A1 English Grammar: Talking About the Future with ‘Be Going To’

Raúl Maguiña

Fundador de Langcom | Examinador de Cambridge y del SIELE

julio 19, 2026

A1✏️ Gramática⏱️ 4 minutos de lectura
Utilizamos be going to to talk about future plans and predictions. This grammar structure helps you express what you intend to do or what you think will happen very soon. It’s for things you have already decided or for things you see happening based on present evidence. For example, if you say I am going to visit my family next month, you are sharing a plan you made. If you look at dark clouds and say It is going to rain, you are making a prediction based on what you see now. Remember to use the correct form of the verb to be (am, is, are) before going to and then the base form of the main verb. It is a very common and useful way to talk about the future in English.

What Does ‘Be Going To’ Mean?

Be going to is a way to talk about the future. It helps us express plans or things we are sure will happen.

  • It is for plans you have already made.
  • It is also for predictions based on what you see or know now.

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How Do We Form ‘Be Going To’?

The structure for be going to is simple:

  • Subject + verb ‘to be’ (am/is/are) + going to + base form of the main verb

The verb to be changes depending on the subject:

  • I + am going to + verb
  • You/We/They + are going to + verb
  • He/She/It + is going to + verb

When Do We Use ‘Be Going To’?

There are two main situations when we use be going to:

1. For Future Plans and Intentions

Uso be going to when you talk about something you have already decided to do in the future.

  • I am going to study English tonight. (This is my plan.)
  • They are going to buy a new car next month. (They have decided this.)

2. For Predictions Based on Present Evidence

Uso be going to when you see something now that tells you what will happen in the future.

  • Look at those dark clouds! It is going to rain. (You see the clouds, so you predict rain.)
  • Oh no, the baby is crying. She is going to wake up her brother. (You hear the crying, so you predict the brother will wake up.)

Common Time Expressions with ‘Be Going To’

You can use be going to with many time expressions to show when the action will happen:

  • tomorrow
  • next week/month/year
  • soon
  • later
  • this evening/weekend
Forming 'Be Going To' (Positive Sentences)
Subject Verb 'to be' Going to Base Verb Example
I am going to eat I am going to eat.
You are going to study You are going to study.
He/She/It is going to sleep He is going to sleep.
We are going to watch We are going to watch.
They are going to travel They are going to travel.

Ejemplos

  • I am going to eat pizza for dinner.
  • She is going to travel to London next year.
  • We are going to watch a movie tonight.
  • He is going to learn to play the guitar.
  • They are going to visit their grandparents this weekend.

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Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes

Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:

  • Forgetting ‘be’: In Spanish, you might just say ‘voy a estudiar’. But in English, you need the verb to be.
    • Incorrecto: I going to study.
    • Correcto: I am going to study.
  • Conjugating the main verb: The verb after going to must always be in its base form (infinitive without ‘to’).
    • Incorrecto: She is going to goes to the park.
    • Correcto: She is going to go to the park.
  • Confusing ‘going to’ with physical movement: Remember going to is a future marker, not always about moving to a place.
    • I am going to eat. (Not moving to eat, just planning to eat.)

Preguntas más frecuentes

What is the main use of ‘be going to’?

The main use of be going to is to talk about plans you have already made or predictions based on what you see now.

How do I make a sentence with ‘be going to’?

You make a sentence with be going to by using Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb. Por ejemplo, I am going to read.

Can I use ‘going to’ for things that are happening right now?

No, be going to is only for future actions or predictions. For actions happening now, we use the present continuous, like I am reading.

Sobre el autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña es el director de la Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizado de preparación para el examen Cambridge English en EE.UU.. Con más de una década de experiencia en la enseñanza de idiomas y la certificación internacional, ha ayudado a miles de estudiantes, profesores e instituciones educativas de 25 países a conseguir las certificaciones de inglés de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL y Michigan.

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