Make plans means to plan, to decide what you're going to do. In conversation it often means arranging to meet someone: Let's make plans for Saturday. It sounds equally natural in everyday life and at work.
Want to remember make plans?
Write a sentence — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
make plans for + time/event; make plans to + verb; make plans with + person
- We've started making plans for our trip to Georgia in May.
- Let's make plans to meet up after your exams.
- I never make plans for Sunday morning because that's my time to sleep.
What changed
First versionWe built plans for the weekend, but it rained.
RevisionWe made plans for the weekend, but it rained.
Build plans can seem logical, as if plans were put together step by step. But in English plans aren't built; they're made: make plans.
Have plans means something is already arranged and you're busy. I'm sorry, I already have plans tonight is a polite way to turn down an invitation without explaining. Make plans is the process: arranging and deciding what to do.
Your turn
We should ___ plans for Anna's birthday before all the cafés are booked.
Show the answer
make — In English you make plans, so make. Build plans isn't used.
Write a message to a friend to arrange to meet. Suggest a day and an activity.
Let's make plans for Saturday afternoon. How about trying the new climbing gym?
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.