971 - Talking About Plans and Intentions in English - Want To, Plan To, Be Going To, Hope To, and Intend To
18 January 2026

971 - Talking About Plans and Intentions in English - Want To, Plan To, Be Going To, Hope To, and Intend To

Happy English Podcast

About
Do you ever notice that when you talk about your plans in English, you use the same phrase again and again?
Maybe you say things like: “I’m gonna do this.”  “I’m gonna go there.”  “I’m gonna improve my English.” Those sentences are totally fine. No problem at all.

But native speakers don’t only use “be going to” when they talk about future plans. We also use phrases like want to, plan to, hope to, and even intend to - and each one sounds a little different. So today, let’s look at five very common ways to talk about plans and intentions in English, and how native speakers really use them in everyday conversation.

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Happy English Podcast – Speak English Naturally I’m Michael from Happy English, and I help people speak English more naturally, confidently, and clearly.

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