were going to go

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were going to go" is not correct in written English; it should be "we're going to go." You can use it when expressing a future intention or plan involving a group that includes the speaker.
Example: "We’re going to go to the concert this weekend if we can get tickets."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I was sure they were going to go a pace.

The Guardian - Sport

"If we were going to go into Iraq," he said.

The New York Times

You were going to go camping with the children.

The Guardian - Film

We were going to go out and celebrate".

The New York Times

"If we were going to go out, we were going to go out swinging hard," guard Jeff Cowans said.

The New York Times - Sports

I needed to establish what way the owners were going to go and how we were going to go about it.

Independent

"Our mind-set was that if we were going to go down, we were going to go down swinging," said Mike Richards, the Flyers' captain.

The New York Times - Sports

"We had so much we were going to go see today.

The New York Times

"Everyone had run off for themselves with no coordination for where they were going to go".

The New York Times

After they beat us, you would think that they were going to go undefeated".

The New York Times - Sports

"We were declaring," she added, "we were going to go our separate ways".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always double-check that the correct form of "to be" is used (am, is, are, was, were) to match the subject of the sentence.

Common error

The most frequent mistake is using "were" (past tense of "to be") instead of "we're" (contraction of "we are"). Always proofread to ensure you've used the correct word.

Linguistic Context

The primary function of the phrase "were going to go" is to express a past intention or planned action. However, Ludwig AI indicates that when referring to "we", the correct form should be "we're going to go". The examples show it used in news and media to report on past plans.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Wiki

1%

Less common in

Science

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "were going to go" is commonly used to express past intentions, especially in news and media. However, Ludwig AI points out a critical distinction: when referring to "we", the grammatically correct form is "we're going to go". The frequent usage underscores the need to be mindful of subject-verb agreement and the specific context to ensure accuracy. When "they" or another plural noun is the subject, "they were going to go" is correct.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were planning to go

Highlights the planning aspect of the action.

were intending to go

More formal, stresses the intention behind the action.

were about to go

Emphasizes the imminence of the action.

were set to go

Similar to "scheduled", but slightly less formal.

had planned to go

Shifts the focus to a plan that existed in the past.

were scheduled to go

Implies a formal arrangement or timetable.

were due to go

Indicates an obligation or expectation.

were on the verge of going

Emphasizes being close to starting the action.

were prepared to go

Highlights the readiness to undertake the action.

were programmed to go

Implies action as part of a process.

FAQs

What is the correct way to write "were going to go"?

The correct way depends on the intended meaning. If you mean "we are going to go", the correct form is "we're going to go". If referring to a past intention by others, "they were going to go" is correct.

Is "were going to go" grammatically correct?

The phrase itself isn't inherently wrong, but its correctness depends on the context. If referring to "we", the correct form is the contraction "we're going to go". Otherwise, "they were going to go" is valid.

How can I avoid confusion between "were" and "we're"?

Always consider the subject and the intended meaning. "Were" is the past tense of "to be", while "we're" is the contraction of "we are". If you can substitute "we are", use "we're".

What are some alternatives to "were going to go"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "were planning to go", "were intending to go", or "had planned to go".