Tenses
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The future form for existing intentions and evidence you can already see.
Use the going to future for plans and intentions formed before speaking and for predictions based on present evidence.
Updated: July 2026
A2 · Tenses · 10 min
A structured ten-slide lesson for A2 learners. Hear a plan and a prediction, learn the form, then practise it through to the final quiz.
The going to future connects a future event with something that already exists in the present. With a plan, that present element is a decision or intention formed before speaking. *We’re going to hire two people* does not present the idea as a spontaneous choice created inside the sentence; the plan already exists. With a prediction, the connection comes from visible or known evidence. *Look at that queue — it’s going to be long* bases the future view on the queue you can see now. The form therefore answers two related questions: what do you already intend to do, and what does the current situation suggest will happen? In both uses, the sentence gives more than a neutral reference to the future. It identifies a starting point in the present. At this level, keep the two uses distinct but store them under one shared idea: before the sentence, there is already a plan or a sign. Then express the expected action or development with a form of *be*, *going to*, and the main verb in its base form.
The form contains three bricks. First, choose *am, is,* or *are* to match the subject. Use *am* with *I*: *I am going to apply*. Use *is* after *he, she,* and *it*: *She is going to apply*. Use *are* with *you, we,* and *they*: *We are going to apply*. The fixed words *going to* follow, and the main verb comes last in its base form. Contractions are common in statements: *I’m going to, she’s going to, we’re going to*. Each of these contractions keeps its apostrophe. The main verb takes no extra ending: use *We’re going to hire*, not *We’re going to hiring*. The third-person subject does not change that base verb either: *She’s going to apply*, not *applies*. When writing, check the subject, its matching form of *be*, the fixed unit *going to*, and the unchanged base verb in that order. Each brick then has one clear job.
For a plan, look for the decision behind the sentence. *We’re going to hire two people* fits when the people responsible have already formed that intention. *I’m going to apply* fits when the application was already your plan before the conversation. For a prediction, look instead for evidence in the present. *Look at those dark clouds — it’s going to rain* links the clouds to the expected rain. *Look at that queue — it’s going to be long* links the visible line to the expected wait. The word *look* can provide a useful clue, but it is not a required formula. What matters is that the prediction rests on something currently visible or known. In a longer context, the two uses can sit next to each other. *We’re going to hire two people, and it’s going to be a busy year* first names the company’s intention and then draws a prediction from the situation. For each sentence, ask whether a prior decision exists or whether the present already points in a particular direction.
Questions and negatives follow the pattern of *be*. To make a question, move *am, is,* or *are* before the subject: *You are going to apply* becomes *Are you going to apply?* To make a negative, place *not* after the form of *be*: *She isn’t going to apply* or *We aren’t going to hire this month*. German-speaking learners often drop the future form because German can use a present form with a time phrase: *Ich mache das morgen.* A direct transfer such as *I meet him tomorrow* is not the target for the intended reading; English uses the present continuous or going to in that situation. The second trap can sound like unnecessary repetition: *I’m going to go*. The sentence is nevertheless grammatical. The first *going to* carries the future meaning, while the second verb *go* names the planned action. The same pattern appears in *We’re going to go to Leeds*. There is no need to replace the main verb merely because it looks identical to part of the future construction.
Future plans can appear with either going to or the present continuous. *I’m going to apply* highlights an existing intention. *I’m meeting the manager on Friday* presents the plan as a concrete arrangement. Both forms look from the present towards the future, but their emphasis differs. For this lesson, use a practical guide: when you want to express what somebody already intends or plans to do, going to is a clear choice. When an appointment involving a person or fixed time is already arranged, the present continuous can fit. The German sentence *Ich mache das morgen* does not reveal this perspective because the simple present form can carry both ideas in German. In English, choose which part of the plan you want to foreground. Compare *We’re going to launch the product* with *We’re launching next month*. The first highlights the intention; the second presents the arranged schedule. This distinction is a tendency rather than a rigid wall, but it gives you a reliable starting point.
At work, going to is useful for decisions, intentions, and forecasts grounded in the current situation. After a staffing plan has been approved, you can say *We’re going to hire two people.* Before an application, ask *Are you going to apply?* A negative decision becomes *She isn’t going to apply.* Predictions need present evidence. If the project list is visibly growing, *It’s going to be a busy month* fits. If current figures point downward, you can describe that visible direction with *Sales are going to fall.* A short status report can combine a plan and a prediction: *We’re going to train the new team in September. Look at the project list — it’s going to be a full programme.* Keep the complete form in view each time. Use *are* after *we*, *is* after *it*, and the base verb after *going to*. That makes it clear who holds the plan and which present sign supports the forecast.
Going to often highlights an intention or prior plan: "I’m going to apply." The present continuous can show a concrete arrangement: "I’m meeting the manager on Friday." This is a useful tendency, not a rigid boundary.
Going to needs a matching form of be before it. With I, the sentence is "I am going to apply" or the contraction "I’m going to apply." The contraction keeps its apostrophe.
Yes. The first going to is the future construction and marks the plan; the second verb, go, names the action. "We’re going to go to Leeds" is therefore correct despite the repetition.
Gonna is a widespread spoken reduction in American English and is understood in British English. Normal writing and exams require the full form going to. Use the full form in your own written sentences.
*present-continuous* (A2) is the direct prerequisite because both structures use *be* and a form containing *going*. Next, compare *will-future* (A2) with this lesson and revisit *present-simple* (A2) for present forms with future reference.
The future meaning grew from literal movement, as in "I am going [to town] to buy." The movement later lost its concrete meaning. That is why "I’m going to stay" works today: the form marks future time even though staying involves no movement.
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