Common Mistake: Use of past form with 'going to ...'

One common grammar mistake that many English learners make is using the past form of a verb after the phrase 'going to...' Instead, the verb that follows 'going to' should be in its base form.

Explanation:

When we use the phrase 'going to' to talk about future intentions or plans, the verb that comes after it should be in its base form. Using the past form of the verb in this context is incorrect.

Let's look at some examples to understand this better:

• Incorrect: I am going to visited my friend tomorrow.
• Correct: I am going to visit my friend tomorrow.
• Incorrect: They are going to ate dinner at the new restaurant.
• Correct: They are going to eat dinner at the new restaurant.
• Incorrect: She is going to went shopping this weekend.
• Correct: She is going to go shopping this weekend.

Why is the mistake made?

This mistake is often made because the verb form 'went,' 'ate,' or 'visited' is the past form of the verb, which is generally used to talk about actions that have already happened. However, when using the phrase 'going to,' we are talking about future plans or intentions, and therefore, the base form of the verb should be used.

How to avoid this mistake:

To avoid this common mistake, always remember that when 'going to' is used to express future plans or intentions, the verb that follows it should be in its base form. If you're unsure about the base form of a verb, consult a reliable grammar source or use a grammar checker, such as Linguix grammar checker, to help you identify and correct such errors.