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This video says (at 1:07) we cannot use "be going to" to describe future plans in a formal writing because its informal.

(I have already asked another question about an other claim of this video here.)

It contradicts my previous knowledge and also my research: link 1 link 2 link 3.

Is this claim correct?

A thought-provoking thing that I read was this sentence: "Be going to is commonly used in informal styles." in the Cambridge Dictionary. It does not say that "be going to" is not commonly used in formal styles, but it may indirectly imply and convey the feeling that it may not be a good choice in formal writing.

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alireza
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    This exercise has several issues. But I think all of those examples except for planned to be can work. If we say "The conference will be held at the convention center", that can also be: The conference is going to be held at the convention center". Some people might view the first as more formal. However, if you are talking you would probably use the second one. If you are writing an invitation, you're more like to use the first one. – Lambie Nov 11 '22 at 18:27
  • @Lambie what is wrong with the structure "something be planned to"? I actually searched it in "https://ludwig.guru/s/be+planned+to+be" and also "https://www.english-corpora.org". There are lots of examples of this structure. For example: "Residential properties are planned to be built behind the arena. (The New York Times - Sports)" – alireza Nov 11 '22 at 18:41
  • @Lambie - this exercise is very poor. – Michael Harvey Nov 11 '22 at 18:45
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    As we pointed out in your other question, this video is dead wrong about the use of future tenses. The definition she gives of "will" is nearly word-for-word the definition of present continuous. The use of "will" is the opposite. She's also wrong about "be going to" being informal only. Your research is correct. – gotube Nov 11 '22 at 18:48
  • @Lambie It seems so. But regardless of the quality of this video, the structure "something be planned to" seems correct because there are lots of examples of this structure in The New York Times, The Guardian, and many other sources. – alireza Nov 11 '22 at 18:50
  • I can't find it now, but definitely some time in the past few weeks I pointed out either here or on ELU that *to be going to* is a relatively informal usage. It's good to see that someone has found authoritative sources supporting my assertion! :) Not everyone will agree on such fine usage points though, obviously. – FumbleFingers Nov 11 '22 at 18:52
  • You know "Factories are planned to be removed" sounds like the reason they are planned is for them to be removed. I'd use: Removal of the factories is planned. – Lambie Nov 11 '22 at 19:10
  • @FumbleFingers By authoritative sources you mean the sentence in the Cambridge Dictionary: "Be going to is commonly used in informal styles."? How do you interpret this sentence? – alireza Nov 11 '22 at 19:28
  • @gotube Doesn't the sentence "Be going to is commonly used in informal styles." in Cambridge Dictionary imply that at least "going to" is slightly less formal than "will"? – alireza Nov 11 '22 at 19:29
  • @alireza I'm not sure why Cambridge said it that way. It's literally true --"be going to" is used in informal situations-- but the implied corollary that it's not used in formal situations is simply incorrect. Be assured that "be going to" can be used naturally in any level of formality, just like simple past. – gotube Nov 11 '22 at 19:57
  • @gotube: As I said before, Not everyone will agree on such fine usage points. I don't claim *to be going to* never occurs in formal contexts (obviously, you would happily use it in formal contexts, along with millions of other native Anglophones). But I'm one of at least some people who do think it's relatively informal compared to plain *will. Another possible* factor here is that although we have the relatively informal contraction *He'll die, that's nowhere near as informal as He's gonna die* (often written as *is going to* even if that's not what was said). – FumbleFingers Nov 12 '22 at 12:53

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