On 2010-08-22, at 12:19 AM, Bud wrote:

> In most, if not all, of the formal writing I have come across, plan to is used.  Is this not reason enough for me to continue teaching my students that this is preferable?

That is certainly one interpretation. When this happens though, it is often the case that the person claiming that X, Y, or Z is new, informal, vulgar, dialectal, or genre specific has simply overlooked a much more general phenomenon. This is most likely the case with 'plan on'. Another possibility, is simply a lack of exposure to a wide range of sources, though this is unlikely to be true for people on this list. To guard against this kind of bias (which is perfectly normal), it is best to consult dictionaries (The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English includes 'plan on' in sense 2 of 'plan' with no comment) and usage guides (Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage says, "Plan on, followed by the gerund, is a standard American idiom.")

>  Additionally, does the simple fact that plan on can be classified as a phrasal verb mean that it should be considered correct?  Should I allow a student to write "If you plan at going, arrive early?  If not, why not?  Plan at is a phrasal verbs and the gerund attending its direct object. 

No, clearly slapping any old preposition onto the end of a verb and calling it a phrasal verb doesn't make it correct. But there is no evidence that anybody is using 'plan at' in this way, where there is ample evidence that a large number of people in both formal and informal situations are using 'plan on' (though they continue to use 'plan to' more commonly). Indeed, 'plan on' is slightly more common in US newspapers than, for example, 'preferable'.

Best,
Brett

-----------------------
Brett Reynolds
English Language Centre
Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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