What's the difference and when should I use them?

Question

"going to do...." "going to be doing.."

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

sabrynazulkyfly"going to do...."

Use this when you're thinking of the thing that's going to be done as a single action or a single group of actions that takes place at or during one span of time and then is finished.

I'm going to sweep the floor.  (and then I'll be finished with it)
Edward was going to buy a new phone.  (then he'd be finished with it)
Are you going to attend university after high school? (and then be finished with it)

sabrynazulkyfly"going to be doing.."

Use this when you're thinking of the thing that's going to be being done as an activity that takes place over some amount of time.

I'm going to be shopping at the mall tomorrow morning. (I'll be in the middle of the activity of shopping at that time.)
Are you going to be helping Jack paint his house next week? (Will you be engaged in the activity of painting at some time during the next week?)
Anna is going to be performing in a play next month. (She'll be in the middle of the activity of performing at various times during the coming month.)

One of the key points is how the speaker is thinking about the situation. It could be as an action with a definite start and end or as an activity which has no definite start or end.

It may occur to you that this is nothing more than the difference between any simple tense and its corresponding continuous (progressive) tense. There is nothing extra special about the fact that these occur after "going to".

CJ

What's the difference and when should I use them?

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