Model verb and future tense

[Tigerboy]

Hi,

I'm very confuse "I'm going to" which is a modal or a future tense?

How can I clarify between them?


Thanks
Tigerboy

[Tdol]

It's neither. It's really a present progressive which is being used to talk about future time.

http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/modal.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/tense.html

[smelvanzq]

and you could say i'm going to for things that you had planned lately..

[Tdol]

Or simply intend or want to do.