Simple future, or the future tense with going to, is a tense in English grammar used to express an intention or plan that has already been decided or a logical prediction for the future.
Construction and Conjugation
Rule 1: You can form the future tense with going to with be + going to + infinitive.
Example
Explanation
I am going to meet my friend at a coffee shop.
am is a form of the verb be, followed by going to and the infinitive form of the verb meet.
Rule 2: To conjugate the English future tense with going to, you should follow the rule be + going to + infinitive and adjust it to the person. Here is a table illustrating positive, negative, and interrogative conjugations for the simple future with going to:
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am going to sing. | I am not going to sing. | Am I going to sing? |
| you/we/they | You are going to sing. | We are not going to sing. | Are they going to sing? |
| he/she/it | He is going to sing. | She is not going to sing. | Is it going to sing? |
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am going to sing. | I am not going to sing. | Am I going to sing? |
| you/we/they | You are going to sing. | We are not going to sing. | Are they going to sing? |
| he/she/it | He is going to sing. | She is not going to sing. | Is it going to sing? |
Usage
Rule 3: You can use the future tense with going to when you have already decided on plans and intentions for the future.
Example
Explanation
I am going to visit a museum next Friday.
You can use the simple future tense when you are 100% sure about your decision - for example, you have already bought the tickets.
Rule 4: You can use the future tense with going to for future predictions that are based on present evidence.
Example
Explanation
Storm clouds are gathering, it is going to rain. You are going to take your umbrella when leaving home.
Based on the storm clouds in the sky, it is possible to predict that it will rain in nearest future. As such, you will need an umbrella when leaving home.
Contractions
Depending on the context, you may use contractions - short forms - for the future tense with going to.
Rule 5: Contractions are frequently used in spoken and informal written English where going to is contracted to gonna. Never use contractions in formal written English.
Example
Explanation
I'm gonna meet my friend at a coffee shop.
I'm is short for I am, and gonna is a contraction of going to.
Here are the contractions in the future with going to:
| Long form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| am / am not | 'm / 'm not | I'm / I'm not |
| are / are not | 're / 're not (aren't) | you're / you're not (you aren't) |
| is / is not | 's / 's not (isn't) | she's / she's not (she isn't) |
| Long form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| am / am not | 'm / 'm not | I'm / I'm not |
| are / are not | 're / 're not (aren't) | you're / you're not (you aren't) |
| is / is not | 's / 's not (isn't) | she's / she's not (she isn't) |
Quiz
1/4
Construct the POSITIVE sentence in future simple with going to. He (sell) the house.
0
correct answers.