Intention/ intent

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Intention/ intent

A question fromBabak in Iran:

What  is the difference between intention and intent?

Gareth Rees answers:

Hell o Babak. Thank  you  for your questi on about intent and intention. Both words are nouns that come  f rom the verb  intend, which means to have something  in mind as a pl an or purpose.

In terms of  meaning, there is  li tt l e difference between these two nouns. They both mean a plan, or purpose, to do something. However, there is a difference  in the way we use the words.Intent is used  in more  formalsi tuat i ons, such as  in  legal contexts, whereas  intent i on  is used  in a wi derange of si tuat i ons;  i t  i s a more everyday word. Also, in grammat i cal terms, intent is an uncountable  noun and  intent i on  i s a countable  noun.

So, for example,  in a newspaper report about a court case  you mightread he  was carrying a gun  with intent to commit a bank robbery. Whereas, in a conversat i on wi th a  f riend, someone might say I  went to the bank with the intention of opening a bank account, butI forgot to take my passport, soI couldn’t even do that .

There  i s one other important difference. Intent is also an adj ect ive, but intent i on  is only a noun. If   you are  intent on doi ng something,  you are determined to do something. For example, she  was intent on becoming an actress, so she  went to drama school even though it was against her parents’  wishes.

So, my  intent i on was to answer  your questi on, andI hope, Babak, thatI'v e managed to that.

He has taughtEFL, EAP andBusinessEnglish inChina, Spain andEngland, and he is the coauthor of the Language LeaderElementary and Pre-IntermediateEnglish language course books (Pearson Longman). He currently teachesEnglish in the Language Centre at the University of the Arts, London.