Monday, July 20, 2015

word choice - About to vs Going to


I want to know the difference nuance between "going to" and "about to" in native English speaker's environment, which one is better to use or widely used?



Answer



Going to simply means intending to do something, at some point in the future. It can also imply (depending on context and speaker's tone of voice) that the intention is to do it 'sometime… never', i.e. the intention is very weak.


About to adds more immediacy to the intention of doing that thing; 'on the brink of doing something'. Or it can mean that the intention was interrupted (and possibly not fulfilled) by something else. It is often prefaced with just, which amplifies the immediacy.


Examples:



"He was going to add another column to the spreadsheet" (but I'm not sure if he did so).


"I was about to make myself a cup of tea when the phone rang."



"Have you given Mum her medicine today?"
- "No, I was just about to."



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