to do something, then such a sentence must be translated into English using the construction to be going to do smth(going to do something). This phrase is very common in written and spoken language. Let's see how to use it correctly.

Formation of the expression to be going to

The first thing to remember is that this expression must be used in the present and past tenses.

I am going to wear my new skirt for the party. - I going to wear my new skirt to the party.

I was going to call you but I forgot. - I was going to call you, but forgot.

As you can see, if we are talking about the present tense, then to be should change to am, is, are, which you already know from the article "Using the verb to be: how, where and why." And if the phrase is in the past tense, then to be takes shape was or were. Let's look at 3 plates with to be going to.

Statement

He is going to clean his room. - He going clean up in your room.

They were going to join the English classes. - They were going join English lessons.

When we have negation, then after to be we just put not and get a negative sentence.

We were not going to travel by train. - We weren't going to travel by train.

He is not going to buy her a new car. - He not going buy her a new car.

As you probably guessed, the question is also built using to be. Submit the required form to be in the first place, and you get an interrogative sentence.

Are you going to work at the weekend? - You gonna work weekends?

Is he going to tell me the truth or not? - He going tell me the truth or not?

Using the construction to be going to

This expression is used almost more often than time Future Simple(simple future tense), and all because it is easy to remember. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using to be going to.

We use to be going to when we gather, we intend to do something.
It can also be used when we make a prediction that something is bound to happen. We have every reason to believe that something will happen. For example, I see that there are clouds in the sky, and I can say:

There are clouds in the sky. It 's going to rain. - There are clouds in the sky. going to go rain.

It's 8 a.m. Kyle is leaving his home. He has to be at work at 8.15 but the road takes 30 minutes. He is going to be late. - Eight in the morning. Kyle leaves the house. He has to be at work at 8:15, but the journey takes 30 minutes. kyle, most likely to be late for work. (Kyle left at 8, he needs to be at work at 8:15, but he gets there in 30 minutes. So we have every reason to believe that he will be late)

Because the design itself contains the word go, then we should not use go(to go) as an action verb: I am going to go(I am going to go). This phrase looks like a tautology. Better to say I am going somewhere(I'm going somewhere).

Although we say "I'm going to do something" ( I am going to do smth), and the phrase is used in the present tense, but in meaning it is directed to the future: in the future I will do what I am going to do now. That is, the present tense is used for both the present and the future. Can't say I will be going to do smth(I will be going to do something).

In colloquial speech, it is customary to shorten a long to be going to do to short gonna = going to.

I 'm gonna buy this cake. - I going to buy this cake.

He was going to eat all the chicken himself. - He was going to one eat the whole chicken.

This construction is quite easy to use and is often used by foreigners in their speech. Practice yourself too! And don't forget to download our plate.

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