Going to is one of the most natural and frequent ways to talk about the future in English. It is used when a decision or plan was made before the moment of speaking, and when a prediction is based on something the speaker can already see or know. Many learners overuse will and underuse going to, or use them interchangeably without understanding the distinction. As a teacher, being clear about the two specific uses of going to will help you explain it accurately and correct learner errors with confidence.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
In which situation was the future action planned before the moment of speaking? In which situation was it decided right now?
'I'm going to visit my parents' describes a plan or intention that existed before this conversation — the teacher had already decided this before she was asked. 'I'll get some more chalk' is a spontaneous decision made at the moment it was needed. This is the core contrast between going to and will for decisions and plans: going to = already decided before this moment / will = decided right now. If a learner tells you on Monday 'I am going to mark the books tonight', they are talking about a plan they already formed. If they say 'I'll mark the books tonight' in response to a sudden request, they are volunteering in the moment.
In each sentence, what can the speaker already see or know? How does that visible evidence connect to the prediction?
Each prediction is based on something the speaker can already observe in the present: dark clouds, incorrect pen grip, confused faces. The speaker is not just guessing — they are reading the signs. This is the evidence-based prediction use of going to. It is different from will predictions, which are based on what the speaker thinks or believes without a specific current sign. 'It's going to rain' (I can see the clouds) versus 'I think it will rain' (I expect it will, based on general knowledge or feeling). The distinction is: can you point to something right now that tells you this? If yes, going to is the natural choice.
Look at the form of going to in each sentence. What two parts does every going to phrase have before the main verb? How do questions and negatives work?
Every going to phrase needs: (1) the correct form of be (am/is/are) and (2) going to, followed by the base form of the main verb. The verb be changes according to the subject — I am, she is, they are — exactly as it does in present continuous. To make a question, move am/is/are to the front. For negatives, add not after am/is/are: 'He is not going to come' / 'He isn't going to come.' The most common errors involve either dropping be ('She going to come') or using the wrong form of be ('He are going to come'). Both of these errors come from learners forgetting that going to needs the full verb phrase: be + going to + base form.
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Example | Notes |
| Positive (I) | I am going to prepare a new activity. | am + going to + base form |
| Positive (he/she/it) | She is going to attend the training. | is + going to + base form |
| Positive (we/you/they) | They are going to share the textbooks. | are + going to + base form |
| Negative | He isn't going to finish in time. | am/is/are + not + going to + base form |
| Question | Are you going to take the exam? | Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + base form |
| Evidence prediction | Look — the student is going to fall asleep. | Speaker can see the evidence right now |
GOING TO IN FAST SPEECH
In natural spoken English, 'going to' is very often reduced to 'gonna' in informal speech: 'I'm gonna call them later.' Teachers should know this form exists so they can recognise it when they hear it, but they should teach the full form 'going to' in the classroom. 'Gonna' is not appropriate in formal writing and is often not taught at this level.
BE GOING TO WITH 'BE'
When the main verb is also 'be', the structure can sound repetitive but is grammatically correct: 'It is going to be a long meeting.' 'She is going to be late.' The first 'is' is the auxiliary for going to; 'be' is the main verb in its base form. Learners sometimes omit the final 'be' — 'It is going to a long meeting' — which is incorrect. Drawing attention to this pattern prevents a specific and common error.
GOING TO FOR IMMEDIATE EVIDENCE: STRENGTH OF PREDICTION
The evidence-based prediction with going to often carries a strong sense of certainty — the speaker is almost sure because they can see the evidence. 'She's going to drop those books' (I can see it about to happen) is stronger and more immediate than 'I think she'll drop the books' (general expectation). This difference in certainty is worth pointing out to learners who are ready to notice it.
WHEN IS GOING TO THE RIGHT CHOICE? - Was the plan or intention formed before this conversation? → Going to. - Can you point to something you can already see or know that makes this prediction almost certain? → Going to. - Is the speaker deciding this for the first time right now? → Will (not going to). - Is the prediction based on general opinion with no specific present evidence? → Will (not going to). - Is be + going to + base form all present? → Check subject-verb agreement on be (am/is/are).
Choose the correct form — going to or will — and the correct structure to complete each sentence.
Each sentence has one error. Write the correct sentence and explain the mistake.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — MY PLANS (5 minutes): Ask learners to think about something they have already planned to do this week — something decided before today. Give them one minute to think. Ask three or four learners to share. Write their sentences on the board. Ask: 'Did you decide this just now, or before today?' Establish that going to describes plans that already existed before this conversation. Underline am/is/are and going to + base form in each sentence.
STEP 2 — LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE (7 minutes): Describe three classroom scenes with clear present evidence. For example: 'A student is staring out of the window and her pen is on the floor.' Ask learners: 'What is going to happen?' Encourage predictions: 'She isn't going to finish the work.' 'She is going to miss the instructions.' Draw out the pattern: present evidence now → prediction with going to.
STEP 3 — FORM PRACTICE (6 minutes): Write three positive going to sentences on the board. Ask learners to make each one negative, then a question. Focus on the movement of am/is/are. Correct any errors with the form of be or with the verb form after going to immediately. Go quickly enough that learners are producing the forms from memory rather than copying.
STEP 4 — GOING TO OR WILL? (7 minutes): Read out six short situations — three that call for going to (prior plan or visible evidence) and three that call for will (spontaneous decision or opinion-based prediction). After each situation, ask learners to say which form is correct and why. This sets up the contrast that will be explored more fully in a later lesson.
STEP 5 — MY PLANS THIS TERM (5 minutes): Ask each learner to write three sentences about plans they have for their teaching this term — things they have already decided. They must use going to correctly. Share with a partner, who checks the form. Invite two or three learners to share with the class.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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