planned to

USAGE SUMMARY

"planned to" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to something that is intended or expected to happen in the future. For example: "We had planned to have the party outside, but the rain stopped us."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He planned to resign.

The New York Times

That he planned to.

The New York Times

She planned to vote no.

The New York Times

He planned to use polls.

The New Yorker

He planned to continue working.

The New York Times - Sports

He planned to fight corruption.

The New York Times

Page wasn't planned to last.

The New York Times

They planned to head north, into Macedonia.

The New Yorker

I had planned to work longer.

The New York Times

They planned to stay a while.

The New York Times

Few planned to leave their homelands.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "planned to" to clearly express intentions or arrangements that were made in the past but may or may not have been realized. This helps avoid ambiguity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "planned to" when referring to current or ongoing plans. "Planning to" or "intend to" are more appropriate for present or future intentions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "planned to" functions as an auxiliary verb construction indicating a past intention or arrangement. It combines the past tense of "plan" with the infinitive form of another verb to express what someone intended to do.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Science

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "planned to" is a very common and grammatically sound way to express a past intention or arrangement in English. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides ample real-world examples from reputable sources like The New York Times and The Economist. It's most frequently found in News & Media contexts but also appears in more formal settings. When using "planned to", remember to use it for intentions set in the past. For current plans, use present continuous such as "planning to".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intended to

Replaces "planned" with "intended", emphasizing a prior intention or purpose.

meant to

Substitutes "planned" with "meant", suggesting a predetermined course of action or expectation.

aimed to

Replaces "planned" with "aimed", focusing on the goal or objective of the action.

scheduled to

Uses "scheduled" instead of "planned", highlighting a formal or fixed arrangement.

set out to

Implies a determined or purposeful start towards achieving a goal.

was going to

Employs a more informal structure to indicate a past intention.

prepared to

Indicates readiness or anticipation for a future action, rather than just planning.

had designs on

Offers a more idiomatic alternative, suggesting ambitious or strategic intentions.

looked forward to

Highlights anticipation and positive expectation towards a future event.

contemplated to

Suggests a more thoughtful and deliberate consideration of future actions.

FAQs

How do you use "planned to" in a sentence?

Use "planned to" to describe something that was intended or arranged to happen in the past. For example, "They "planned to travel" to Europe last summer, but they had to cancel their trip."

What can I say instead of "planned to"?

You can use alternatives like "intended to", "was going to", or "scheduled to" depending on the context.

Is "planned on" the same as "planned to"?

While both phrases convey intention, "planned to" is generally more formal and widely accepted. "Planned on" is often followed by a gerund (verb + -ing), whereas "planned to" is followed by the base form of the verb.

What is the difference between "planned to" and "meant to"?

"Planned to" implies a more deliberate arrangement or preparation. "Meant to" often suggests a general intention or expectation that may not have involved detailed planning.