📅 Lesson 3.1: "Going to" — Plans & Intentions
You can talk about the past and the present. Now let's go further into the future. In A1 you started to use be going to for your plans — in this lesson you'll build on what you started and use it with more confidence. It's the everyday way English speakers talk about their plans, their ideas, and what they think will happen. Ready to make some plans? 🗓️
📚 What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Form be going to + base verb to talk about future plans
- Make negatives (I'm not going to…) and questions (Are you going to…?)
- Use future time expressions like tomorrow, next week, and this weekend
- Talk about plans and make predictions from evidence you can see
⏱️ Estimated Time: 45–55 minutes
🎯 Project: Describe your plans for next weekend (or this year) in 6+ sentences using going to — spoken to a partner or recorded on your phone.
In This Lesson
Opening the Future
In A1 you learned the verb to be — am, is, are. Keep it ready, because be going to uses it. If you can say "I am happy," you can already say "I am going to travel." 🎒
We use going to for the future every day: "I'm going to call you later." "She's going to start a new job." "We're going to have dinner at eight." It's how you share your plans. And when you can share plans, you can invite people, plan your week, and dream out loud. 🌟
🧠 Mindset
Think about what just happened. You can now talk about the past (was/were, -ed), the present (am/is/are, present simple), and — building on what you started in A1 — the future. All three tenses are open to you. Now you can talk about any time. If future forms still feel hard, add the magic word: "I can't talk about my plans easily… yet." 🌱
Going To: The Form
The pattern never changes: subject + am / is / are + going to + base verb. The base verb is the plain dictionary form — go, eat, study, travel — with no ending.
I am going to travel. · She is going to study. · They are going to move.
In real speech, we almost always use the short forms (contractions). Here is the verb for every person:
| Person | Full form | Short form (natural) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am going to | I'm going to | I'm going to cook dinner. |
| you | you are going to | you're going to | You're going to love it. |
| he / she / it | he/she is going to | she's going to | She's going to study tonight. |
| we | we are going to | we're going to | We're going to travel in July. |
| they | they are going to | they're going to | They're going to visit us. |
graph LR
S["Subject"] --> BE["am / is / are"]
BE --> GT["going to"]
GT --> V["base verb"]
⚠️ Watch Out: use the BASE verb
After going to, use the plain base verb — not the -ing form and not another to. Say "going to eat," "going to study," and yes, even "going to go" is correct (the second go is the base verb). ✅ "I'm going to go home." · ❌ "I'm going to going home." · ❌ "I'm going to to go home."
Two Uses: Plans & Predictions
We use going to for two close jobs. Both are about the future. The difference is why you know it.
Use 1 — Plans & intentions (decided before now)
You already made this decision in your head. You have a plan:
"I'm going to visit my family next week." · "We're going to paint the kitchen this weekend." · "He's going to learn to drive."
Use 2 — Predictions from evidence (you can see it coming)
You look at the situation right now. The signs are clear, so you say what will happen:
"Look at those dark clouds — it's going to rain!" · "The bus is full; we're going to be late." · "Careful — you're going to drop that!"
💡 How to tell the two uses apart
Ask yourself: Did I decide this, or do I just see it happening?
- Plan = a decision in your mind. "I'm going to study Spanish." (I chose this.)
- Prediction = evidence in front of you. "She's going to fall!" (I can see it.)
Good news: the grammar is exactly the same for both. You only choose the meaning — the form never changes. 🎉
Negatives & Questions
To make a negative, add not after am/is/are — just like A1.
| Person | Negative (short form) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | I'm not going to | I'm not going to work tomorrow. |
| he / she / it | isn't going to | He isn't going to come. |
| you / we / they | aren't going to | They aren't going to wait. |
To make a question, put am/is/are at the front, then the subject, then going to + base verb.
| Question | Short answer (yes) | Short answer (no) |
|---|---|---|
| Are you going to come? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| Is she going to stay? | Yes, she is. | No, she isn't. |
| Are they going to help? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren't. |
⚠️ Important Note: In a short yes answer, don't contract the verb. Say "Yes, I am." — never "Yes, I'm." The no answer does contract: "No, I'm not."
You can also ask for information with Wh- words:
Future Time Expressions
Plans usually come with a word that tells us when. These words point to the future — when you see or say one, use going to.
- tomorrow
- tonight
- next week
- next month
- next year
- this weekend
- in the summer
- in two days
- soon
💡 next vs in
Use next before a time word for the future: "next Monday," "next summer." Use in to count forward from now: "in two days," "in an hour." We don't say "next two days" or "in Monday." A time expression usually goes at the end of the sentence: "I'm going to call you tonight."
Talking About Plans
Here is a small phrase bank to start conversations. Use these openers together in any way you like:
Now let's hear two friends make weekend plans:
A: What are you going to do this weekend?
B: I'm going to visit my sister in the city. We're going to see a movie on Saturday.
A: Nice! Are you going to stay the night?
B: Yes, I am. I'm not going to drive back so late. What about you?
A: I'm going to relax at home. Look at the forecast, though — it's going to rain all Sunday!
B: Ha! Then it's a good day to stay in. Are you going to cook something special?
A: Maybe. I'm going to try a new soup recipe. 🍲
✅ Register Note
In fast, friendly speech, "going to" often sounds like "gonna" — "I'm gonna call you." That's normal and natural to hear. But when you write, always use the full going to. Keep gonna for casual talk only.
🔊 Hear It & Repeat — Model Sentences
Listen to each model sentence, then say it back. Use the 🎧 Audio control (bottom-right) to pick a UK or US voice and make the speed slower. These sentences use going to to talk about plans and intentions.
- I am going to visit my family this weekend.
- We are going to buy a new car.
- She is going to start a new job.
- Are you going to cook dinner tonight?
- They are not going to travel this summer.
Practice & Project
🏋️ Exercise 1: Build a "going to" sentence
Objective: Make a full future sentence from the prompt. Use the correct short form.
- (I / cook / dinner / tonight)
- (She / study / next week)
- (We / travel / in the summer)
- (They / move / soon)
- (He / start / a new job / tomorrow)
✅ Answer
1. I'm going to cook dinner tonight.
2. She's going to study next week.
3. We're going to travel in the summer.
4. They're going to move soon.
5. He's going to start a new job tomorrow.
🏋️ Exercise 2: Make it negative, then a question
Objective: Change each sentence two ways.
Example: She's going to work tomorrow. → She isn't going to work tomorrow. → Is she going to work tomorrow?
- They're going to help us.
- You're going to call me tonight.
✅ Answer
1. They aren't going to help us. / Are they going to help us?
2. You aren't going to call me tonight. / Are you going to call me tonight?
🏋️ Exercise 3: Plan or evidence-prediction?
Objective: Read each sentence. Is it a plan (a decision made before now) or a prediction from evidence (you can see it coming)?
- "Watch out — that glass is going to fall!"
- "I'm going to learn to play the guitar this year."
- "The sky is gray and windy. It's going to storm."
- "We're going to get married in September."
✅ Answer
1. Prediction (you can see the glass) · 2. Plan (a decision) · 3. Prediction (evidence: gray, windy sky) · 4. Plan (a decision)
🎯 Your Project: My Future Plans
Speak out loud — to a partner, in class, or into your phone's recorder. Describe your plans for next weekend or this year.
- (3 min) Say 6 or more sentences about your plans using going to: what you're going to do, where you're going to go, and who you're going to see. Add a time expression to each (this weekend, tomorrow, in the summer).
- (2 min) Include at least one negative ("I'm not going to…") and one prediction from evidence ("It's going to be busy, so…").
- (2 min) Ask a partner (or imagine one): "What are you going to do this weekend?" and listen to their answer.
- (1 min) If you recorded yourself, listen back. Did you use going to + base verb every time?
✅ Project Completion Checklist
- ☐ I said 6+ sentences about my plans with going to
- ☐ I used the base verb after going to (not -ing, not to-infinitive)
- ☐ I included one negative and one evidence-prediction
- ☐ I added a future time expression to my sentences
- ☐ I asked and answered a "What are you going to do?" question
🎯 Quick Quiz
Question 1: Choose the correct sentence.
Question 2: Complete: "___ you going to come?" — "No, I'm ___."
Tips & Common Mistakes
✅ Do's
- Match the person to be: I'm, you're/we're/they're, he's/she's/it's going to.
- Always put the base verb after going to — go, eat, study, be.
- Use short forms when you speak (I'm going to…) — they sound natural and quick.
- Add a future time expression to make the plan clear (tomorrow, next week, this weekend).
❌ Common Mistakes
⚠️ Watch Out
- "I going to travel." ❌ → "I'm going to travel." ✅ (don't drop the am/is/are).
- "She's going to studying." ❌ → "She's going to study." ✅ (base verb, not -ing).
- "They going to to eat." ❌ → "They're going to eat." ✅ (one to, then the base verb).
- "Is you going to come?" ❌ → "Are you going to come?" ✅ (you takes are).
📓 Learning Journal
Keep your learning journal going. After this lesson, take a few minutes to write down:
- Key concepts you learned
- Things that clicked for you
- Questions or confusion points to revisit
- Ideas you want to try
- Your progress and feelings about talking about the future
✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write three true sentences about your real plans for next week using going to — for example, "On Tuesday I'm going to meet a friend." Then write one prediction from evidence you can see around you right now, like "It's cloudy — it's going to rain."
📝 Lesson Summary
🎓 Key Takeaways
- Form: subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb.
- Two uses: plans/intentions (decided before now) and predictions from evidence.
- Negatives: I'm not / isn't / aren't going to; questions put am/is/are at the front.
- After going to, always use the base verb — never -ing, never a second to.
- Signal the future with time words: tomorrow, next week, this weekend, soon.
🎉 What You've Accomplished
You just opened the future. With going to, you can share your plans, invite people, and even predict what's coming from the signs around you. Add this to your past and present, and you now have the whole timeline — you can talk about your life in all three directions. That's a real A2 milestone. 🎉
❓ Common Questions at This Stage
Is "going to go" really correct? It looks strange.
Yes! The first part going to shows the future. The second go is the base verb (the action). "I'm going to go to the beach" is perfectly correct. Many people make it shorter in speech: "I'm going to the beach," but the full form is fine.
What's the difference between a plan and a prediction?
A plan is a decision you made in your head ("I'm going to study tonight"). A prediction is what you expect because of evidence you can see ("Look at those clouds — it's going to rain"). The grammar is the same. Only the reason is different.
Can I use "going to" for both "I" and "they"?
Yes — you just change the be verb. I am going to, he/she/it is going to, you/we/they are going to. The going to + base verb part stays the same.
🔭 Looking Ahead
You can now talk about plans and predictions from evidence. But what about the future you're not sure about — quick decisions and things that might happen? In Lesson 3.2, we'll meet 'will' and 'might'. These two future words add promises, offers, and possibility to your English.
✅ Before the Next Lesson
- Say six true sentences about your plans for next week using going to.
- Make one prediction from evidence you can see right now.
- Ask someone (or yourself) "What are you going to do this weekend?" and answer in full.
- Write your Learning Journal entry for this lesson.
🌟 Encouragement for the Journey
Talking about the future is one of the most human things we do — we hope, we plan, we imagine. Now you can do all of that in English. Every "I'm going to…" is a small door into your own tomorrow. Keep dreaming out loud. See you in Lesson 3.2! 👋