going to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "going to" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate a future intention or plan. Example: "I am going to start exercising regularly next week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Sports

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Going to?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Going to Boston?" "Cincinnati".

The New Yorker

"It's going to continue".

The New York Times

Nobody's going to die.

The New York Times

You're going to college.

The New York Times

I'm going to Jupiter".

The New York Times - Science

"She's going to run.

The New Yorker

"We're going to hustle".

The New York Times - Sports

going to decide today?

The New York Times

I'm going to try.

The New York Times

"We're going to Tampa".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "going to" to express future plans or intentions that are already decided, especially in informal contexts. For example, "I'm going to visit my family next month".

Common error

Avoid using "going to" excessively in formal writing. Opt for more formal alternatives like "will" or "shall" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "going to" functions primarily as a future tense marker, indicating an action or event that is expected to occur. Ludwig AI confirms that it's used to express intentions or plans, often implying a degree of certainty about the future action. The examples show its use in various contexts, from personal plans to predictions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

20%

Sports

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

8%

Science

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "going to" is a very common and grammatically correct way to express future intentions or plans. Ludwig AI highlights its frequent use in news, academia, and sports contexts. While versatile, it's generally considered neutral to informal. For more formal settings, alternatives like "will" or "shall" may be more appropriate. Remember to use "going to" for expressing plans already decided, but avoid overuse in highly formal writing to maintain a professional tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

will

A more formal and direct way to express future tense, often used for predictions or general statements.

planning to

Similar to "intending to" but implies a more concrete plan.

intending to

Indicates a planned action with a slightly more formal tone.

aiming to

Suggests a goal or intention to achieve something in the future.

shall

An older, more formal way to express future tense, primarily used in questions with "I" or "we".

expecting to

Implies an anticipation or belief that something will happen.

about to

Indicates an action that will happen very soon.

scheduled to

Indicates that an event is planned for a specific time.

on the verge of

Indicates that something is very close to happening.

due to

Indicates that something is expected to happen at a particular time.

FAQs

How do you use "going to" in a sentence?

"Going to" is used to express future plans or intentions. For example, "I'm going to the store" or "She's going to study abroad".

What can I say instead of "going to"?

You can use alternatives like "will" for a more formal tone, or "planning to" to emphasize a deliberate plan.

Which is correct, "going to" or "will"?

Both are correct, but "going to" is generally more informal and used for pre-existing plans, while "will" is used for spontaneous decisions or predictions.

What's the difference between "going to" and "about to"?

"Going to" indicates a future intention, while "about to" suggests that something will happen very soon or is imminent.