Be about to means something is going to happen very soon: The film is about to start. In the past, it means was just going to: I was about to call you. It's about seconds and minutes, not plans for months ahead.
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be about to + verb; was/were about to + verb (= was just going to); be just about to + verb; not be about to + verb (= refuse to)
- Hurry up, the train is about to leave!
- I was about to call you when your message arrived.
- We're just about to start the meeting, so please take a seat.
What changed
First versionI'm about to move to Canada next year.
RevisionI'm going to move to Canada next year.
It's easy to treat about to as just another way of talking about what you intend to do, whether in a minute or in a year. But about to only covers the next few seconds or minutes, so it doesn't go with next year. Plans need going to: I'm going to move next year.
With not, the phrase changes character: I'm not about to give up now means I have no intention of giving up. It's no longer about time but about firm determination, and it sounds defiant.
Your turn
Quick, take a photo, the sun is about ___ behind the mountains!
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to disappear — About to is always followed by the base form of a verb: about to disappear. The -ing form after about is familiar from other phrases, such as talk about going, but in this structure it's wrong.
Describe a moment when you were interrupted. Write what you were just about to do and what happened.
I was about to leave the office when my manager asked me to stay for a quick meeting.
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