The “Be Going to” Form
Introduction
7. 4. “Be going to” Or “be going + Infinitive” Form
7. 4. 1. Form
The present continuous of the verb to go + the full infinitive:
· I’m going to buy a bicycle.
· She is not going to be there.
· Is he going to lecture in English?
· Look to cloud, it is going to rain!
7. 4. 2. The Main Uses of “Be Going to”
2. 1. “Be Going to” for Intention
This structure is really a present tense. We use it to talk about future actions and events that have some present reality. If we say that something in the future is going to happen, it is usually already planned or decided. This structure is very often in an informal style.
The “be going to” form often emphasizes the idea of intention, or a decision that has already been made. So it is used to express the subject’s intention to perform a certain future action. This intention is always premeditated and there is usually the idea that some preparation for the action has already been made. Actions expressed by the “be going to” form are therefore usually considered very likely to be performed, though there is not the same idea of definite future arrangement that we get from the present continuous. See the examples below:
· We are going to get a new car soon.
· She has bought some wool; she is going to knit a jumper.
· I’m not going to sit up all night listening to your problems!
2. 2. “Be Going to” for Prediction
“Be going to” form is often used to express the speaker’s feeling of certainty. The time is usually not mentioned, but the action is expected to happen in the near or immediate future. This expectation is on the basis of present evidence in which you say that a future action or event is on the way or starting to happen or we can see it is coming now or there are already physical signs of its happening. It can be used in this way after verbs as “be sure, afraid, believe, think….” See the examples below:
· Look at those clouds! I suppose it is going to rain. It implies presence of physical signs through the clouds that the speaker and listener can see.
· Listen to the wind. I am sure we are going to have a rough crossing. They could near the strong wind.
· The temperature is below 0 degree, it is going to snow.
· Be careful! You are going to spill your coffee.
· How pale that girl is! I am sure / believe / think she is going to faint.
5. “Be going to” and “Will + Infinitive”…………………………….. Differences
Very often we can use the “be going to” form or “will + infinitive” to express intention, but there are differences between them. As a result, there are occasions when only one of them is possible. The main differences are:
§ The “be going to” form always implies a premeditated intention, and often an intention + plan. While “will + infinitive” form implies intention alone at the moment of decision and this intention is usually, though not necessarily, unpremeditated. If, therefore, preparations for the action have already been made, we must use “be going to” instead of “will + infinitive”. If the intention is clearly unpremeditated, we must use “will + infinitive” instead. In this respect, at the moment of making decision, we use “will + infinitive”. Once you have made the decision, talk about it using “be going to”. Compare:
· I have bought some bricks and I am going to build a house. (The action of buying some bricks implies some preparations and henceforth premeditated intention. Consequently, we must use “be going to” form for the subsequent action.
· There is somebody at the hall door and I will go and open it. (This situation does not reveal any preparation except intention and determination exactly at the moment of speaking.)
· I will call Jenny to let her know about the meeting. Sarah, I need Jenny’s number. I am going to call her about the meeting.
· I’ll come and have a drink with you but I must let Harry know. Harry I am going to have a drink with Simon.
§ As already noted, “will + infinitive” in the affirmative is used almost entirely for the first person. Second and third person are therefore normally expressed by “be going to”:
· He is going to resign.
· Are you going to leave without paying?
· I will resign.
§ But in the negative “will not” can be used for all persons. So we can say:
· He is not going to resign.
· He will not resign.
§ The “be going to” form, as already stated, usually refers to the fairly immediate future. “Will + infinitive” can refer either to the immediate or to the more remote future.
7. 6. Present Continuous and Be Going to……………………………... Differences
In many cases, both structures can be used to express the same idea. But there are some differences. Some of the differences are as follows:
§ The “be going to” form is better used when we are not talking about fixed arrangement, but about intentions and decisions. So you must differentiate between a fixed arrangement and intention. In short, a fixed arrangement is used with present continuous while intentions are expressed by “be going to” form. Compare:
· I’m seeing Philip tonight. “it emphasizes an arrangement”
· I’m really going to tell him what I think of him. “Emphasis in on intention”
· Who’s cooking lunch? “Asking what has been arranged”
· Who’s going to cook lunch? “Asking for a decision”
§ Because the present progressive tense is used especially for personal arrangements, it is not generally used to make predictions about events that are outside people’s control.
· It is going to snow before long. (Present progressive is not possible.)
· I can see that things are going to get better soon. (It is out of the speaker’s control.)
§ In many situations when we talk about future plans we can use either the present continuous or the “be going to” form. However, when we use the present continuous, there is more a suggestion than an arrangement has already made and vice versa.
· I’m going to see him. / I’m seeing him.
· I’m going to do it. / I’m doing it.
§ Present progressive is usually used for temporary actions and events, but not usually for permanents states. Compare:
· Our house is getting/is going to get new windows this winter.
· Their new house is going to look over the river. (The present continuous is not possible here instead we use be going to form)
§ As already shown, “be going to” form can be used for the near future with a time expression as an alternative “second choice” to the present continuous therefore the meaning is not the same, i.e. we can say:
· I’m meeting Tom at the station at six. (It implies an arrangement with Tom in the sense that both the speaker and listener share the information about the meeting so they both take procedures for such a meeting.)
· I’m going to meet Tom at the station at six. (It doesn’t imply any arrangement in the sense that Tom may get a surprise! This situation refers only to the intention of the speaker and he does share it with his listener Tom)
§ The “be going to “ form can also be used without a time expression in order to refer to the immediate or near future:
· I’m going to play with a backset ball.
· He is going to lend me his bicycle.
· Sandra is going to have a baby.
§ The “be going to” form can be used with the verb “to be” and also sometimes found with other verbs not normally used in the continuous tenses so it accepts verbs of state:
· I’m going to think about it.
· I’m sure I’m going to like it.
· I think I’m going to believe it.
§ The “be going to” form is not very usual used with the verbs “go and come”. Instead we generally prefer to use the present continuous tense in order to avoid a kind a heavy repetition:
· Instead of I’m going to go we normally say I’m going ……………….....
· Instead of I am going to come we normally say I am coming………...…
Summary
§ The present continuous tense is another form of future through the following situations:
· It is used to express a definite arrangement in the near future with an idea in mind that this arrangement must have some present reality.
· Verbs of movements and positions.
§ While be going to form is used to refer to future either for intention or prediction:
· We use it to talk about future actions and events that have some present reality.
· The “be going to” form is often used to express the speaker’s feeling of certainty.
Exercise 1
Direction: choose the correct word from the list below to complete the following sentences. Use the correct form of the future tense “be going to”. (hang, wear, practice, get, ask, visit, write, clean, study, exchange, quit, take, give, fix)
1. My father sent me a box yesterday. I ………..………it back tomorrow.
2. My house is very dirty. She ……………..……..it next week.
3. Marry is going to a marriage party next week. She …………..her new red dress.
4. John bought a new painting at the art show. He ………………..it over the sofa in his living room.
5. The hockey championship is next month. The boys …………………every night next week.
6. Jack hates his job. He ………..……….next month.
7. We have a history exam in four days. We ……………..for the next few days.
8. It is very cold and rainy outside home. I …………………a nice hot bath as soon as I get back home from this important football match.
9. Marry has a hair appointment for this afternoon. She ………………her hair cut and colored.
10. I had a flat tire on my car yesterday. My husband ………………..it later today.
11. It is our parent anniversary tomorrow. We ……………them a gift certificate to a beautiful new restaurant.
12. Ann got a sweeter from her mother-in-law for her birthday. If it did not fit, so she …………………it for a larger prize.
13. John just got his driver license. He ………………his father to let him borrow the car next weekend.
14. Their grandfather is in hospital. They ………………her next weekend.