'be going to' and '-ing'
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symaa
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"When are you going to move?"
"When are you moving?"
the difference between the two sentences is very slight
1 -more emphasis on the intention, the speaker had the intention to move before the time of speaking
2-generally ,it expresses personal arrangement,it is quite informal
"It's going to rain soon"
we use to be going to here to make a prediction based on present evidence
like : the sky is very black
we use it to predict future,especially when we can see soemthing that is about to happen
"It's raining soon"
Perhaps we are not sur,this form is not stronger than the first
I am a non native speaker student, so,I could make some mistakes but I hope that you find it usful,
you can support your comprehension with these books:
Longman English grammar practice
for intermediate studentsby L.G.Alexander
Grammar practice by Elaine walker, Steve Elsworth
They are very useful and very helpful
Best wishes
"When are you moving?"
the difference between the two sentences is very slight
1 -more emphasis on the intention, the speaker had the intention to move before the time of speaking
2-generally ,it expresses personal arrangement,it is quite informal
"It's going to rain soon"
we use to be going to here to make a prediction based on present evidence
like : the sky is very black
we use it to predict future,especially when we can see soemthing that is about to happen
"It's raining soon"
Perhaps we are not sur,this form is not stronger than the first
I am a non native speaker student, so,I could make some mistakes but I hope that you find it usful,
you can support your comprehension with these books:
Longman English grammar practice
for intermediate studentsby L.G.Alexander
Grammar practice by Elaine walker, Steve Elsworth
They are very useful and very helpful
Best wishes
Last edited:
curates-egg
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Symaa's answers are partly right, but "It's raining soon"is a very unlikely sentence.
The present continuous is normally used when the speaker is aware that some sort of arrangement for a future situation has been made; "going to" is used when there is present evidence of the future situation.
When the subject of the verb is capable of conscious thought, there is often little practical difference:
Richard is seeing Mary tomorrow.
Richard is going to see Mary tomorrow.
In the first of these, Richard has arranged to meet Mary; in the second, the present evidence of the future meeting is the arrangement.
When the subject of the verb is not capable of conscious thought, then there can be evidence of the future situation, but not really an arrangement:
It's going to rain soon. I can see the clouds in the sky.
[STRIKE]It's raining soon[/STRIKE]. We cannot arrange for rain.
The present continuous is normally used when the speaker is aware that some sort of arrangement for a future situation has been made; "going to" is used when there is present evidence of the future situation.
When the subject of the verb is capable of conscious thought, there is often little practical difference:
Richard is seeing Mary tomorrow.
Richard is going to see Mary tomorrow.
In the first of these, Richard has arranged to meet Mary; in the second, the present evidence of the future meeting is the arrangement.
When the subject of the verb is not capable of conscious thought, then there can be evidence of the future situation, but not really an arrangement:
It's going to rain soon. I can see the clouds in the sky.
[STRIKE]It's raining soon[/STRIKE]. We cannot arrange for rain.
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