Going to: negatives

What you do not intend to do

The negative be going to construction states a future intention: which action someone does not plan to perform. Often the decision has already been made before the conversation.

This states a present plan about the future. By itself, it does not prove the person cannot perform the action or will never do it. Plans can change.

I'm not going to buy a new bike this year.

This concerns a decision for this year, rather than an inability to buy a bike at all.

We aren't going to eat out tonight.

We negate one evening’s plan; nothing is said about other evenings.

Be + not: the form depends on the subject

In the full form, not follows am, is or are. Use am with I; is with he, she, it and one named object or person; are with you, we, they and plurals.

Do not add don’t or doesn’t in this construction: be + not already forms the negative. Compare I don’t cook every day, a habit, with I’m not going to cook tonight, an evening plan.

How to build it

Subject + am/is/are + not + going to + base verb

subject / S: The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
verb / V: A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
V1 / base form: The base verb without to: work, go, be.

I am not going to drive today.

I needs am, with not after it.

Marta is not going to sell her car.

One name agrees with is.

You are not going to need a coat.

You takes are even when addressing one person. A prediction about a need is possible here.

Full and contracted alternatives

I am not contracts to I’m not. She is not can become she isn’t or she’s not; they are not can become they aren’t or they’re not. He, it, you and we work the same way.

These alternatives can convey the same meaning. Contractions are usual in conversation and informal messages; full forms are also correct and can sound more emphatic. You do not need to contract every sentence in a message in the same way.

This basic practice uses common neutral forms. Regional and very informal alternatives are not the target. Do not combine two contraction positions into one word: she’sn’t is not correct.

She is not going to wait. / She isn't going to wait. / She's not going to wait.

All three versions preserve the negative and the same plan.

They aren't going to move. / They're not going to move.

You can contract are not or they are.

I'm not going to pay for delivery.

In I’m not, I am is contracted and not stays a separate word.

After going to: the base form

The next verb does not take -s because of he or she, and does not change to -ing. Write isn’t going to play, rather than isn’t going to plays or playing.

Go and be can also be the next verb. Going to go is correct: going to marks a future intention, while go names the action. In going to be, the second be is the base form after to.

He isn't going to play tennis this weekend.

The person is already marked by isn’t; play stays unchanged.

We aren't going to go abroad this summer.

Going to go is not an unnecessary repetition.

I'm not going to be at home tomorrow morning.

Am agrees with I; going to needs be after it.

Intention, prediction and movement: different meanings

The same negative form can express a prediction based on present evidence, rather than someone’s decision. For example, a faulty lamp lets us predict that it will not work. Distinguish intention from prediction through the situation, rather than not alone.

Not every going belongs to going to + verb. In I’m not going home right now, home is a destination and going is go in Present Continuous. Depending on the situation, it may concern movement now or an immediate plan to leave. I’m not going to go home yet has a separate go after going to: the full construction of this lesson.

Other ways of talking about the future can also be natural. If a task specifically asks for be going to, another grammatical construction may convey the meaning without demonstrating the target skill.

This lamp is broken. It isn't going to work.

The speaker makes a prediction; the lamp has no intention of its own.

I'm not going home right now.

Present Continuous without going to + verb. The speaker may deny movement home now or state that they are not leaving yet; context gives the precise meaning.

I'm not going to go home yet.

We state an intention with going to + go.

A negative plan in conversation

To answer a question about a plan, you can give a short answer and then specify the action. To practise the full construction, form a sentence with a subject, be + not and going to + verb.

I’m not going to… can sound firm. If the context calls for a polite answer, add thanks or a brief explanation. Do not invent personal reasons if you do not want to share them.

After your answer, check four things: who is speaking, whether the negative is preserved, whether be is correctly chosen, and whether the next verb is in its base form. Comparing with a model is a self-check, rather than automatic assessment of every possible wording.

Thanks for asking, but I'm not going to join the trip.

Thanks softens the statement of the speaker’s plan.

No, we aren't. We aren't going to stay overnight.

The short answer is followed by the full construction with the action named.

Common mistakes

Incorrect:I not going to order pizza.

Correct:I'm not going to order pizza.

The full construction needs be: I am, or I’m. Not alone before going is insufficient.

Incorrect:They isn't going to come to the party.

Correct:They aren't going to come to the party.

They agrees with are, so the negative contraction is aren’t.

Incorrect:She doesn't going to buy that dress.

Correct:She isn't going to buy that dress.

Going to relies on be. Don’t/doesn’t does not replace am/is/are before going.

Incorrect:He isn't going to plays football.

Correct:He isn't going to play football.

After going to, use play without -s.

Incorrect:She'sn't going to call.

Correct:She isn't going to call.

Do not combine ’s and n’t in one contraction. Another correct version is She’s not going to call.

Sources