Saturday, 21 February 2015

To Be Going to + Infinitive

Contents → To Be Going to + Infinitive

To Be Going To + Infinitive form for a future action 

I am
He is
She is
It is
We are
You are
They are



going to do something.

We often use the present form am/are/is/ going to + infinitive to talk about the future.
  • What are you going to do on Sunday? 
  • It is going to snow

Meanings:


Generally speaking, the "going to +infinitive" construction often used to talk about future events that have already been
decided 1)
or predicted 2).


1)
It expresses an intention or plan:
  • I’m going to work this evening. 
  • Who is going to look after the baby tomorrow?
  • We’re going to (go to) France next summer. 
  • She is going to have a baby. 
It may have additional meanings of strong resolution or determination:
  • I’m going to keep asking her out until she says yes. 
  • You are going to regret it. 
  • He’s going to suffer for this! 

2) 
We use this construction when we predict:
  • I think it’s going to rain this evening. 
  • Do you think the car is going to start
Sometimes we use "going to" when we say that something is going to happen because we can see it coming (we have "present evidence for the future").
  • Look at those clouds – it’s going to rain
  • The flowers are going to wither

With some verbs the meaning is that of apprehension  or presentiment:
  • My God - we’re going to crash!
  • He’s going to be hanged