diff --git a/src/graphql/pyutils/__init__.py b/src/graphql/pyutils/__init__.py
index 797c1321..8c09132a 100644
--- a/src/graphql/pyutils/__init__.py
+++ b/src/graphql/pyutils/__init__.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from .event_emitter import EventEmitter, EventEmitterAsyncIterator
 from .identity_func import identity_func
 from .inspect import inspect
+from .is_awaitable import is_awaitable
 from .is_collection import is_collection
 from .is_finite import is_finite
 from .is_integer import is_integer
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@
     "EventEmitterAsyncIterator",
     "identity_func",
     "inspect",
+    "is_awaitable",
     "is_collection",
     "is_finite",
     "is_integer",
diff --git a/src/graphql/pyutils/is_awaitable.py b/src/graphql/pyutils/is_awaitable.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..80c3be3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/graphql/pyutils/is_awaitable.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import inspect
+from typing import Any
+from types import CoroutineType, GeneratorType
+
+__all__ = ["is_awaitable"]
+
+CO_ITERABLE_COROUTINE = inspect.CO_ITERABLE_COROUTINE
+
+
+def is_awaitable(value: Any) -> bool:
+    """Return true if object can be passed to an ``await`` expression.
+
+    Instead of testing if the object is an instance of abc.Awaitable, it checks
+    the existence of an `__await__` attribute. This is much faster.
+    """
+    return (
+        # check for coroutine objects
+        isinstance(value, CoroutineType)
+        # check for old-style generator based coroutine objects
+        or isinstance(value, GeneratorType)
+        and bool(value.gi_code.co_flags & CO_ITERABLE_COROUTINE)
+        # check for other awaitables (e.g. futures)
+        or hasattr(value, "__await__")
+    )
diff --git a/tests/pyutils/test_is_awaitable.py b/tests/pyutils/test_is_awaitable.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac6390e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pyutils/test_is_awaitable.py
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import asyncio
+from inspect import isawaitable
+
+from pytest import mark  # type: ignore
+
+from graphql.pyutils import is_awaitable
+
+
+def describe_is_awaitable():
+    def declines_the_none_value():
+        assert not isawaitable(None)
+        assert not is_awaitable(None)
+
+    def declines_a_boolean_value():
+        assert not isawaitable(True)
+        assert not is_awaitable(True)
+
+    def declines_an_int_value():
+        assert not is_awaitable(42)
+
+    def declines_a_string_value():
+        assert not isawaitable("some_string")
+        assert not is_awaitable("some_string")
+
+    def declines_a_dict_value():
+        assert not isawaitable({})
+        assert not is_awaitable({})
+
+    def declines_an_object_instance():
+        assert not isawaitable(object())
+        assert not is_awaitable(object())
+
+    def declines_the_type_class():
+        assert not isawaitable(type)
+        assert not is_awaitable(type)
+
+    def declines_a_lambda_function():
+        assert not isawaitable(lambda: True)  # pragma: no cover
+        assert not is_awaitable(lambda: True)  # pragma: no cover
+
+    def declines_a_normal_function():
+        def some_function():
+            return True
+
+        assert not isawaitable(some_function())
+        assert not is_awaitable(some_function)
+
+    def declines_a_normal_generator_function():
+        def some_generator():
+            yield True  # pragma: no cover
+
+        assert not isawaitable(some_generator)
+        assert not is_awaitable(some_generator)
+
+    def declines_a_normal_generator_object():
+        def some_generator():
+            yield True  # pragma: no cover
+
+        assert not isawaitable(some_generator())
+        assert not is_awaitable(some_generator())
+
+    def declines_a_coroutine_function():
+        async def some_coroutine():
+            return True  # pragma: no cover
+
+        assert not isawaitable(some_coroutine)
+        assert not is_awaitable(some_coroutine)
+
+    @mark.filterwarnings("ignore::RuntimeWarning")
+    def recognizes_a_coroutine_object():
+        async def some_coroutine():
+            return False  # pragma: no cover
+
+        assert isawaitable(some_coroutine())
+        assert is_awaitable(some_coroutine())
+
+    @mark.filterwarnings("ignore::RuntimeWarning")
+    @mark.filterwarnings("ignore::DeprecationWarning")
+    def recognizes_an_old_style_coroutine():
+        @asyncio.coroutine
+        def some_old_style_coroutine():
+            yield False  # pragma: no cover
+
+        assert is_awaitable(some_old_style_coroutine())
+        assert is_awaitable(some_old_style_coroutine())
+
+    @mark.filterwarnings("ignore::RuntimeWarning")
+    def recognizes_a_future_object():
+        async def some_coroutine():
+            return False  # pragma: no cover
+
+        some_future = asyncio.ensure_future(some_coroutine())
+
+        assert is_awaitable(some_future)
+        assert is_awaitable(some_future)
+
+    @mark.filterwarnings("ignore::RuntimeWarning")
+    def declines_an_async_generator():
+        async def some_async_generator():
+            yield True  # pragma: no cover
+
+        assert not isawaitable(some_async_generator())
+        assert not is_awaitable(some_async_generator())