be about to + v

• Construction pour exprimer une action qui va se produire dans un avenir très proche, littéralement « être sur le point de » ou « aller faire » quelque chose.

A semi-modal construction formed with a form of 'be' + 'about to' + base verb, used to express that an action is going to happen in the very near future, often imminently or momentarily. Conveys a sense of immediacy and anticipation. Cannot be used with specific future time expressions (e.g., *'I'm about to leave tomorrow' is incorrect).

Structuresbe · about · to · SLOT

1. Expressing immediate future actionA2formal

   Used to indicate that an action is on the point of happening, typically within seconds or minutes. The construction emphasizes temporal proximity and often implies that the speaker is ready or that the event is inevitable. Works in present (am/is/are about to) and past (was/were about to) forms. Not compatible with explicit future time markers like 'tomorrow' or 'next week'.

   Être sur le point de + infinitif

   • I'm about to leave, so call me later.
   • She was about to call when you arrived.
   • They're about to announce the results.
   • He's about to start his presentation.
   • We were about to give up when help arrived.

2. Expressing interrupted or narrowly avoided actions (past form)B1formal

   When used in the past tense ('was/were about to'), often appears in contexts where the anticipated action was interrupted, prevented, or did not occur as expected. Common in narrative structures to build tension or describe near-misses.

   être sur le point de (au passé)

   • I was about to tell her the truth, but she left.
   • They were about to win when the game was cancelled.
   • He was about to jump when someone called his name.
   • We were about to order food when the power went out.
   • She was about to sign the contract, then noticed an error.