Lesson 16: Future Plans

Going to · Prepositions of Time · Prepositions of Location
← Menu

Lesson Vocabulary

Individual words for this lesson. Click 🔊 to listen.
Planning Verbs
plan/plæn/планирам
decide/dɪˈsaɪd/решавам
arrange/əˈreɪndʒ/уреждам
intend/ɪnˈtend/възнамерявам
hope/hoʊp/надявам се
cancel/ˈkænsl/отменям
invite/ɪnˈvaɪt/каня
quit/kwɪt/напускам
apply/əˈplaɪ/кандидатствам
save/seɪv/спестявам
retire/rɪˈtaɪər/пенсионирам се
move/muːv/местя се
Events & Occasions
party/ˈpɑːrti/парти
meeting/ˈmiːtɪŋ/среща
appointment/əˈpɔɪntmənt/уговорена среща / час
wedding/ˈwedɪŋ/сватба
interview/ˈɪntəvjuː/интервю
exam/ɪɡˈzæm/изпит
trip/trɪp/пътуване
holiday/ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/почивка / празник
Time Words
tomorrow/təˈmɒrəʊ/утре
tonight/təˈnaɪt/довечера
soon/suːn/скоро
morning/ˈmɔːnɪŋ/сутрин
afternoon/ˌɑːftəˈnuːn/следобед
evening/ˈiːvnɪŋ/вечер
weekend/ˈwiːkend/уикенд
midnight/ˈmɪdnaɪt/полунощ
Places
office/ˈɒfɪs/офис
hospital/ˈhɒspɪtl/болница
station/ˈsteɪʃn/гара
church/tʃɜːtʃ/църква
gym/dʒɪm/фитнес
corner/ˈkɔːnər/ъгъл
floor/flɔːr/етаж / под
ceiling/ˈsiːlɪŋ/таван

Grammar Lab

A · Going To

Future Intentions — "Going To"

🎯 When do we use "going to"?

Use going to when you have already decided to do something before the moment of speaking. The plan or intention exists in your mind.

  • "I am going to quit my job." — you decided this earlier, not right now
  • "She is going to apply for a new position." — a personal intention
  • "Look at those clouds — it is going to rain." — evidence in the present tells us about the future

❌ Do NOT use "going to" for a sudden decision made at the moment of speaking. (That uses will — a future lesson.)

Structure

FormStructureExample
✅ PositiveSubject + am / is / are + going to + base verbI am going to study.
❌ NegativeSubject + am / is / are + not + going to + base verbShe is not going to come.
❓ QuestionAm / Is / Are + subject + going to + base verb?Are you going to stay?
✅✅ Short Answer (+)Yes, + subject + am / is / are.Yes, I am. / Yes, she is.
❌❌ Short Answer (−)No, + subject + isn't / aren't / am not.No, I am not. / No, they aren't.

Full Conjugation

Positive (+)
I am going to leave.
You are going to leave.
He / She / It is going to leave.
We are going to leave.
They are going to leave.
Negative (−)
I am not going to leave.
You aren't going to leave.
He / She / It isn't going to leave.
We aren't going to leave.
They aren't going to leave.

⚠️ Common Mistakes — Read Carefully!

  • ✘ "I going to eat."  →  ✔ "I am going to eat."  (never forget am / is / are)
  • ✘ "She is going to goes."  →  ✔ "She is going to go."  (always use the base verb — no -s, no -ing)
  • ✘ "Are you going to to eat?"  →  ✔ "Are you going to eat?"  (only one "to")
  • In speech: "going to" often sounds like "gonna" /ˈɡɒnə/ — acceptable in spoken English, never in formal writing.
  • "going to go" is often shortened to just "going" when the destination is clear: "I'm going to the shops." (NOT "I'm going to go to the shops.")
Exercise A  Easy  — Choose the correct verb: am / is / are
1. She ___ going to start a new job.
2. I ___ going to save money this year.
3. They ___ going to cancel the meeting.
4. He ___ going to apply for the job.
5. We ___ going to invite her to the party.
Exercise B  Hard  — Fill in ONE missing word
1. He ___ going to quit next month.
2. ___ you going to attend the wedding?
3. We are ___ to move house soon.
4. I am going ___ save some money.
5. She ___ not going to come tonight.
B · Prepositions of Time

IN / ON / AT — For Time

🎯 The Core Rule — Think BIG to SMALL

Imagine zooming in on a calendar or clock:

IN = large periods (months, years, seasons, parts of the day)
ON = specific days and dates
AT = exact times and fixed points

IN

  • Months in January, in October
  • Years in 2024, in 1990
  • Seasons in summer, in winter
  • Parts of day in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
  • Long periods in the past, in the future
  • Future duration in two days, in an hour, in a week

ON

  • Days of the week on Monday, on Friday
  • Specific dates on 3rd March, on 25th December
  • Special named days on my birthday, on New Year's Day, on Christmas Day
  • Day + part of day on Monday morning, on Friday night

AT

  • Clock times at 7 o'clock, at 3:30
  • Mealtimes at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner
  • Fixed time points at noon, at midnight
  • "at night" She studies at night.
  • The weekend (BrE) at the weekend
  • Holiday periods at Christmas, at Easter

⚠️ Exceptions — These Catch Everyone!

  • No preposition with: this, next, last, every, tomorrow, yesterday, today
    ✘ "on next Monday"  →  ✔ "next Monday" |  ✘ "at tomorrow"  →  ✔ "tomorrow"
  • Holiday period vs. specific day:
    "We rest at Christmas." (the whole period, general time)  |  "We open presents on Christmas Day." (specific single day)
  • Night is different from other parts of the day:
    "AT night"  |  "IN the morning" / "IN the afternoon" / "IN the evening"
  • Two different meanings:
    "on time" = exactly on schedule, not late  |  "in time" = early enough, before something ends
    "The train left on time."  |  "We arrived in time for the show."
  • British vs. American English:
    "at the weekend" (British)  |  "on the weekend" (American)
Exercise C  Easy  — Choose: in / on / at
1. The party is ___ Saturday.
2. I wake up ___ 7 o'clock every day.
3. She was born ___ April.
4. We usually relax ___ the evening.
5. He calls me ___ Sunday mornings.
Exercise D  Hard  — Fill in: in / on / at
1. My interview is ___ 10th March.
2. We don't work ___ Christmas.
3. She is going to arrive ___ two hours.
4. I always study ___ night.
5. He was born ___ winter, in December.
C · Prepositions of Location

IN / ON / AT — For Place

🎯 The Core Rule

IN = inside something, surrounded / enclosed
ON = touching a surface, on a line or route
AT = at a specific point, address, or institution (used as a function)

IN

  • Enclosed spaces in the room, in the building, in the car, in a taxi
  • Cities & countries in Sofia, in Bulgaria, in France
  • General areas in the park, in the forest
  • Containers / liquids in the cup, in the bag, in the bottle

ON

  • Surfaces on the table, on the wall, on the floor, on the ceiling
  • Named streets on Oxford Street, on Main Road
  • Public transport on the bus, on the train, on the plane, on the metro
  • Floors / levels on the first floor, on the ground floor

AT

  • Specific addresses at 15 Main Street, at this address
  • Institutions (function) at school, at work, at university, at home
  • Fixed points / spots at the door, at the top, at the bus stop, at the corner
  • Events at the party, at the concert, at a meeting

⚠️ Exceptions — Very Important!

  • Institution as function vs. the physical building:
    "She is at school." = she is a student there, doing her role  |  "She is in the school." = she is physically inside the building (maybe lost, maybe visiting)
    Same pattern: at hospital / at work / at university / at church / at home
  • Private vs. public transport:
    "on the bus / train / plane / metro / tram" (public — you share it)  |  "in the car / in a taxi / in a cab" (private — enclosed, personal)
  • Bed — sleeping vs. sitting:
    "She is in bed." = she is sleeping (fixed English phrase, no article)  |  "She is on the bed." = she is sitting or lying on top of the bed
  • Home:
    "at home" (fixed phrase, no article — means you are there)  |  "in the house" (physically inside the building)
  • Hospital:
    "He is at hospital." (BrE — he is a patient or visitor)  |  "He works in the hospital." (he is a doctor or staff — he is inside the building professionally)
Exercise E  Easy  — Choose: in / on / at
1. The book is ___ the table.
2. She lives ___ Sofia.
3. He is ___ work right now.
4. The cat is ___ the box.
5. I am waiting ___ the bus stop.
Exercise F  Hard  — Fill in: in / on / at
1. She is ___ home right now.
2. The keys are ___ the bag.
3. We are travelling ___ the train.
4. He is studying ___ university.
5. There is a spider ___ the ceiling.

Reading Texts

Read each text carefully. Then answer the 3 questions below it.
Text 1 of 2

Maria's New Plan

Maria is a teacher. She works in Sofia, at a school on Vitosha Street. She is not happy at work. She is going to quit her job in June.

After that, she is going to travel. In July, she is going to visit her friend in London. Her friend lives in a small flat on Baker Street. They are going to meet at the airport on the 5th of July, at 9 o'clock in the morning.

After London, Maria is going to study French. She is going to start her classes in September, at a language centre in the city. She is very excited. She says: "I am not going to work at a school again. I am going to do something new."

1. What is Maria going to do in June?
2. Where does Maria's friend live?
3. What time are Maria and her friend going to meet?
Text 2 of 2

Tom's Saturday

It is Saturday morning. Tom is at home in his flat on Green Road. He is going to have a very busy day.

At 10 o'clock, he is going to meet his friend Jake at the gym. The gym is on Park Street, on the first floor of a big building. After the gym, they are going to have lunch at a café in the city centre.

In the afternoon, at 3 o'clock, Tom has an appointment at the hospital. His doctor works on the second floor. In the evening, Tom is going to go to a party. It starts at 8 o'clock. Tom is not going to stay late because he has work on Sunday morning.

1. Where is Tom going to meet Jake at 10 o'clock?
2. What time is Tom's appointment at the hospital?
3. Why is Tom not going to stay late at the party?

Grammar Exercises — 15 Sets

All exercises test grammar only. Each set has 5 questions. Scroll down to practise all topics.