Grammar-A1_9-be-going-to

Grammar A1 be going to

Recommended for:

Gold Experience

Focus

High Note

2019

There are many ways to talk about the future in English. Be going to is one of them.

Let’s look at:

• When we use be going to to talk about the future.
• How we make sentences using be going to .
• Common pronunciation when we talk.

When do we use it?

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Function: be going to

Hello! What are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to visit your grandma?

No, I’m not. I’m going to relax this weekend and stay at home.

Me too. I’m not going to do anything – only sleep!

A plan.

It’s an intention.

Look at what the boy says: ‘ I’m going to relax this weekend.’ Is this a prediction or a plan?

The future.

Is the plan organised (e.g. with a date in a diary) or is it an intention?

Look at the conversation. Are the boy and girl talking about the past, present or future?

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Function: be going to

We use be going to to talk about future plans and intentions.

Hello! What are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to visit your grandma?

Here, the girl is asking about future plans.

No, I’m not. I’m going to relax this weekend and stay at home.

This is a future intention. Plans and intentions are not always organised. They don’t have a date and time like future arrangements.

Me too. I’m not going to do anything – only sleep!

How do we make sentences using be going to ?

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Form: be going to

Look at the conversation again. Find an example positive, negative, question and short answer using be going to. The first one is done for you.

Hello! What are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to visit your grandma?

No, I’m not. I’m going to relax this weekend and stay at home.

Me too. I’m not going to do anything – only sleep!

Now use the examples to complete the gaps in the tables with these words. The first is done for you.

verb infinitive

’ m (am)

isn’t (is not)

going to

I’m going to relax this weekend.

positive:

I

He/She/It

going to

We/You/They

’ s (is)

’ re (are)

he/she/it

going to

verb infinitive

question:

(question word)

am

I

is

he/she/it

are

we/you/they

Are you going to visit your grandma?

I’m not going to do anything.

negative:

I

He/She/It

’ m not (am not)

We/You/They

verb infinitive

aren’t (are not)

No, I’m not.

short answer:

Yes/No,

I

am/’m not

is/isn’t

we/you/they

are/aren’t

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience | Focus | High Note

Form: be going to

No, I’m not. I’m going to relax this weekend and stay at home.

Hello! What are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to visit your grandma?

The verb infinitive is the form you find in a dictionary.

Me too. I’m not going to do anything – only sleep!

positive: I’m going to relax this weekend.

I

question: Are you going to visit your grandma?

’ m (am)

He/She/It

(question word)

going to

We/You/They

am

’ s (is)

verb infinitive

’ re (are)

is

I

going to

he/she/it

are

we/you/they

verb infinitive

short answer: No, I’m not.

Yes/No,

negative: I’m not going to do anything.

I

I

He/She/It

am/’m not

he/she/it

’ m not (am not)

We/You/They

is/isn’t

isn’t (is not)

going to

we/you/they

aren’t (are not)

are/aren’t

verb infinitive

Let’s consider pronunciation…

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Think about pronunciation…

Are you going to visit your grandma?

Look at the parts of the conversation again. Listen to your teacher and repeat.

I’m not going to do anything

When we talk quickly, we can pronounce going to as /gɒnə/. Listen again…

I’m going to relax this weekend.

Let’s practise!

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Practice activities

All of these sentences have errors. Correct them.

• Where she is going to study at university?

• Rachel and Martin going to move house next year.

• She isn’t going to comes on holiday.

• Are they going fly here or come by train?

• I’m not going eat any meat next month.

• Tilly going to start looking for a new job soon.

Where is she going to study at university?

Rachel and Martin are going to move house next year.

She isn’t going to come on holiday.

Are they going to fly here or come by train?

I’m not going to eat any meat next month.

Tilly is going to start looking for a new job soon.

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education      Gold Experience | Focus | High Note