{"id":50830,"date":"2019-06-25T01:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-06-25T01:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/aee\/aee-1179-have-you-been-meaning-to-use-more-natural-english\/"},"modified":"2023-04-25T15:45:15","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T15:45:15","slug":"aee-1179-have-you-been-meaning-to-use-more-natural-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-1179-have-you-been-meaning-to-use-more-natural-english\/","title":{"rendered":"AEE 1179: Have You Been Meaning to Use More Natural English?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Do you have something that you have been wanting to try?<\/p>\n

Have you heard somebody use the phrase \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to\u201d in English conversations?<\/p>\n

This is a phrase that helps you to show intent in conversation.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to show you how you can use this phrase and why it\u2019s so useful in your everyday conversations with native English speakers.<\/p>\n

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Get Your Transcripts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Make sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bring your English to the advanced level with new vocabulary and natural expressions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We have a listener question about this very conversational phrase. <\/p>\n

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Hi! I\u2019ve been listening to All Ears English for about a year, and this is the best tool for studying English ever! I can\u2019t live without all of the small talk and lessons! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a question about a sentence that my American friend said. We were talking about some places that we want to visit, and when I suggested a certain place, she said \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to go!\u201d I can understand the meaning of each word and what she\u2019s thinking about there, but I don\u2019t think I get the nuance of that sentence exactly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If there\u2019s a chance, I would be happy if you guys could explain what \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to go!\u201d actually means. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yuka from Japan <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Using This Phrase Properly<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a very common phrase that you will hear used quite often in conversation.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a matter of knowing how to use it in the best way possible.<\/p>\n

What do you think Yuka\u2019s American friend meant?<\/p>\n

In this example, it may have meant that they intended to go there but they haven\u2019t yet.<\/p>\n

It sounds like they want to go, but they haven\u2019t yet made a plan or made it to the desired destination.<\/p>\n

So this is a phrase that shows intent or that plans are going to be made.<\/p>\n

This is a common scenario or situation that you may be talking about, and so knowing how to use the phrase \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to\u201d can be quite useful.<\/p>\n

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Great Examples and Ways To Utilize It<\/strong><\/p>\n

You might use it to talk about something that you want to do, but haven\u2019t actually done yet.<\/p>\n

You might use it to talk about plans that you have yet to make.<\/p>\n

It may be used to talk about a new restaurant<\/a> you want to try, or to speak to plans that you want to make with your friends that you haven\u2019t seen in awhile. <\/p>\n

You will often hear the phrase \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to\u201d used with the word \u201cgo,\u201d but there are other uses too.<\/p>\n

You may also use the phrase in a way such as \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to\u201d + base verb.<\/p>\n

This really opens it up and allows you to see just how far reaching this phrase can be when it comes to discussing intent.<\/p>\n

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So Many Great Ways To Integrate It<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you look at this phrase, it\u2019s very versatile and can therefore be used a number of different ways.<\/p>\n

What are some common ways that you have heard this phrase utilized?<\/p>\n

You might hear or say something like:<\/p>\n