Making plans · Time and plans
plan ahead
prepare early
To plan ahead is to think about and organise something before it happens.
This vs that
We need to plan ahead.
We need to plan the trip.
Hear it in real life
Why are you making dinner already?
I'm planning ahead for tomorrow because I finish work late.
If we plan ahead, we can usually get cheaper train tickets.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
Plan ahead is the ordinary conversational phrase for preparing early.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: We need to plan before for the journey.
Say: We need to plan ahead for the journey.
Plan ahead already includes the idea of doing something early.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
plan ahead for ___
We need to plan ahead for the busy season.
If you plan ahead for the journey, you can avoid the worst traffic.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about making plans.
play it by ear
We haven't booked anything; we'll play it by ear.
have something in mind
Do you have something in mind for dinner?
Making plans words
Time and plans · Making plans: the words around “plan ahead”.
More connectionsMore making plans words8
More making plans words
Your turn: say it out loud
Let's plan ahead a bit.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
plan ahead
prepare early
“If we plan ahead, we can usually get cheaper train tickets.”
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