El verbo "ir a" - the verb to go to

We will learn to conjugate and use another irregular verb. The verb to go/ir can be use for announcing where you are going to or what you are going to do (near future). First, let's review the conjugations of the verb ir​.

Lets review what we learned:

1) Where to?

When do you use ¿Adónde? or ¿Dónde?

¿Dónde? Where?

¿Adónde? To where?

• ¿Dónde? as an interrogative word means ‘where’ and is used to ask a question about the location of an object, place, person etc. or where an action takes (or took) place.

• ¿Adónde? is the form used when there is ‘movement’ or ‘movement towards’ a place. If there is no movement ‘adónde should not be used. ¿Adónde? is always used with the verb to go.

Examples:

¿Adónde vamos mañana? (to)Where are you going tomorrow?

Mañana vamos a la fiesta.

¿Adónde vas? Where are you going to?

Voy a casa. I am going home.

2) IR+A+INFINITIVE- TO EXPRESS NEAR FUTURE

We will continue to practice the verb to go to express a future action, that is, what someone is going to do (near future). The construction ir +a + infinitive is the English equivalent to be going to + infinitive.

Note: We never conjugate both verbs when expressing the near future.

3) contractions

The verb to go/ir is often used with the preposition a (to). When the preposition a is followed by the definitive article el, they combine to form the contraction al. As you can see on the examples below.

Here is a good visual

La Canción de Ir - Gisela Galván-Ríos - Spanish Grammar

Práctica

1) Everyone in your neighborhood is going off to various places. Say where they are going. (ir+a+infinitive) a+el =al

1. La señora Smith/el centro La señora Smith va a ir al centro.

2. Las hermanas Perez/la piscina

3. Tu novio y tu padre/el partido de fútbol

4. Nosotros/el restaurante Molcajete

5. Yo/ el Museo de arte Moderno

6. Sara/el parque

2) Write 10 sentences describing what you and your family are going to do over the weekend; you can also write what you are not​ going to do.

a) Use different subjects in your sentences (yo, mis amigos y yo, nosotros, etc.,)

• Ex. Yo voy a visitar a mis abuelos. (I am going to visit my grandparents)

b)You can use any of the following verbs below or choose your own:

comer dormir comprar

trabajar estudiar escuchar música

mirar cocinar viajar

hablar escribir practicar deportes

Also the song by Marc Anthony Voy a vivir.