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Prepositions after verbs

Intend for, intend as, or intend to?

Intend to is used for planned actions. Intend for introduces the person or thing something is meant for. Intend as is used when something is meant to serve a role.

Quick answer

Which form is correct?

Use intend to + verb for plans or aims. Use intend for + person or purpose when something is meant for someone. Use intend as when assigning a role or function.

She intends to study abroad next year.
The guide is intended for beginners.
The room was intended as a studio.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
intend to + verb

Expressing a plan or intention

Use intend to before a verb to describe what someone plans or aims to do.

I intend to apply next month.
2
intend for + person/thing

Showing who something is meant for

Use intend for when describing the target user, recipient, or purpose.

This course is intended for new managers.
3
intend as + role

Describing a function or role

Use intend as when something is designed to serve a particular role.

The device was intended as a backup system.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
intend to
They intend to expand the business.
plan to do something
intend for
The software is intended for small companies.
meant for a person, group, or use
intend as
The comment was intended as a joke.
meant to function or be understood as something
intend on
She intends on staying late.
informal alternative to intend to in some varieties of English

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using intend for before a verb

Use intend to before another verb.

✕ We intend for launch next week. ✓ We intend to launch next week.

Confusing purpose and role

Use intended for for users or recipients, and intended as for functions or identities.

✕ The box is intended as children. ✓ The box is intended for children.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They intend ___ open a new office.
2. This manual is intended ___ technicians.
3. The speech was intended ___ encouragement.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say intend on?

Intend on is used in informal English, especially before -ing forms, but intend to is more standard in formal writing.

Is intended for always passive?

It is most common in passive structures such as intended for children, but active forms also occur.

Can intend as describe interpretation?

Yes. For example, intended as criticism means something was meant to be understood in that way.

identify-with-by-in-as, for "ignore by" or "ignore in"? illuminate by, with, at, for or in? "illustrate by" or "illustrate in"? "imagine for", "imagine by" or "imagine in"? imbue with, in, by or onto? immigrate to, from, in, with or into? impair by, for, in, because or throughout? "impart to", "impart in" or "impart by"? "impeach by" or "impeach for"? "impinge on" or "impinge upon"? "implement in" or "implement by"?

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