Grammar · Verb tenses
Going to Future
Formula: am / is / are going to + base form
A2
Quick answer
Going to Future: how to build a sentence
Affirmative
subject + am/is/are + going to + V
I'm going to study.
She's going to leave.
Negative
am not / isn't / aren't + going to + V
I'm not going to study.
She isn't going to leave.
Question
Am / Is / Are + subject + going to + V?
Are you going to study?
Is she going to leave?
The 2 main uses
1. Plan, intention
The decision is already made.
“I'm going to study English next year.”
2. Prediction
You can see a sign now: the clouds tell you it is going to rain.
“Look at the clouds! It's going to rain.”
Signal words
Some words almost always go with this tense: if you see one in the sentence, it is a good clue.
tomorrow / next week
the near future: the next day, the next week
“I'm going to call her tomorrow.”
soon
in a short time
“She's going to graduate soon.”
Common mistakes to avoid
Be going to or will?
Be going to = a plan already decided OR a prediction you can see. Will = a decision made now OR a general prediction. I'm going to study tonight (decided before). I'll help you (decided now).
Going to go or going to?
I am going to go to Paris is correct and common. When the trip is already organised, you can also say, more simply, I am going to Paris (the Present Continuous).
Practice quiz
Related pages: Going to Future
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Going to Future: you understand the rule. Now practise it.
Understanding a rule is only the first step. On PLAY, you use it in real situations, at your own pace, until it becomes automatic.
Practise “Going to Future” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersGoing to Future: a ready-to-use lesson sequence
The Academy gives you step-by-step exercises, answer keys and a tracking dashboard: you keep the teaching, and the tool takes care of the practice and the marking.
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English contestGoing to Future: often tested in the English contest
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Frequently asked questions
When do you use be going to?+
Use it for a plan you have already decided (I'm going to study English) or a prediction based on what you can see (Look at the clouds! It's going to rain). It is different from will (a decision made now or a general prediction).
What is the difference between will and going to?+
Will = a decision made at the moment of speaking, or a prediction with no clear sign. Be going to = a plan made before, or a prediction based on what you can see. I'll help you (decided now) vs I'm going to study (already decided).
How do you form be going to?+
Be (am/is/are) + going to + base form. I am going to work. She is going to leave. They are going to come.
Can you say “going to go”?+
Yes. I am going to go to Paris is correct and very common: there is nothing wrong with going to go. When the trip is already organised, you can also say I am going to Paris. This is the Present Continuous (for a fixed plan), not the Going to Future.
What does gonna mean?+
In informal speech, going to often sounds like gonna: I'm gonna study. Do not write gonna in formal writing or in a test. The standard short form is I'm going to.
Updated on 6 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 6 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/grammar/be-going-to
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.