wasn't gonna

Question

talking about a future event that hasn't happened yet.

All the good seats had been bought and 'I wasn't gonna go to the games alone.'

Can I use: I wasn't gonna go to the games alone --- for a future event that hasn't happened yet?

Philip · Accepted Answer

The tense is fine, but in other than very casual situations you should use wasn't going to...

CalifJim · Answer

Knightofsportswasn't gonna

It's true that you can say it like that, but you always write it "wasn't going to". So you look at the words "wasn't going to", and you can say "wasn't gonna" (usually in casual situations). It's something like looking at "laughed" and saying "laft". You don't write it as "laft", but you say it that way.

KnightofsportsCan I use: I wasn't gonna go to the games alone --- for a future event that hasn't happened yet?

Of course. That's no problem at all. You're thinking about a possible future event, and you are applying negation to say that this future event is NOT going to happen.
________________

This use of 'not going to' is almost an idiom meaning 'certainly not intend to', 'not want to', not be willing to'. It's not as strong as "It was unthinkable that I would go to the games alone", but it's a similar feeling. You can also use "I couldn't imagine myself going alone".

... and I [wasn't going to / certainly didn't intend to / wasn't willing to / had no desire to] go ... alone.

CJ

wasn't gonna

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