Going to: plans — Foreign languages, 7–10
Learn how to talk about a future plan that you have already decided. Foreign languages, 7–10 years.
A plan for later
Use am, is or are + going to + a verb when you have a plan for the future. “I am going to draw,” “Leo is going to swim” and “We are going to visit Grandma” all point forward. The plan can be today, tomorrow or next month.
Why do we need it?
People often need to separate a plan from a habit or a finished action. “I play tennis” sounds regular, while “I am going to play tennis” tells a listener about an intended future event. This pattern grew from the idea of moving towards an action.
Make a future plan
Choose the subject: “We.” Choose the correct form of be: “are.” Add going to and the verb: “We are going to bake.” Add the time and object: “We are going to bake a cake on Saturday.” For a question, move are first: “Are we going to bake a cake?”
Forgetting be
It is tempting to say “I going to play,” because going to seems to carry the future meaning by itself. But this pattern needs a bridge: am, is or are. Say “I am going to play,” “She is going to play” and “They are going to play.”
Talk about arrangements
Use going to when you tell someone what you intend to do: “I’m going to pack my bag after dinner.” You might use it in a message about a weekend, a team plan or a visit. It is useful because the other person can prepare too.
Keep exploring
Other languages
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