Dunkin' Donuts

Many writers type "Your going to" when they mean "You're going to" (you + are). The missing apostrophe turns a contraction into a possessive adjective and breaks the sentence. Below: clear rules, fast fixes, multiple wrong/right pairs, ready rewrites for work, school, and casual use, plus memory tricks and spacing/hyphenation notes.

Quick answer

"Your going to" is incorrect when you mean "you are going to." Use "you're going to" (contraction) or "you are going to" (full form). Use "your" only before a noun (your plan, your idea).

"You're going to be late." = You are going to be late.
"Your meeting is at 9." = possession (your + noun) - correct only when a noun follows.
Fast test: replace "your" with "you are." If the sentence still makes sense, use "you're."

Core explanation: your vs. you're vs. you

"Your" is a possessive adjective (your phone, your answer). "You're" is a contraction of "you are." "You" is the subject pronoun. If no noun follows "your," possession is unlikely - the writer usually meant "you're."

your = possessive adjective (your report, your idea)
you're = contraction for "you are" (you're right, you're coming)
you = subject pronoun (you should, you will)

Correct: Your idea is brilliant. (possession + noun)
Wrong: Your going to need that idea later.
Right: You're going to need that idea later.

Why "Your going to" is wrong (and when "your" is right)

"Your going to" places a possessive adjective before a verb phrase - possession without a noun. The intended meaning is usually "you are going to." Keep "your" only when it directly modifies a noun (your answer, your phone).

Missing apostrophe → contraction error (you're vs your).
If a noun follows "your" (your meeting), keep "your." If not, use "you're" or rewrite.

Wrong: Your going to lead the demo.
Right: You're going to lead the demo.
Wrong: Your responsible for the file.
Right: You're responsible for the file.
Correct: Your laptop is missing. (possession + noun)

Real usage and tone: contraction vs full form

"You're" is conversational and fine for emails, texts, and chat. "You are" is stronger or more formal and adds emphasis. In formal writing, prefer rephrasing to avoid second-person (e.g., "The report is due Friday").

"You're" = casual: "You're welcome."
"You are" = formal or emphatic: "You are required to submit the form."
When in doubt for formal documents, rephrase to passive or third person.

Casual: You're going to love the new update. (friendly)
Formal: You are expected to complete the training by June 1. (formal)

Work: office sentences fixed and polished

Short fixes for emails, Slack, and reports. Use contractions for casual chat, full forms or rephrasing for formal messages.

Wrong: Your going to need the revised budget before the meeting.
Right: You're going to need the revised budget before the meeting.
Rewrite (formal): Please review the revised budget before the meeting.
Wrong: Please confirm if your going to join the call at 2pm.
Right: Please confirm if you are going to join the 2 p.m. call.
Rewrite (concise): Will you join the 2 p.m. call?
Wrong: Your going to see the client feedback on the doc.
Right: You'll see the client feedback on the doc.
Rewrite (professional): Client feedback has been added to the document.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone - context usually clarifies the correct form.

School: essays, emails, and assignment lines

Students often drop apostrophes in posts and quick emails. In formal essays avoid second-person; in emails to instructors prefer the full form or a polite rephrase.

In papers, reword to third person or passive: avoid "you."
In emails, use "you are" or rephrase politely.

Wrong: Your going to include sources in your bibliography, right?
Right: You're going to include sources in your bibliography, right?
Wrong: Your going to hand in the assignment on Monday.
Right: You are going to hand in the assignment on Monday.
Rewrite (academic): The assignment is due on Monday.
Wrong: Your going to need three peer reviews for the project.
Right: You'll need three peer reviews for the project.

Casual: texts, social posts, and chat

Contractions are fine in casual contexts, but missing apostrophes still read as careless. Short rewrites often sound more natural in chat.

Keep contractions: "you're" or shorten to "you'll" when appropriate.
In very casual chat you can drop words, but not the apostrophe in contractions.

Wrong: Your going to love this movie!
Right: You're going to love this movie!
Wrong: Are your going to the party tonight?
Right: Are you going to the party tonight?
Rewrite (short): You coming to the party tonight?
Wrong: Your gonna regret missing that sale.
Right: You're gonna regret missing that sale.

How to fix your sentence: step-by-step fixes and ready rewrites

A quick checklist to use whenever "your" appears before a verb phrase like "going to."

Step 1: Read the phrase as "you are." If it makes sense → use "you're" or "you are."
Step 2: If possession was intended, ensure a noun follows "your" (your plan).
Step 3: Adjust tone: reword to passive/third person or use a polished rewrite.

Rewrite:
Wrong: "Your going to need the slides." →
Right: "You're going to need the slides." → Alternate: "You'll need the slides."
Rewrite:
Wrong: "Your going to fix the typo." →
Right: "You are going to fix the typo." → Alternate (polite): "Please fix the typo before sending."
Rewrite:
Wrong: "Your going to miss the deadline." →
Right: "You're going to miss the deadline." → Alternate (formal): "The deadline may be missed if the task is not completed."
Quick copy patterns: "You're going to..." | "You are going to..." | "You'll..." | Rephrase: "The X will..."

Memory tricks, spacing, hyphenation and nearby mistakes

Use simple tests and editor rules to catch this error. Also watch for spacing issues and similar-looking words.

Swap test: replace "your" with "you are." If it still makes sense → use "you're."
Editor tip: add a replace rule for "your going to" → "you're going to" and review matches before applying.
Spacing/hyphenation: never put a space before an apostrophe (wrong: "you 're"). Hyphens aren't used with this contraction.
Beware similar mistakes: "youre" (no apostrophe) is incorrect; "yore" means long ago and is wrong here.

Wrong: youre going to love this.
Right: You're going to love this.
Wrong: You 're going to be late.
Right: You're going to be late.
Wrong: Yore going to miss the festival.
Right: You're going to miss the festival.

FAQ

Is "Your going to" ever correct?

Only if "your" truly modifies a noun that immediately follows (e.g., "your going-to list"), which is awkward and rare. In normal uses where you mean "you are going to," "your going to" is incorrect.

Should I use "you're" or "you are" in formal writing?

Avoid second-person when possible. If you must address the reader, prefer "you are" or rephrase to third person or passive for a formal tone.

How can I stop making this error fast?

Use the swap test ("you are") and add a search-and-replace rule for "your going to" → "you're going to" in your editor, reviewing each match.

Is "your gonna" acceptable in texts?

"Gonna" is slang. "Your gonna" is still wrong - it should be "you're gonna." For clarity, use "you're going to."

Will grammar checkers catch this?

Most grammar tools flag "your going to" and suggest "you're going to" or "you are going to," often offering tone-aware rewrites.

Want a quick check?

If a sentence still feels unsure, run the swap test and paste it into a grammar checker. That catches missing apostrophes and suggests clearer rewrites so you stop repeating "Your going to."