Day 3 Activity: Going To for Plans and Predictions
IELTS with Mujahid | Beginner level | Works on phone, tablet and laptop
Why this matters. Going to is one of the most useful future forms in English, and it has two main jobs. First, it talks about plans and intentions that you decided before you speak, such as “I am going to study medicine”. Second, it makes predictions when you can see evidence now, such as “Look at those clouds, it is going to rain”. In the last lesson you compared going to with will, and now you practise going to in more depth. You also learned that the present continuous can show arranged plans, so you now have two ways to talk about plans. Subject-verb agreement is important here, because we say I am, he is and they are before going to. The conjunction because helps you give reasons for your plans, which makes your Speaking answers longer and stronger. In Speaking Part 1 and Part 2, examiners often ask about your future plans, so this lesson gives you ready-made sentence patterns. Learn the structure and the evidence idea below, and your answers about the future will sound clear and natural.
Self-learning step: Open Google and search “going to for plans and predictions examples”. Read one page for five minutes, then come back and try the activities.
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am going to study | I am not going to study | Am I going to study? |
| he / she / it | She is going to study | She is not going to study | Is she going to study? |
| we / you / they | They are going to study | They are not going to study | Are they going to study? |
You decided before speaking.
I am going to join an English course in June.
You can see the reason now.
He is driving too fast. He is going to crash.
tomorrow, tonight, next week, this summer, soon, in 2030
Look! dark clouds, too fast, playing badly, looks pale
Activity 1: Plan or evidence?
Tap Plan if it was decided before, or Prediction from evidence if you can see the reason now.
Activity 2: Am, is or are?
Choose the correct form of be before going to.
Activity 3: Complete with the base verb
After going to, always use the base form of the verb.
Activity 4: Spot the correct sentence
Two sentences, one is correct. These are real learner mistakes.
Activity 5: Evidence detective
Tap the words that give the evidence for each prediction. Then press Check to see why.
Activity 6: Going to in Speaking and Writing
Choose the best answer for IELTS style sentences.
Activity 7: Write it yourself
Use the lines below. Write in your own words, then tick the checklist.
Excellent work. You can now talk about plans and predictions with confidence. Keep practicing at www.goatguruenglish.com
IELTS with Mujahid | www.goatguruenglish.com