was going to

USAGE SUMMARY

"was going to" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an intention or to describe something in the past that was intended but did not happen. For example: "I was going to call you yesterday, but I got busy and forgot".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Something was going to happen".

The New York Times - Sports

He was going to hang.

The New Yorker

Nothing was going to stick.

The New Yorker

Lehman was going to crash.

Independent

He was going to puke.

The New Yorker

That was going to happen.

The New Yorker

"It was going to Hawaii.

The New Yorker

I was going to learn".

The New York Times

He was going to Toronto.

The New Yorker

It was going to Tintinland.

The New Yorker

He was going to bomb").

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "was going to" to clearly indicate a past intention that did not materialize. This helps in setting up expectations and then explaining deviations from the plan.

Common error

Avoid using "was going to" when you mean "went to". The former expresses an unfulfilled intention, while the latter indicates a completed action.

Linguistic Context

Was going to functions as a verb phrase indicating a past intention or a future action viewed from a past perspective. Ludwig provides several examples where this phrase sets up an expectation that is either fulfilled or not.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Academia

28%

Science

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was going to" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to express past intentions or plans that may or may not have been fulfilled. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. The phrase is versatile and appears frequently in news, media, and academic contexts. When using "was going to", ensure that the tense is consistent and that it accurately reflects an uncompleted or intended action. Alternatives like "intended to" or "planned to" can provide nuanced variations depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intended to

Focuses more on the intention rather than the action.

planned to

Emphasizes the planning stage of a past action.

had intended to

Adds a sense of completion or finality to the unfulfilled intention.

meant to

Implies a sense of obligation or expectation regarding the past action.

was supposed to

Highlights an expectation or arrangement that was not fulfilled.

was about to

Suggests the action was imminent but did not occur.

had every intention of

Emphasizes the strength of the original intention.

set out to

Highlights the commencement of an attempt that wasn't ultimately successful.

aimed to

Focuses on the goal or objective that was not achieved.

contemplated

Highlights the preliminary thinking and considering a past possibility without making explicit the action that was to follow.

FAQs

How to use "was going to" in a sentence?

"Was going to" indicates a past intention or plan that was not realized. For example, "I was going to call you, but I forgot."

What can I say instead of "was going to"?

You can use alternatives like "intended to", "planned to", or "meant to" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "was going to" or "was going to have"?

"Was going to" is generally sufficient to express a past intention. "Was going to have" is also grammatically correct, but adds emphasis on the anticipation of a completed action. For example, "I was going to have dinner".

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

"Was going to" implies a less formal, more general intention. "Was to" suggests a more formal arrangement or obligation. For example, "He was going to help" vs. "He was to report to the office at 9 AM."