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Is the "a" necessary when using "ir a" to convey future meaning?

Google gives 17m results for "te va a encantar" but also 1.5m for "te va encantar". Does this rule vary according to formality?

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  • i've changed the "future tense" tag to just "future" so we can use it also with "ir a" or in combination with "verb tense" like here
    – hippietrail
    Commented Dec 17, 2011 at 7:40

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"Te va encantar" is gramatically incorrect. I had never heard it before, at least in Spain. The sentence should be:

Te va a encantar

as it has a future meaning

Ir a + infinitive = going to + infinitive

Probably it's a mistake made because we link the words when speaking so "te va a encantar" would be pronounced as "te va-a encantar", we say it "va-a" with a short pause between both "a" or even with a long "a". As we usually speak quickly some people may have understood it wrongly and the error could have spread.

In this link RAE speaks about it

  1. ir a + infinitivo. Perífrasis verbal que indica que la acción designada por el infinitivo se va a producir en un futuro más o menos inmediato: «Vas a tener miles de problemas» (Gamboa Páginas [Col. 1998]); muy a menudo implica propósito o intención por parte del sujeto: «Te voy a leer una carta de mi padre» (Jodorowsky Pájaro [Chile 1992]); a veces se emplea con finalidad exhortativa: «Para empezar, vas a sentarte como un niño bueno» (Vilalta Nada [Méx. 1975]); en ocasiones se emplea, especialmente en pasado, para indicar que lo expresado por el infinitivo es un hecho inesperado o inoportuno: El asunto fue a salir por donde menos se esperaba. En ningún caso debe suprimirse, en el habla culta, la preposición a: «Pero ¿se lo vas plantear ya?» (FnGómez Bicicletas [Esp. 1982]); Vamos hablar del asunto.

as the text says: the preposition "a" mustn't be suppressed .

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    +1 When speaking quickly, te va a encantar and te va encantar sound almost identical.
    – jrdioko
    Commented Dec 17, 2011 at 0:08
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    I'm pretty sure this construction is grammatical in some of the other Romance languages. I know I'm familiar with it but can't recall if it's from the other languages or maybe I heard it in Spanish in Central America somewhere. I'd say it's a natural change for some branches of Romance that is accepted in some but not in Spanish.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Dec 17, 2011 at 7:45
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    @hippietrail: It is grammatical indeed in Galician. "Vaiche encantar" ("te va a encantar") means literally "te va encantar", without the "a".
    – CesarGon
    Commented Feb 28, 2012 at 13:52

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