What does to be going to mean? The expression to be going to in English

Learning new foreign language, a person first masters the forms of the present tense. But life around us does not only take place at the “now” point; sooner or later the time comes 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 concern the construction to be going to, since it stands at a kind of “junction”, where the Future Simple is located on one side, and the Present Continuous is located on the other. It is related to the first by the described time - in both cases we are talking about supposed future events, and with the second - by the method of education. 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 entire 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 that produces talking person who is not a native speaker. The use of will is necessary when we are talking about clearly approved plans, where we should use to be going to. The rules for its use, despite the common fear of saying the wrong thing or making a mistake in speech, are quite simple. So, what should you choose and in what situation?

The basic rule for to be going to

The main difference between will and to be going to is the degree to which the speaker believes that some action will happen in the future. The simple future tense suggests that the person using it believes that some action will happen in the future, but it is equally likely that it will not happen. 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 that something would 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, allowing you to clearly explain the difference between the use of to be going to and will. When talking about events around us, such as the weather, we can say:

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

In the first case, future rain is only assumed, which may or may not come. Perhaps the speaker simply heard someone say that he would. But there is no complete certainty that this will happen. In the second case, it is known for sure that the weather will change now - for example, because the sky is clouded, the wind has risen, and several small drops have fallen. Something similar happens when it comes to actions.

Talking 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 was unknown when he would do it or if he would do it at all. Maybe it was a momentary thought that he forgot to think about a minute later. In the second case, the speaker will definitely buy milk and do it today, and 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 connotation that gives inevitability to the upcoming event.

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

Grammatically, the use of this construction in the past tense is no different from its use in the Present, but during 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 would seem to be 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 it. (This sentence also emphasizes that the trip has been planned for quite some time.)

Additional subtleties

The combination to be going to has the colloquial form gonna, which can be used exclusively 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 the American version in English tending towards simplification. For correct British speech (by “correct” we should mean the speech of the educated population) the use of full forms is more typical.

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, using, for example, according to the rule going to go is assessed 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, you should use the Present Continuous. 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 correct use of will and to be going to not only makes the speaker’s speech more lively, but also helps convey the necessary shades of meaning. We hope that the rules for be going to with examples helped in understanding the not so easy, but so necessary English language.

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

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

Using the phrase to be going to

Therefore, we can conclude that the turnover to be going to several usages:

• Intentions for the future;
• Predictions taking into account 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 future intention, and we can assume that this is a planned 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 conjugates in the present tense has the forms am/is/are. Particle to (going to) says that after the phrase there should immediately be a verb in the 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 village.

Negative form of to be going to

The negative form of this turnover is constructed very easily using a negative particle not, which is added to the variable part of the phrase, the verb to be (am not, is not, are not). You can use both short 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 the 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 repair the car themselves.

Interrogative form of the phrase to be going to

The question can be constructed simply by rearranging the verb to be and subject. Verb to be will occupy 1st place in the question, and the subject will occupy 2nd place.

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

Lesson assignments

Exercise 1. Make up 2 sentences for each use of the phrase to be going to.

Exercise 2. Give short answers to the 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 phrase to be going to is translated into Russian as getting ready to do something. IN English speech this phrase comes up very often. The phrase is used to express future intentions that have already been decided. To use this expression correctly, let's look at the situations in which it is used and what the subtleties of this construction are. Many native speakers pronounce the final letter [goingG] in the word going, but in standard English pronunciation used in speech according to this transcription [ˈgəʊɪŋ], that is, the sound G is not pronounced.

Formation of the phrase be going to

be going to rules and examples of formation of turnover:

verb To be (am/is/are) going to + Infinitive

-I' m going to study for exams - I'm going to prepare for exams.
- I am going to visit my stepfather this evening - I'm going to visit my stepfather this evening.

For fluent speech, they are often abbreviated with pronouns - I'm, he's, she's.

Forms of sentences of the construction Be going to

You already know that the construction to be going to in English has three sentence forms: affirmative, negative and interrogative. To quickly understand how sentences are built with turnover, we have displayed everything in tables.

Table of formation of affirmative and negative sentences

For affirmative sentences we use the formula:

Subject + the verb to be (am/is/are) + going to + infinitive + rest of sentence.

For negation the formula is the same. Only negative particle not stands after . IN negative sentences can be shortened in two ways: He isn’t or He’s not.

More examples:

— We are going to sing a song at the concert tomorrow - Tomorrow at the concert we will sing a song.
— My parents are going to buy new furniture – My parents are going to buy new furniture.
-I' m not going to Los Angeles for the summer holidays – I will not go to Los Angeles for summer holidays.

Interrogative form be going to - General question

Interrogative sentences begin with (am, is, are) or (isn’t, aren’t for negative questions), then choose the subject, followed by the phrase + base form of the verb.

Examples:

— Is she going to have another baby? Oh boy, she is crazy – Will she have another child? God, she's crazy.
— Your car is very dirty. Is your son going to wash is it this afternoon? – Your car is very dirty. Is your son going to wash it?

Special question

Wh-questions are questions that require additional information in their answers.
Question words: what, where, when, which, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To form a special question, start the sentence with a question word, then add the desired, subject, phrase and infinitive.

Examples:

— Why isn't he going to buy that computer? – Why doesn’t he buy himself a computer?
— What are you going to do tonight? – What are you going to do tonight?

Uses of be going to

After you have learned how to construct sentences, let's see in what cases you can use our expression today.

• 1. Actions that must be completed in the near future.

Let's look at some examples:

—She' s going to visit her sister tomorrow - Tomorrow she is going to visit her sister.
—Chris is going to take a few days off next week – Chris is going to take a few days off next week.
- I am going to buy a new car tomorrow – I’m going to buy a new car tomorrow.

• 2. Planned actions or intentions.

- We've decided. We are going to get married - We decided. We're going to get married.
-I' m going to meet my husband in town – I’m going to meet my husband in the city.
- No is going to be promoted - He will be promoted. (The boss has already decided so).

• 3. Obvious actions that will happen in the near future:

- Look at the sky! The clouds are so dark! It is going to rain - Look at the sky! The clouds are so dark. It will rain.
— Look out! That dog is going to bite you! - Be careful! This dog will bite you!
- Look at the sun! It' s going to be a wonderful day – Look at the sun! Today will be a wonderful day.

• 4. The design can be used when we order.

(Parent to child)
—You are going to clean up that mess right now! – You will clean up this mess right now!

In such cases, you can use and.
- I'm sorry, you are not taking my iPad.

• 5. We use phrases with such words as markers - in one year, tomorrow, next week, etc.

— We are going to fly to Washington next week– We will fly to Washington next week.
— They are going to have a picnic tomorrow They are going to have a picnic tomorrow.

There are also phrases in English be about to, to be on the point of is translated into Russian exactly the same as the expression be going to(getting ready to do something). Be about to is used when something will happen in the near future. To be on the point of- literary expression.

— Researchers say they are on the point of discovering a new anti-wrinkles cream – Researchers say they are on the verge of discovering a new anti-wrinkles cream.
— The parents are about to arrive - Parents are about to arrive.

In English, with the words go and come, we use , rather than “be going to”.

Example:

— She is going to Costa Rica next month Rather than She is going to go…

You need to rest and relax a little. Watch a video of how native speakers use turnover be going to.

Was going to – Past form

Was going to expresses unfulfilled agreements or plans in the past, or actions that we intended to do, but could not.
Example:

— My first few days in the city were so unpleasant that I was going to move straight back home – My first few days in the city were so unpleasant that I was considering moving back home.
- I was going to quit my job and leave town forever – I was going to quit my job and leave the city forever.

What does “gonna” mean?

When native speakers speak quickly, they often use the shortened form “gonna” instead correct form.

For example:

Ralph is dirty. I'm gonna wash him.

It means: I'm going to wash him.

In interrogative sentences, are is omitted with the second person singular (you) and with the first and second person plural(we, you).

Let's look at some more examples:

— Be careful, you're gonna hit the wall - Be careful, you'll hit the wall.
—She's gonna faint- She will faint.
— What we gonna do now? - What do we do now?
- I'm gonna to Manchester tomorrow - I'm going to go to Manchester tomorrow.
—He's gonna work until late tomorrow - Tomorrow he will work late.
- What's she gonna wear on her birthday party? – What is she going to wear for her birthday?
—Which skirt you gonna wear for the party tonight? – What skirt will you wear to the party today?

This shortened form is found very often in informal conversation, for example, with friends. It is not necessary to use these expressions in your speech, but it is very important to recognize them when communicating with native speakers.

But be careful when you use – “ gonna" If you are at an interview or other official event, do not use this form.
But still " gonna” occurs quite often. There are a lot of such abbreviations in English. For example, " Dunno" - it means " I don't know”. “Wanna” – “I want to”.
The contractions Gotta, wanna and gonna have been used regularly in headlines or popular songs since the 1950s or even earlier.

Difference between Future Simple To be going to

As you can see, both sentences express almost the same idea.

To express the same idea, you can use both and be going to. In some cases there is a difference in meaning.

Tense is often used with verbs of motion.

— Are they coming home?

The present continuous tense is mainly used to talk about personal agreements and planned plans. The expression Be going to can also be used to express the same idea; however, it places additional emphasis on intention.

-I' m going to get a new job - I'm going to find a new job. (I intend to find a new job)
-I' m getting a new job – I will have new job. (This has already been decided/arranged. The emphasis here is on agreement).

-I' m visiting grandparents tomorrow – (Here the emphasis is on an already existing agreement).
-I' m going to ask her to stop borrowing my clothes - I will ask her to stop taking my things. (Speaker's intention).

Usually not used when we are talking about things that we cannot control.

Example:

- Look out! The ladder is going to fall.
- It' s going to snow.

The expression Be going to is used only for future events. can also be used for actions that are happening right now.

To be going to Exercises on the topic covered.

Let's begin exercises on the topic covered and consolidate the material. We invite you to do interesting exercises yourself with translation into English and take online testing.

Exercise 1. Translate the sentences into English using the correct tenses you learned in this article.

1. He is going to clean his room.
2. We are going to hang pictures on the walls.
3.Is Sarah going to watch the football match tonight?
4. They will buy a new carpet.
5. Look! It is snowing!
6. We rent a parking space.
7. Is she going to wear a red dress?
8. We will plant trees.
9. My mother will turn 45 next week.
10. Where are they going to sleep?
11. We will go to London.
12. Maria, I love you so much. Will you marry me?
13. I'm not going to sing at the concert tonight.
14. I'm not entirely sure yet, but we'll probably move to Liverpool.
15. Now that he has moved to a big house, he is going to make a swimming pool in his garden. He saved for this for months.
16. Are you going to play chess today?
17. I think he will become a good doctor.
18. You will regret this!
19. Back! The bomb is about to explode.
20. My car won't start.

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(getting ready to do something). This phrase can be found very often in written and oral speech. Let's figure out how to use it correctly.

Formation of the expression to be going to

The first thing that is important 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 “”. And if the phrase is in the past tense, then to be takes shape was or were. Let's look at 3 signs with to be going to.

Statement

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

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

Negation

When we have denial, then after to be we'll just put not and we get a negative offer.

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 to buy her a new car.

Question

As you probably guessed, the question is also constructed using to be. Bring out the required form to be to the first place, and you get an interrogative sentence.

Are you going to work at the weekend? - You are you going to work on 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.

1. We use to be going to When we get together, we intend to do something.
2. 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 it's going to 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, will most likely be late for work. (Kyle left at 8, he needs to be at work at 8:15, but he gets there in 30 minutes. That is, we have every reason to believe that he will be late)

3. Because the design itself contains the word go, then we should not use go(go) as an action verb: I am going to go(I am going to go). This phrase looks like a tautology. It's better to say I am going somewhere(I'm going somewhere).
4. 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 aimed at 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. You can't tell I will be going to do smth(I'm going to do something).
5. In colloquial speech it is customary to shorten long words to be going to do to short gonna = going to.
   

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

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

This construction is quite easy to use, and foreigners often use it in their speech. Practice too! And don't forget to download our sign.

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Test

The expression be going to in English

Even those who have never studied English know that go- this is “to go”. But not everything is as simple as it seems, because the verb go not always used in this meaning. In this article we will not consider the numerous semantic meanings of the verb go (of which, by the way, there are more than forty), nor will we understand stable combinations with the verb go (the number of which is difficult to imagine). In this article we will talk about the going to construction, which, although it includes a verb form go, serves to express completely different meanings.

So when we first see the design be going to in a sentence, the first thought is ordinary. For example:

I am going to buy a new camera.

Those who are not yet familiar with the design functions going to, will be translated like this: I'm going to buy a new camera (right now). Everything seems logical, there are no doubts about the correctness of the translation.

However, when it appears Additional Information, it gets more complicated:

He is going to publish his new book next year.

The scientists are going to launch a new space project soon.

In fact, everything is simple, you just need to understand one rule: no one goes anywhere!

Going to- a construction that is used to express plans, intentions, and forecasts for the future. Respectively:

I am going to buy a new camera. - I'm going to buy a new camera.

He is going to publish his new book next year. - He is going to publish a new book next year.

The scientists are going to launch a new space project soon. - Scientists are soon planning to launch a new space program.

Before we look in detail at the functions of the construction and its grammatical features, let's remember once and for all how to distinguish it from other forms. Let's compare two sentences:

I am going to school now.

I am going to meet my friends tomorrow.

In the first sentence, going to is followed by a noun, therefore, to- a preposition of movement that indicates the direction where I am actually going now.

In the second sentence after going there is an infinitive with a particle to, that is, a verb. This verb shows what I am going to do.

And of course, don’t forget about the context! He is your indispensable assistant, because sometimes only context allows you to fully understand the meaning of a statement.

Now let's talk more about forms.

The construction be going to is always preceded by a verb to be, and as is known, it changes according to gender and number:

I am going to tell you about my last holiday. - I'm going to tell you about my last vacation.

She is going to call you today. - She's going to call you today.

They are going to sell their car. - They are going to sell their car.

If someone is not going to do something, a negative form is built. To the verb to be a negative particle is added not:

I am not going to read this book. - I'm not going to read this book.

He is not going to play with us. - He's not going to play with us.

We are not going to discuss this question. - We are not going to discuss this issue.

And finally, to ask a question, verb to be moves to the beginning of the sentence:

In addition, the construction be going to is notable for the fact that it can be used in the past tense. To do this, remember that in the past tense the verb to be has only two forms: was And were. And affirmative, negative and interrogative statements are built on the same principle:

I was going to ask you out. - I was going to invite you somewhere.

It was going to rain so I took my umbrella. - It was going to rain, so I took an umbrella.

We were going to have a picnic by the river. - We were going to have a picnic by the river.

I was not going to buy new shoes. I don"t know how it happened! - I wasn’t going to buy new shoes. I don’t know how it happened!

She was not going to help us. - She wasn't going to help us.

They were not going to listen to me. - They weren't going to listen to me.

Everything is clear with the forms, now it’s time to learn about the meanings of the be going to construction:

1. Planned actions (Plans).

Use be going to when talking about what you have planned, what you want to do in the future. Be going to used more in informal communication; in more formal situations the verb to plan is used.

What are you going to do on holiday? - I am going to visit my parents and spend some time in the countryside. - What are you going to do on vacation? I'm going to visit my parents and spend a few days out of town.

They were going to leave, but I persuaded them to stay. - They intended to leave, but I convinced them to stay.

2. Decisions and Intentions.

If you use be going to, your interlocutor understands that you made the decision in advance, not at the time of the conversation. Be going to also serves to express intentions:

Jim and Mary are going to get married. - Jim and Mary are going (decided) to get married.

He is going to become a lawyer like his father. - He is going (intends) to become a lawyer, like his father.

3. Predictions Based on Evidence.

This formulation may not be entirely clear. Let's look at an example. You look out the window and see black clouds and hear thunder. What prediction will you make? Most likely you will say: “Now it’s going to rain (And as always, I’m without an umbrella!)”.

To express such an assumption in English, you will have to use nothing more than the construction be going to:

It is going to rain.

Or you notice a person slipping on the street and about to fall. You say:

He is going to fall.

Be going to should be used to express actions that are certain to happen in the near future, which we can judge from what we see and hear.

Please note that in sentences with be going to the subject may be inanimate, e.g. it:

It is going to snow. - It will snow.

These are the three main meanings of the be going to construction in which it is used most often. If your level is average, even above average, then these values ​​will be quite enough for you to communicate. For an advanced level, you can add a couple more.

4. Commands.

Be going to is sometimes used to insist that someone do something, or, conversely, not do it:

You are not going to wear this dress! - You will not wear this dress!

You are going to stay at home whether you want it or not. - You will stay at home whether you like it or not.

5. Failures (Refusals).

In Russian, if we really don’t want to do something, we say: “I’m not going to do it!” So, in English it’s the same story, if you flatly refuse to do something, you can say: "I am not going to do it!". This sentence sounds very emotional and even a little rude, so be careful and use it appropriately so as not to offend anyone:

I am not going to do your work! You get paid for it! - I'm not going to do your job! You get paid for it!

I am not going to solve your problems! You"ve made your bed, now you can lie on it! - I'm not going to solve your problems! You made the mess, so you can sort it out yourself!

It is important to remember that the construction be going to is not used with verbs go And come, as well as with some other verbs denoting movement. Instead of going to, use these verbs:

I am going to the seaside tomorrow. (NOT am going to go) - I am going/going to the sea tomorrow.

My friends are coming for dinner on Sunday. (NOT are going to come) - My friends are going to come/are coming for dinner on Sunday.

I would also like to note that in conversational communication the pronunciation of going to is often simplified to gonna ["g(ə)nə]. In films and songs you have repeatedly heard: I'm gonna, You're gonna and so on. So, know that gonna is an informal, colloquial version of the construction going to. In negatives, the auxiliary verb to be (am not, are not, is not) is also “simplified” and pronounced as . Read more about abbreviations.

Bon Jovi in ​​his song It's My Life sings the following:

It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever

This is my life
Now or never
I won't live forever.

A very good idea, by the way! It's worth heeding Bon Jovi's advice:

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