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Be going to vs present continuous
Form - be going to
Be going to is followed by a bare infinitive verb - a verb with no 'to'. Don't forget to change the 'be' verb to the correct form to agree with the subject pronoun!
- I am going to eat something.
- She's going to be very angry.
- They're going to be late, I think.
Form - present continuous
The present continuous tense is formed using the auxiliary verb be + (verb)ing. Be careful of state verbs, such as know and need, which are only rarely used in the continuous form.
- I'm working! What do you want?
- He's playing football later.
- We're having a party. Would you like to come?
Future plans - be going to
Be going to is often used with future plans which will probably take place, but have not been formalised. This means that the exact details, such as what time and where, have not been agreed on.
- I'm going to meet my friends this weekend.
- He's going to fix his car later today.
- We're probably going to take the train to get there.
Future plans - present continuous
The present continuous is often used with future plans which are almost definite. The details have been decided on and everyone involved knows where they need to be and when.
- I'm meeting my friends this weekend.
- We're going to the cinema tonight.
- She's having dinner with the president of the club tomorrow evening.
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To do
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