we initially planned

USAGE SUMMARY

"we initially planned" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that was planned at an earlier point. For example: We initially planned to take a trip to England, but our plans have since changed due to the pandemic.

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

40 human-written examples

Furthermore, we initially planned to be able to pick up and move the cards ourselves with a vacuum pump and suction cup.

Cornell University

Conditions didn't look great, which is why we initially planned for a 4 day trip, potentially waiting out bad weather at Camp Muir.

Stanford University

Since our device would have to be recognized by a computer as a human interface device, we initially planned to use the USB HID protocol and thus would have to abide by the USB HID protocol specifications.

Cornell University

Now that we had an interface into the actual buffer and refresh processor, we attempted to add a sinple instruction set that would allow us to perform all the functions we initially planned for.

Cornell University

For our second iteration we have created a sample website that features the functions of the app we initially planned, most importantly the story uploading, pictures, text and heat-mapping.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Everything is on track to carry through with the changes as prepared, although we will be doing so on a much smaller scale than we initially planned," The Jakarta Globe quoted Mr. Nuh as saying last week.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

20 human-written examples

Although we had initially planned to construct funnel plots, we eventually opted against that since the number of included studies in the meta-analyses was fewer than 10.

BMJ Open

We had initially planned to conduct more groups; however we reached saturation of new information after three groups and therefore decided to stop data collection at this point.

BMC Psychiatry

We had initially planned to use GN boundaries as a proxy for villages, but we found that in some areas there was considerable communication between households in neighbouring GN divisions, and household allegiances which reflected historical rather than current boundaries.

BMC Public Health

"We'd initially planned to do nearly all the buildings on campus," Lehrburger said.

Stanford University

"We had initially planned to raise about $2 billion from our share sale in Hong Kong," Mr. Wang said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "we initially planned", follow it with an explanation of why the plans changed, offering a complete picture to your audience.

Common error

Avoid simply stating "we initially planned" without explaining what happened to alter those plans. Providing the reason adds clarity and prevents confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "we initially planned" functions as a retrospective indicator, signaling a prior intention or arrangement that has subsequently been modified or abandoned. Ludwig AI affirms the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

35%

Academia

31%

News & Media

23%

Less common in

Formal & Business

11%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "we initially planned" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase for indicating a change in prior intentions. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is valid and usable in various contexts. It's crucial to provide context by explaining the reasons for the change to ensure clarity and transparency. Related phrases like "we originally intended" offer similar meanings. Common usage appears in science, academia and news & media. By following these guidelines, writers can effectively use "we initially planned" to communicate evolving plans with precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we originally intended

Focuses on the original intention rather than the specific plan.

we had initially intended

Adds emphasis on the past intention with 'had'.

our initial plan was

Shifts the focus to the plan itself rather than the planning process.

we started out planning

Emphasizes the beginning of the planning process.

we first considered

Highlights the initial consideration of a particular action.

we initially envisioned

Emphasizes the visualization aspect of the initial planning stage.

at first we planned

Uses a temporal phrase to indicate when the planning occurred.

initially, we aimed

Focuses on the objective or goal of the initial plan.

we had in mind to

Expresses the initial idea or concept that was considered.

the original idea was

Focuses on the original concept or thought behind the plan.

FAQs

How can I use "we initially planned" in a sentence?

Use "we initially planned" to introduce a previous intention, followed by an explanation of the current situation. For example, "We initially planned to launch the product in June, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we've postponed it to August."

What's a good alternative to "we initially planned"?

Alternatives include "we originally intended", "our initial plan was", or "we had initially intended", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it necessary to explain why the initial plan changed after stating "we initially planned"?

While not strictly grammatically required, explaining the reason for the change provides context and clarity for the reader. Omitting the reason can leave the reader wondering what happened to the initial plan.

What is the difference between "we initially planned" and "we initially expected"?

"We initially planned" refers to a deliberate course of action that was intended, while "we initially expected" refers to an anticipation or belief about what would happen. Planning involves intention, while expecting involves prediction.