an initial planning

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an initial planning" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression would be "an initial plan" or "initial planning" without the article "an." Example: "We need to create an initial plan before moving forward with the project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The two friends meet in Washington for an initial planning session.

The New York Times

In a formal response to an initial planning application submitted to the South Downs National Park Authority, one farmer said: "The impact of drilling and possible future fracking will change our lives forever, as it is known that this process both pollutes the land and causes serious health issues.

Independent

We might expect that with fully informed search, much of the decision-making is made during an initial planning phase rather than iteratively during the wayfinding process.

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

An initial planning application, including a new Sainsbury's supermarket, was rejected by the council in November 1997; the rejection was subsequently upheld on appeal in September 1998.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Similarly, Mr. Bonier said Democrats had feared that an initial plan to split Woodbridge three ways would dilute its power.

The New York Times

A furtive gathering of Russian and American experts and former officials on a Finnish island last month produced an initial plan.

The Economist

I had an initial plan, yes, but only insofar as I had an idea of the beginning and the end, and neither survived unscathed.

The Guardian

How did you begin writing your book – did you have an initial plan, or did you just start writing and see where it went?

The Guardian

The other new London, run by Alex Wrottesley, co-founder of Near, has an initial plan to harness what drives most people to the West End: shopping.

The Guardian - Tech

And so, Mr. DeVitto said, an initial plan to introduce the contactless cards from 2012 to 2015 will need to be recalibrated.

The New York Times

That was up from an initial plan of 800 daily cancellations for the duration of the strike, which had been expected to last until Friday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "initial plan" or "initial planning" instead of "an initial planning" for better grammatical accuracy.

Common error

Avoid using the indefinite article "an" directly before "initial planning". The word "planning" functions as a non-count noun in this context, so it doesn't typically take an indefinite article. Instead, use "initial planning" or rephrase to use "an initial plan".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an initial planning" functions as a noun phrase that attempts to describe the beginning stages of creating a plan. However, as noted by Ludwig, it's considered grammatically incorrect due to the use of the indefinite article "an" before the non-count noun "planning".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase “an initial planning” appears in various sources as shown by Ludwig, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. The more appropriate alternatives are “initial planning” or “an initial plan”. The frequency of the expression is rare, appearing in news, science and wiki articles. Ludwig AI underscores its non-standard usage. Therefore, writers should opt for the grammatically sound alternatives to maintain clarity and correctness in their writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initial plan

Omits the gerund form "planning", uses "plan" as a noun, making it grammatically correct.

preliminary planning

Replaces "initial" with "preliminary", emphasizing the early stage of planning.

primary planning

Uses "primary" instead of "initial", but the meaning remains essentially the same.

early stage planning

Highlights the temporal aspect by specifying "early stage".

basic planning

Uses "basic" instead of "initial", indicating a simple or fundamental level of planning.

first phase of planning

Uses a more structured approach, referring to a "first phase".

initial stage of planning

Adds "stage" to clarify the planning process.

foundational planning

Replaces "initial" with "foundational", suggesting that the planning establishes a base for future actions.

start of planning

Focuses on the beginning of the planning activities.

planning kickoff

Uses a more informal term, "kickoff", to indicate the start of planning.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "an initial planning"?

No, the correct usage is either "initial planning" or "an initial plan". The term "planning" is often used as a non-count noun, so it does not require the indefinite article "an".

What is a better way to phrase "an initial planning"?

You can use alternatives like "initial plan" or "preliminary planning" to convey the same meaning with better grammatical accuracy.

How does "initial plan" differ from "initial planning"?

"Initial plan" uses "plan" as a noun, referring to a document or strategy. "Initial planning" uses "planning" as a gerund, referring to the process itself. The meaning is very similar, but the grammatical structure is different.

Can I always replace "an initial planning" with "initial plan"?

In most contexts, yes. However, ensure that using the noun phrase "initial plan" fits the sentence structure and intended meaning. If you are referring to the process of planning, "initial planning" without the article might be more appropriate.