about to leaving

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "about to leaving" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "about to leave"? You can use "about to leave" when indicating that someone is on the verge of departing or going away. Example: "I am about to leave for the airport, so please make sure you have everything packed."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Boulogne had fallen and Calais was about to, leaving Dunkirk, Ostend and Zeebrugge as the only viable ports which could be used for evacuation.

Wikipedia

A representative conformation of the protein-OLA complex, in which OLA128 was about to leaving the protein, is shown in Figure 2. In the course of the OLA128 dissociation, small changes in the protein backbone conformation appeared to happen; the rotation of the sidechains of a few residues further enlarged the opening size so as to allow the egress of OLA128.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Train about to leave station.

The New York Times

They were about to leave.

Independent

Brunson was about to leave the riverbed.

The New Yorker

Now Gordon's about to leave, too.

The New Yorker

He was about to leave for Pakistan.

The New Yorker

Anthony Torres was about to leave.

The Guardian

Ian [Gillan] was about to leave.

The Guardian - Music

My train was about to leave.

The New Yorker

He's about to leave Paris.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct grammatical form, which is "about to leave", when indicating an imminent departure or action. For example, use "I am about to leave" instead of "I am about to leaving".

Common error

Avoid using the gerund form ("leaving") after "to" when it functions as part of the "about to" construction. "About to" requires the base form of the verb, not the -ing form. Therefore, always use "leave" instead of "leaving".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "about to leaving" is intended to function as a verbal phrase indicating an action that will occur in the near future. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "about to leave".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "about to leaving" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "about to leave". While the intention is to indicate an imminent action, the incorrect grammar undermines its effectiveness, particularly in formal contexts. As Ludwig AI indicates, using the correct infinitive form is crucial. Remember to use "about to leave" instead of "about to leaving" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity in your writing. This corrected form is widely used in news, informal conversation and science, as shown in the Ludwig examples.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

about to depart

A more formal synonym for "about to leave", suggesting a final stage before leaving.

just about to leave

Indicates that the action of leaving is extremely close, nearly instantaneous.

on the verge of leaving

Emphasizes the proximity to the act of leaving, highlighting the moment just before departure.

on the point of leaving

Highlights the specific moment or instant when departure is imminent.

ready to leave

Focuses on the preparedness and intention to leave, suggesting all preparations are complete.

on the brink of departure

Emphasizes the nearness of the leaving event using a more formal tone.

preparing to leave

Emphasizes the actions being taken in anticipation of departure.

going to leave

A more general statement of intention to leave in the near future.

intending to leave

Highlights the planned and deliberate nature of the departure.

planning to leave

Focuses on the planning stages of the departure, implying a future action.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say someone is on the verge of departure?

The correct phrase is "about to leave". The phrase "about to leaving" is grammatically incorrect. For example, "I am "about to leave" for the airport" is correct.

Are there alternatives to saying "about to leave"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "on the verge of leaving", "just "about to depart"", or "on the point of leaving" to express a similar meaning.

What's the difference between "about to leave" and "preparing to leave"?

"About to leave" implies the action is happening very soon, almost immediately. "Preparing to leave", on the other hand, suggests that actions are being taken in anticipation of a future departure.

Is "about to leaving" ever correct in English?

No, "about to leaving" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct form is always "about to leave".