Be going to – Simple Future in English Grammar

What is the future tense with going to?

The future tense with going to, also known as the simple future, expresses a logical prediction for the future or an intention or plan which has already been decided.

This tense is formed0 with: be + going to + infinitive.

Learn how to conjugate the future tense with going to in English grammar and get tips on how to use it. In the exercises, you can test your knowledge.

Contents

Example

Please get up Bruno, we have to hurry. Mila is going to meet us back at home.

If you don’t start walking, we’re going to be late.

Look at those clouds, it’s going to rain soon and I don’t want to get wet.

Come on, we’re going to have sausages at home, they’re your favourite!

When to use the future tense with going to in English grammar

Use the future with going to for:

  • an intention or plan that was decided before the moment of speaking

    Examples:
    Mila is going to meet us back at home.
    We’re going to have sausages at home, they’re your favourite.

  • predictions for the future that are based on present evidence.

    Example:
    Look at those clouds, it’s going to rain soon.
    If you don’t start walking, we’re going to be late.

Signal Words: English Simple Future Tense

Certain expressions can help us to recognise the tense being used in a sentence. The following words indicate the use of a future tense:

  • in one year
  • next week
  • tomorrow

However, there are no concrete signal words for going to. We have to examine the context to determine which future tense to use.

going to vs. gonna

In informal contexts (such as text messages and emails between friends) and especially in spoken English, going to is often contracted to gonna.

Example:
We’re gonna have sausages when we get home.

Never use this form in formal written English.

How to conjugate the future tense with going to

To conjugate the future with going to, we use: am/is/are + going to + infinitive.

The table below shows the conjugation of be going to in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences:

Affirmative Negative Question
I I am going to speak. I am not going to speak. Am I going to speak?
you/we/they You are going to speak. You are not going to speak. Are you going to speak?
he/she/it He is going to speak. He is not going to speak. Is he going to speak?

Contractions

Contractions are a combination of certain pronouns, verbs and the word not. They are mostly used in spoken English and less formal written contexts.

The table below shows the contractions for the future with going to.

Long Form Contraction Example
am (not) …’m (not) I’m (not) (not: I amn’t)
are …’re* you’re
are not …’re not*/… aren’t we’re not/we aren’t
is …’s he’s
is not …’s not/… isn’t she’s not/she isn’t

*To Note

In written English, the contracted form …’re (not) can only be used after pronouns, not after nouns and names.

Example:
They’re going to meet in town.
but not: The women’re going to meet in town.