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Today we are going to talk about using “going to” to talk about the future. In episode #13 we practiced using "will" + the base verb ( the verb without any endings: eat, work, run) to  talk about the future.  A review:

•       Mary will help me with my homework tomorrow. Offer/promise
•       I will (I’ll) answer the door.  Quick decision       
•       I will (I’ll) have a hamburger with fries, please. Quick decision
•       The sun will rise at 7 am tomorrow. Fact         
•       Will you be in class next week?  

 To make  a ” will sentence” negative we add not after the “will”:  They will not come to your birthday party.To  make a question, put "will" before the subject in the sentence: Will you be home  in the morning?  The  contraction of “will not” is "won’t":  Will I see you this evening?  No, you won’t see me this evening. No, you won’t. 

Can we always use "will" to talk about the future?
     Yes! You can! … and people will understand you!...But  there are other 3 other ways to talk about the future in English.

We are  are going to practice a one of those ways today: “be verb" (am/is/are -present)  + going to” +base verb. This way of talking about the future is very common, especially in spoken English.

          We usually use “be going to” talk about general plans for the future – plans we have made before (we’re not making the plans right now).

•   I am going to work tomorrow. My mom is going to visit next month.
•   We are going to take a walk this afternoon. They are going to get married in June.

Notice the pattern in those sentences?

•     Subject  (I ) + “to be” verb  (am + “going to + main (base) verb (work) tomorrow.
•     My mom + is + going to + visit next month.

Let’s practice!                                             

•  I am going to clean my kitchen on Saturday.      
•  We/they+ are + going to +  clean the kitchen on Saturday.
•  You + are + going to + clean the kitchen on Saturday.
•  He+ is + going to + clean the kitchen on Saturday.

Notice! Only the subject and the “be verb “ change

 To change that sentence to a negative, Add a “not” after the “be verb”.

•   I am (I’m) not going to clean the kitchen on Saturday.
•   You are (you’re) not going to clean the kitchen on Saturday. 
•    She is (she’s) not going to clean the kitchen on Saturday.

Questions? Put the “be verb” (am, is, are) before the subject.

•   Am I going to clean the kitchen on Saturday?
•   Are you going to clean the kitchen on Saturday?
•   Is she going to clean the kitchen on Saturday?

People use both "will" and "going to" to talk a bout weather predictions.

  Listen to our conversation as we use “be going to” to talk about future plans.

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