planning to leave

USAGE SUMMARY

"planning to leave" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing future intentions or arrangements regarding departure. Example: "She is planning to leave for vacation next week." Alternative expressions include "intending to leave" and "preparing to leave."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

Was he planning to leave anyway?

The Economist

"We are not planning to leave".

The Guardian

Pilot teams are planning to leave next spring.

The New Yorker

The couple is planning to leave Mexico.

The New York Times

Now we're planning to leave sooner.

The New York Times

He is still planning to leave it out.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

Few planned to leave their homelands.

The Economist

He plans to leave in April.

The New York Times

Still, they do not plan to leave.

The New York Times

Jansons, who planned to leave the Pittsburgh Paa).

Encyclopedia Britannica

So they planned to leave together.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In professional settings, follow the phrase with a specific timeframe or destination to provide clarity, such as "planning to leave at the end of the month".

Common error

Do not confuse "planning to leave" (the act of departing) with "planning for leave", which refers to the administrative process of organizing time off from work or the military. Using the latter when you mean the former can lead to confusion in workplace communications.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "planning to leave" functions as a present continuous verb phrase (or a gerund phrase depending on syntax) that expresses a subject's current intention regarding a future departure. As noted in Ludwig, it is the standard way to denote a transition that is decided but not yet executed.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

10%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Social Media

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "planning to leave" is a highly reliable and versatile English expression for conveying intent. Ludwig AI shows that it is used extensively in high-quality journalism, such as The New York Times and The Economist, to discuss everything from political resignations to personal travel. It is more formal than "fixing to leave" and more deliberate than "about to leave". Writers should feel confident using it in any context, from a casual email to a formal news report, to indicate a planned departure.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

intending to leave

Stronger focus on the mental decision or purpose behind the departure.

preparing to leave

Suggests that the physical actions or logistics of departing are already in progress.

set to leave

Indicates a fixed schedule or a high degree of certainty regarding the departure.

about to leave

Implies the departure will happen almost immediately.

aiming to leave

Focuses on the target time or goal for departure, often used when timing is aspirational.

expecting to leave

Suggests departure based on external factors or a standard timeline.

considering leaving

Reflects a more tentative state where the decision is not yet finalized.

deciding to leave

Focuses on the specific moment the choice was made rather than the ongoing plan.

contemplating departure

A more formal and reflective way to describe thinking about leaving.

fixing to leave

An informal or regional variation common in Southern American English.

FAQs

Is "planning to leave" grammatically correct?

Yes, "planning to leave" is a correct present continuous verb phrase. It is frequently verified by Ludwig in authoritative sources like The Economist and The Guardian.

What can I say instead of "planning to leave"?

You can use alternatives like "intending to leave", "preparing to leave", or "set to leave" depending on your level of certainty.

What is the difference between "planning to leave" and "about to leave"?

While both describe future departure, "about to leave" implies immediacy (happening very soon), whereas "planning to leave" suggests an intention that might happen later.

Is it "planning to leave" or "planning on leaving"?

Both are correct. "Planning to leave" is slightly more common in formal writing, while "planning on leaving" is a standard and acceptable idiomatic alternative.