2/5/23, 20:52 The Future with "going to"

Intermediate
The Future with "going to"
3509S

Objectives
Text Comprehension: Understand a text using "going
to"
Learn the ways to use "going to" to express the future
tense.
Be able to use "going to" without hesitation.

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Dialogue
TASK: Read the following dialogue. Pay
attention to the way that the phrase "be going
to" is used.

Lauren, won't it be your parents' 50th wedding

Annie:
anniversary this year?

Lauren: Yes, it will be!

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Annie: Are you going to have a big party?

I'm going to have a big celebration. I'm going to let

Lauren: them know how proud I am that they have been
married that long.

Annie: Who are you going to invite?

I'm going to send invitations to all their close

friends, and of course, our relatives. I know
Lauren: everyone will be excited and want to attend. Will
you give me some assistance in the planning and
preparation?

Of course, I will. I know your parents are going to

Annie: be so happy. Are you going to tell them, or is it
going to be a surprise?

Lauren: I hope it will be a surprise.

Annie: It's going to be wonderful. I know it is.

Illustration
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2/5/23, 20:52 The Future with "going to"

Formation

Subject + be (in the proper form for the subject) + going to +

any other verb formation

I am going to pick up the office supplies.

He/she/it is going to pick up the office supplies.
We/they are going to pick up the office supplies.

The negative is formed with "not" or the contraction "n't".

i.e. I am not going to pick up the office supplies.

He isn't going to pick up the office supplies.
They aren't going to pick up the office supplies.

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2/5/23, 20:52 The Future with "going to"

To be going to
When we know something is certain to happen in the future,
or when something has been planned, we use the form
"going to".

While "will" and "going to" are sometimes interchangeable,

"going to" is one of the most commonly used in modern
English. There can be a nuance of difference in meaning.

"I will pick up the office supplies." (Indicates a decision

or volunteering to do something.)
"I am going to pick up the office supplies." (Indicates
the arrangements have already been made.)

Remember! Inflection and emphasis can be very

important when using "going to". Emphasis or tone
can indicate a complete determination to accomplish
the task at hand or to complete the plan. Tone
strengthens the meaning.

Practice 1
TASK: Look at the graphs below. Use the words
given to say what you think is going to happen
based on the information available.

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Example: Yoshiba's market share/grow

I think Yoshiba's market share is going to grow this
year.

1. Jobs / easy / find

2. Life / more difficult
3. Employees / longer hours
4. Unemployment / rise
5. New technology / create more jobs
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2/5/23, 20:52 The Future with "going to"

6. Profits / decrease
7. Democrats / win the next election
8. Industry growth / slow down
9. Social security charges / higher
10. Other?

Practice 2
TASK: Listen to your teacher read about a
plastics manufacturer who is going to tour
Europe. As your teacher reads, take notes.
When he/she is finished, answer the questions
your teacher asks you, using “going to” to
describe the trip and what is going to be
accomplished.

Practice 3
Task: Look at the plans below. Your company
has a modernization program. The buildings are
numbered in the order of construction. Those
buildings that are not numbered are not going
to be modernized.

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Using "going to", answer the following questions:

1. What's the first stage of construction?

2. What's after that?
3. What's the next stage?
4. What about Plant B?
5. What about improvements or extensions to the old
warehouse?

Transfer
TASK: You and a colleague are discussing the
plans to move your present office to a new,
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modernized office complex not far from your

present location. Using "going to," talk about
the plans for moving. Remember to think about:

When they are going to take place

How they are going to be carried out
What the offices are going to look like
What amenities they plan to have in their particular
office space

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