decide + be going to

[Ali1002]

Hello there! Would you explain the grammatical structure of the sentences, like my sentences for example, please?

1- I decided I was going to do it.
2- She decided She was going to leave the room.
3- I decide I am going to buy that car.

Definitely, I understand the meaning of them but, I've never seen before that both "be going to" and "decide" can be used in "one" sentence, (like above sentences). Because, I think both of them are the same, am I right?

 

[J&K Tutoring]

They are not the same. Going to means something like intending or likely to do something. We are 'likely' or we 'intend to' because we have made a decision.

1. Sounds natural to me. I decided that I intended to do it. The deciding and the doing (or the not doing, if something unforeseen prevented the doing) are both in the past as we speak. Depending on the time frame of events, we might also say, 'I have decided I will do it'. Here, the deciding is in the (recent) past, but the doing is still to come.

2. This sounds a bit strange. More likely: She decided to leave the room.

3. This is only acceptable as historical past tense, and students should avoid this structure.

 

[teechar]

Would you explain the grammatical structure of the sentences,

Definitely, I understand the meaning of them but, I've never seen before that both "be going to" and "decide" can be used in "one" sentence

Some verbs can be followed by a that-clause. In that structure, "that" can be omitted.
This is a commonly used structure in English, even with "decide" and "be going to".
Take a look at the explanation in the following link.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs-followed-that-clause

Note that the second "she" in sentence #2 should not be capitalized.

 

[teechar]

2. This sounds a bit strange. More likely: She decided to leave the room.

Apart from the capitalization error I pointed out above, I don't have any problem with sentence #2. In fact, I can see how it can have its uses.

3. This is only acceptable as historical past tense,

Not necessarily. It could be about a hypothetical future scenario.

 

[Ali1002]

Some verbs can be followed by a that-clause. In that structure, "that" can be omitted.
This is a commonly used structure in English, even with "decide" and "be going to".
Take a look at the explanation in the following link.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs-followed-that-clause

Note that the second "she" in sentence #2 should not be capitalized.

Thank you very much. I understand it when the tense is present or future. "I decide I will do it". It's natural and makes sense, But, when the verb tense is the past tense, "I decided I was going to do it", I don't understand the meaning of it. "I was going to" means, "I intended". So, "I decided that I intended" is not natural, it doesn't make any sense. Right?

 

[GoesStation]

I understand it when the tense is present or future. "I decide I will do it". It's natural and makes sense, But, when the verb tense is the past tense, "I decided I was going to do it", I don't understand the meaning of it. "I was going to" means, "I intended". So, "I decided that I intended" is not natural, it doesn't make any sense.

I decide I will do it is not natural except in certain literary or rare conversational uses. I decided I was going to do it is a natural sentence which could occur in many contexts.

It means you made a decision at some point in the past; the decision was that at you would do something at a later time which was in the future from your point of view in the past.

You can't always replace "to be going to" with "to intend".

 

[Ali1002]

I decide I will do it is not natural except in certain literary or rare conversational uses. I decided I was going to do it is a natural sentence which could occur in many contexts.

It means you made a decision at some point in the past; the decision was that at you would do something at a later time which was in the future from your point of view in the past.

You can't always replace "to be going to" with "to intend".

I got it. You mentioned a good point. 'Future in the past'