Going To Usage and Illustrative Examples

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Another way of expressing a future action is the construction "to be going to + infinitive". It is mainly found with dynamic verbs; it is characterized by the following additional modal meanings:

a) premeditated intention (see the illustrative example below):

1. Father and son are watching the stars.

Father: I wonder if they’re what we think they are? Stars! Stars like this! People think we know about them. I wonder if we do. I wonder if we can. I wonder if we they are what we think they are.
Son: Let’s find out. I’m going to find out.
Father: Well.
Son: I’m going to find out all about them.
Father: Perhaps you will. A lot of people have tried, you know. Sir Isaac Newton – and Sir Robert Ball – and Sir William Herschell -- …

(G. P. Snow. The Search)

To Be Going to + Infinitive

Contents → To Be Going to + Infinitive

To Be Going To + Infinitive form for a future action 

I am He is She is It is We are You are They are

going to do something.

We often use the present form am/are/is/ going to + infinitive to talk about the future.

• What are you going to do on Sunday? 
• It is going to snow. 

Meanings:

Using Future Indefinite Tense through Dialogues

• Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Using Future Indefinite

This page shows different ways of using the Future Indefinite Tense (or Simple Future) through dialogues from English literature.
The Future Indefinite expresses an action that will take place in the future. It may be a single point action, an action occupying a whole period of time, a succession of actions, recurrent actions in the future or a permanent future action generally characterizing the person or thing denoted by the subject. The Future Indefinite may be associated with adverbs and adverbial expressions of time or time clauses.

Illustrative Examples:

1. Catherine and Frederic are in Switzerland. There was a snow storm the day before.

Catherine: I wish I could ski. It’s rotten not to be able to ski.
Frederic: We’ll get a bobsled and come down the road. That’s no worse for you than riding a car.
Catherine: Won’t it be rough?
Frederic: We can see.
Catherine: I hope it won’t be too rough.
Frederic: After a while we’ll take a walk in the storm.
Catherine: Before lunch, so we’ll have a good appetite.
Frederic: I’m always hungry.
Catherine: So am I.

(E. Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms)