This expression is used when we were about to do or start something, but something interrupted or stopped us from starting. The word “just” emphasizes that we were very close to starting.
- I was just going to start cooking when my wife came in the door with a pizza.
Many times, we didn’t do something because of some coincidence.
- I was just going to call Mark and tell him to come to the party when I saw him walk into the party.
Subject + was/were + just going + infinitive…
A) Tim, what are you doing here? I was just going to call you.
B) Hey! Good to see you.
A) Hey, your home! I was just going to call you. Where have you been?
B) Traffic was terrible, so I am late.
A) Have you eaten?
B) I was just going to go. Do you want to join me?
A) That would be great.
A) I thought you were going to go home.
B) I was just going to go home, but my most important client called and complained about something. Now, it looks like I will have to work late tonight.
We can use the sentence pattern below to tell a story. We were about to do something, but then something else happened that stopped us from doing the first thing.
Subject + was/were + just going + infinitive…+ when…
- I was just going to go home when Carl walked in. So, I had to stay longer and talk to him.
- I was just going to go to bed when the fire alarm went off.
- I was just going to call you when my mother called me and we talked for hours, so I didn’t have time to call you.
- He was just going to start eating when his daughter fell down and started crying.
- They were just going to begin the meeting when the CEO suddenly got up and walked out of the room.
Bonus Tips and Points
1. We can use “was/were just starting to…” to show that something was just starting when another thing happened.
- I was just starting to sleep when my dog started to bark.
- I was just starting to like my job when the company went bankrupt.
- We were just starting to have fun at the beach when it began to rain.
- They were just starting to fight when their mother came in the room.
- Gary was just starting to get used to his new school when he had to move again because he father was transferred to a different branch office.
2. We can use the expression “was/were just thinking …” to show coincidence. The speaker was recently thinking about the topic.
A) There is Ben.
B) Really? I was just thinking about calling him.
A) I heard the company is closing.
B) That is strange. I was just thinking that I should look for another job.
A) There is a new report out about how to save money when buying a house.
B) I was just thinking about that. Where did you read it?
Real-World English Conversations
A) Why didn’t you come to the meeting?
B) I was just going to come, but my most important client called me with a big problem.
A) I see. Is everything okay?
B) It is now, but it took me over an hour to hand the problem.
A) What are you doing here? I was just going to message you.
B) No need to message me now! I’m already here!
A) I was just going to start my new job when the company filed for bankruptcy.
B) That is so unlucky.A) I know, but it is okay because now I love my current job.
A) Hello Sally. Sorry, I am late for the meeting.
B) Hey Jon. I was just going to call you and ask you where you were.A) I got stuck in traffic. I thought it would never end. I was just going to call and tell you that I would be late when the traffic suddenly disappeared.
B) Traffic jams are the craziest things.
Use these free English lessons to learn the most common sentence patterns in the English language. If you learn these sentence and questions well, it will help you speak English well. Study the lessons thoroughly, practice making your own sentences, and come back to review often. If you do these three steps, your English speaking will improve quickly and you will be able to have natural English conversations.
English Sentence Patterns for Speaking Index
