Be going to vs Present continuous - English In A Minute
309,124 views ・ 2018-10-22
Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
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Hi! This is Kee from BBC Learning English,
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and today I'm going to tell you the differences
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between 'be going to' and the present continuous
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to talk about future plans.
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We use 'be going to' to talk about future plans.
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The plan will probably take place,
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but it's not a definite plan.
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If I say:
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I'm going to meet my friends this weekend,
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it means I made plans with my friends,
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but it could mean that we haven't decided where to
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meet, nor have we decided what time to meet.
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On the other hand, we use the present continuous
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to talk about future plans that are almost definite.
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If I say:
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I'm meeting my friends this weekend,
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it means I made plans with my friends,
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and we may have decided where to meet
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and what time to meet.
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So, this plan is almost definite and it's difficult to cancel.
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So remember,
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the present continuous describes a more definite plan
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than 'be going to'.
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