I
have a
tiny theory
about English grammar now.
Before I show you it, please read an example below that has the question concerning the theory.
"And by the way, Mr.Godai!!"
"Y-Yes?"
"It's afternoon already! What about school?"
"I...uh...was planning on going late."
When I read this, I wondered why it wasn't "I planned on going late." I wondered which sentence was better or more natural in that situation, "I was planning on going late" or "I planned on going late"I learned from a book on English grammar
that present participles are used to refer to actual actions or states of someone,
so,
present participles are used to create a
vivid description.
So, I
supposed that "I
was planning on going late"
is emphasizing the actions of the planning of the past as a
vivid description. So I didn't
know well why the person had to emphasize it.
After I post this question on Lang-8, a SNS for the people who want to practice foreign language, my friend Lynkus gave me her answer about it.
Below is her answer to me:
"I was planning" is more natural. It's not emphases. I suppose it's kind of submissive. If someone finds out you were going to do something they didn't want you to do and confronts you, you say "I was planning ~", and it usually implies that, because you were found out, you'll now change your plans.
Below is my question for that.
What is the difference between using "I planned" and "I was planning" in the situation? I think it relates to the situation that sometimes you choice "I am(was)" but the other times you choice "I do(did)".
So, please answer these questions below with using "I am" or "I do" which is more natural.
"Why didn't you come to the place?"'(You were busy then.)
"Which college did you plan to go?"(Answer with using "I planed" or "I was planning" which is more natural)
Lynkusu answered me below:
Her answer for "What is the difference between using "I planned" and "I was planning" in the situation?":
I planned" would be submissive, too, but "I was planning" just sounds better, more natural. I don't know why, it just... is. :|
Her answer for "Why didn't you come to the place?"':
You'd say "I was busy", you'd never say "I was being busy."
If a sudden change in plans prevented you from going, the most natural thing to say would be "I was planning to go, but ~". "I planned" could work too, but "I was planning" is better.
Her answer about "Which college did you plan to go?":
If you actually went to the college in question, you'd just say "I went to ~."
If you didn't... then I don't think it would actually make a difference whether you said "I planned" or "I was planning." In this situation, I think "I planned" might be slightly preferable. Maybe.
The most natural answer would just be to omit "I planned/was planning" altogether and just say the name of the college.
My answer for her:
After all, you thought that "I was planning ~" is more natural if you were blamed by someone like, "It's afternoon already! What about school?" or "Why didn't you come to the place?". Then you were submissive and you would choice saying "I was ~", right?
Right now, I also begin to think that "I was planning ~" is more natural and is submissive. If I say "I planned on going late" as the reply, it's as if I'm just telling my insistence to the person.
It's like,
"It's afternoon already! What about school?"
"I planned on going late. (It's what I decided before, so it's not your business!)."
If I say below:
"It's afternoon already! What about school?"
"I was planing on going late. (Oh, sorry. But I just decided going late before you told that)."
Thus it's more submissive or polite.
Her answer for me:
Yeah, I think that might be it. It depends on how you say it, too, of course, but generally, that's probably right. If you say "I was planning ~" strongly and firmly with confidence, it might imply that you in fact have no intentions of changing your plans.
My answer for her:
I thought about the conversation again as below:
"What are you doing! It's time you should be studying!"
"I was planning on studying late".
(↑ This looks he is just trying to tell his situation)
"I planned on studying late"
(↑ This looks he is justifying himself)
I think that "is, are, am" are used for telling one's state or situation, so it's more static than the other verbs like "plan", which is rather active or voluntary.
This difference would make the difference between the two sentences.
Then our discussion was over.
Before I had the discussion with her, a present particle was just used for creating a vivid situation to be told for someone. But, it was not enough explanation for the function.
As Lynkusu mentioned above, "I was planning on going late" could be more submissive than "I planned on going late".
I think that "I was planning" is like more describing a situation so it's not emphasizing or stressing his rightness. So it looks submissive.
"I planned" is like more justifying his choice so he is arguing for the person who told him "It's
afternoon already!
What about school?"
Why the difference is there is from the difference between "is, am, are" and the other verbs like "plan, decide, choice" which is more active or voluntary than the former.
