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I am going to buy a house.

I am about to buy a house.

I think both are planned actions that will happen in future. Is there any difference in the above sentences? Explain to me the correct meaning of above sentences and explain to me the correct usage of going to and about to in a sentence.

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    The former implies that you've already decided what to do. The latter is an imminent action.
    – Schwale
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 18:41
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    @Ustanak: Perhaps you should post an actual answer to that effect, since neither of the existing ones make that specific point. Not that it's always a matter of you having decided what you're going to do. We're all going to die, for example, could simply mean We are all mortal, rather than We all face [imminent, premature] death. But I'd say be going to usually conveys definitely and/or intended, where be about to conveys very soon.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 21:11
  • @FumbleFingers Yes. I agree on that — going to conveys the idea of definitely.
    – Schwale
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 21:28

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I am going to buy a house.

Meaning: I will buy a house in the future. This could mean later today, tomorrow, a week from now, a year from now, etc. It conveys the fact that plans are in place, but does not specify a time frame.

I am about to buy a house.

Meaning: I will buy a house in the near future. This generally means the action will happen imminently. In this case the speaker has probably picked out a house by now, and has possibly already gone through some of the first steps in the purchase.

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Going to describes an action which will take place at an unspecified time in the future.

About to describes an action which will take place very soon, even immediately.

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