Going To in English Grammar: Rules, Examples and Practice
Have you made a plan for tomorrow? You can say, “I am going to finish my homework.” Can you see dark clouds gathering? You can say, “It is going to rain.”
In both sentences, be going to refers to the future. This guide explains how to form it, when to use it, how it differs from will, and how to avoid common mistakes.
What is the correct use of “going to” in English grammar?
Use this pattern:
Subject + am/is/are + going to + base form of the verb
Subject | Form | Example |
I | am going to | I am going to read. |
He, she, it | is going to | She is going to read. |
You, we, they | are going to | They are going to read. |
The verb after going to in English grammar stays in its base form: read, write, play, visit. It does not change to reads, wrote or playing.
When do we use “going to”?
1. For a plan or intention
Use going to when someone has already decided to do something.
I am going to revise the chapter tonight.
We are going to visit our grandparents on Sunday.
Meera is going to join the school debate.
The action has not happened yet, but the person has a plan or intention.
2. For a prediction based on present evidence
Use going to when something you can see or know now suggests what will happen.
Look at those dark clouds. It is going to rain.
The glass is near the edge of the table. It is going to fall.
He has practised every day. He is going to perform well.
Remember: A plan tells us what someone intends to do. A prediction tells us what the speaker expects to happen.
How do we make negative sentences and questions?
Sentence type | Pattern | Example |
Affirmative | Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb | She is going to cook. |
Negative | Subject + am/is/are + not + going to + base verb | She is not going to cook. |
Question | Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + base verb? | Is she going to cook? |
In everyday writing and speech, we often use contractions: I’m, he’s, we’re, isn’t and aren’t.
I’m going to call you later.
They aren’t going to play today.
Are you going to attend the meeting?
“Going to” or “will”?
Both can refer to the future, but the choice can show how the speaker sees the action.
Situation | Example |
A decision made before speaking | I’m going to study after dinner. |
A decision made while speaking | The phone is ringing. I’ll answer it. |
A prediction based on present evidence | Watch out! That box is going to fall. |
These are useful distinctions, not rules that make every other future form incorrect. Context matters. We also use will for predictions, especially when expressing a belief or opinion.
“Going to” or the present continuous?
Both can describe future plans. The present continuous often highlights an arrangement that has been made.
I’m going to meet Anika tomorrow. This expresses my plan.
I’m meeting Anika at 4 p.m. tomorrow. This presents the meeting as an arrangement.
There can be overlap. Choose the form that best expresses what you mean.
Is “I am going to school” a future-tense sentence?
Usually, “I am going to school” means that I am travelling towards school. Here, to school tells us the destination.
Compare:
I am going to school. → going describes movement towards a place.
I am going to study. → going to study expresses a future plan.
A useful check is to look at what follows to. In the future expression, it is followed by a base verb: to study, to write, to leave.
Can we say “going to go”?
Yes. It may sound repetitive, but it is grammatically correct:
We are going to go to the library tomorrow.
In many situations, a shorter sentence sounds more natural:
We are going to the library tomorrow.
The first clearly presents the visit as an intention. The second can express a planned future visit when the time phrase and context make that meaning clear.
What do “was going to” and “were going to” mean?
Use was/were going to + base verb to talk about a plan or expected event viewed from the past.
I was going to phone you, but I fell asleep.
They were going to play outside, but it started raining.
Were you going to tell me the news?
Use was with I, he, she and it. Use were with you, we and they. A past plan does not always mean the action was cancelled; the rest of the sentence tells us what happened.
Is it “going to” or “going too”?
Use to in the expression going to + verb:
She is going to sing.
Use too when you mean also or excessively:
I am going too. (I am also going.)
You are going too fast. (Excessively fast.)
Both words can appear in one sentence: I’m going to join the trip too.
20 examples of “going to”
Plans and intentions
1. I am going to practise English every day.
2. Riya is going to write a letter.
3. We are going to plant trees on Saturday.
4. They are going to watch the school play.
5. My father is going to cook dinner tonight.
6. I’m going to save money for a new bicycle.
7. Are you going to take part in the quiz?
8. Is Arjun going to visit us tomorrow?
9. We aren’t going to leave early.
10. She isn’t going to buy that book.
Predictions based on present evidence
11. Look at the sky. It is going to rain.
12. Be careful! You are going to spill the water.
13. That shelf is shaking. It is going to fall.
14. The team has trained hard. They are going to play well.
15. The baby looks tired. She is going to fall asleep.
Past plans
16. I was going to send the message, but my phone switched off.
17. We were going to have a picnic, but the weather changed.
18. He was going to answer the question when the bell rang.
19. Were they going to join the competition?
20. She wasn’t going to speak, but she changed her mind.
Common mistakes to avoid
Incorrect | Correct | Why? |
She going to visit us. | She is going to visit us. | Add the correct form of be. |
I am going to plays. | I am going to play. | Use the base verb after going to. |
Are going you to come? | Are you going to come? | Place the subject after are in a question. |
He is going too study. | He is going to study. | The future expression uses to. |
They was going to leave. | They were going to leave. | Use were with they. |
Practice exercise
A. Complete each sentence with the correct form of “be going to” and the verb in brackets.
1. I __________ (read) this story tonight.
2. She __________ (not attend) the meeting.
3. __________ they __________ (play) after school?
4. Look at those clouds! It __________ (rain).
5. We __________ (visit) Kolkata next month.
B. Choose the better answer for the meaning given.
6. I decided yesterday: I (am going to / will) start a reading journal.
7. The doorbell is ringing. I (am going to / will) get it.
8. Look at that leaning tree! It (is going to / will) fall.
9. Our tickets are booked. We (are flying / fly) on Friday.
C. Correct the mistakes.
10. He are going to write an essay.
11. They are going to visited us.
12. Is she going too sing?
13. We was going to leave early.
D. Explain the difference.
14. What does “I am going to the library” mean?
15. What does “I am going to read” mean?
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Answers with explanations
1. am going to read — Use am with I and the base verb read.
2. is not going to attend — Use is with she and put not before going to.
3. Are; going to play — Begin the question with Are.
4. is going to rain — The clouds provide present evidence for the prediction.
5. are going to visit — Use are with we.
6. am going to — The decision was made before speaking.
7. will — The speaker decides while speaking.
8. is going to — The leaning tree provides present evidence.
9. are flying — This naturally presents the booked journey as an arrangement.
10. He is going to write an essay. — Use is with he.
11. They are going to visit us. — Use the base verb visit.
12. Is she going to sing? — Use to, not too.
13. We were going to leave early. — Use were with we.
14. It usually means I am travelling towards the library.
15. It means I plan or intend to read.
Frequently asked questions
When do we use “I am going to”?
Use it before a base verb to express your future plan or a prediction: I am going to practise. The words can also describe movement when followed by a place: I am going to school.
Is “I’m going too” correct?
Yes, if too means also: “My friends are leaving, and I’m going too.” To express a future action, write going to: “I’m going to leave.”
Can “going to” describe the distant future?
Yes. It is not limited to tomorrow or next week: I’m going to become a teacher one day.
Is “gonna” the same as “going to”?
Gonna represents an informal pronunciation of going to. You may hear it in conversation, but use going to in formal writing and school assignments.
Quick recap
Use am/is/are going to + base verb for a future plan or a prediction supported by present evidence. Use was/were going to + base verb when describing a plan from a past point of view. Check the verb after to, and remember that to and too have different meanings.
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