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A2 Flyers going to: future plans practice for children

A1-A2A2 Flyers40 questionsUpdated

A2 Flyers asks children to talk about plans: what they are going to do at the weekend, in the holidays, after school. This page practises going to for plans and predictions you can see coming, contrasts it with will, and drills the am, is and are that children keep leaving out.

What this task tests

  • The full form: am, is or are, plus going to, plus the base verb.
  • Choosing the right form of be for the subject.
  • Going to for plans already decided.
  • Going to for a prediction based on what you can see: look at those clouds.
  • Will for offers, promises and quick decisions.
  • Questions: what are you going to do?
  • Negatives: I'm not going to play today.
  • Future time phrases: tomorrow, next week, at the weekend, later.
  • Answering a personal question about plans in a full sentence.
  • Not confusing going to go with going alone.

How to do it

  1. Step 1:

    Start from a real plan

    Ask what the child is going to do after the lesson. The answer is true and the form comes with it.

  2. Step 2:

    Three-part chunk

    Am going to, is going to, are going to. Drill the whole chunk so nothing falls out of the middle.

  3. Step 3:

    Use a weekly planner

    A simple grid of the week gives you seven true sentences and a picture the child can point at.

  4. Step 4:

    Predict from pictures

    A picture of a ball above a window. What is going to happen? This is the clearest use of going to there is.

  5. Step 5:

    Contrast with will simply

    Going to for a plan you already made, will for a decision you make right now. Two rules, no more.

  6. Step 6:

    Practise the question first

    What are you going to do tomorrow? A child who can ask it can usually answer it.

  7. Step 7:

    Accept the contraction

    I'm going to is what people say. Teach it alongside the full form rather than after it.

  8. Step 8:

    Do not skip going to go

    Children avoid it because it sounds odd. Drill it deliberately: I'm going to go to the park.

  9. Step 9:

    Add a reason

    I'm going to stay at home because it's raining. Linking a plan to a reason is what the speaking test rewards.

  10. Step 10:

    Check the be verb

    When marking, ask the child to point at am, is or are. It is the part that goes missing most often.

Mistakes that cost marks

  • Not thisI going to play football.

    ThisI am going to play football.

    The be verb is part of the structure and is dropped constantly. Make the child point at it.

  • Not thisShe is going to plays tennis.

    ThisShe is going to play tennis.

    After going to the verb stays in its base form.

  • Not thisThey is going to come.

    ThisThey are going to come.

    The be verb must agree with the subject. Sort subjects into is and are columns.

  • Not thisWhat you are going to do?

    ThisWhat are you going to do?

    In a question are comes before the subject.

  • Not thisI will go to the cinema tomorrow, I bought the tickets yesterday.

    ThisI am going to go to the cinema tomorrow.

    A plan already made takes going to. Will is for decisions made at the moment of speaking.

  • Not thisI am going to the park tomorrow to play, I am going play.

    ThisI am going to play in the park tomorrow.

    Children double the structure when they are unsure. Slow the sentence down and rebuild it in three parts.

  • Not thisLook at the clouds. It will rain.

    ThisLook at the clouds. It's going to rain.

    When the evidence is in front of you, going to is the natural choice.

Language this task keeps reusing

going to
The phrase for a plan you have already made.
will
Used for a decision you make right now, or a promise.
tomorrow
The day after today.
next week
The week after this one.
at the weekend
On Saturday and Sunday.
later
After now, but still today.
plan
Something you have decided to do.
holiday
Time away from school.
visit
To go and see a person or a place.
because
The word that gives a reason.
soon
In a short time from now.
maybe
Perhaps; you are not sure.
promise
To say you will certainly do something.
prepare
To get ready for something.

Practice: the future with going to

40 original questions. The first 10 are open to everyone. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class as it is.

1Complete the sentence.

I going to visit my grandma at the weekend.
Choose the correct sentence.

3Complete the sentence.

Look at those dark clouds. It is going to .
Right or wrong?
  • After going to the verb has no ending.
  • We say she are going to come.
  • Going to is used for plans.
3 to go

5Complete the sentence.

We going to have a picnic tomorrow.
Which question is correct?

7Complete with the verb study.

She is going to Spanish next year.

8What are you going to do after school today?

You decide right now to help someone. What do you say?

10Complete with the verb move.

They are going to to a new house next month.

Keep going

30 more questions on this page

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Frequently asked questions

Going to or will, which should I teach first?

Going to. It covers plans and evidence-based predictions, which is most of what a Flyers child needs to say, and its structure is more regular.

Is going to go really correct?

Yes, and it is very common in speech. Children avoid it because it sounds repetitive, so drill it directly rather than letting them dodge it.

Can the present continuous be used for the future too?

Yes, for arrangements: we're flying on Friday. At Flyers it is worth mentioning but not worth a full lesson; going to is the priority.

How do I test whether a child has really got the structure?

Ask a question in the middle of another activity. If the be verb survives when the child is not thinking about grammar, it is learned.

What do children most often leave out?

The be verb, without question. I going to play is the single most common Flyers future error.

How much should I insist on will versus going to?

Very little. Give the two simple rules and accept sensible answers. Over-policing the distinction takes time away from more useful practice.