Basic Details
Word: Intention
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: What you plan or mean to do; your aim or purpose.
Synonyms: aim, plan, purpose, goal
How to Spell Intention
Syllables: in - ten - tion
Tricky part: The ending is tion. Students sometimes write sion, or jumble the end as toin.
Watch out for: intenshun, intentoin, intencion
Memory tip: Your intention is your intent. Add ion to intent and the t stays exactly where it was: intent-ion.
Idioms and Phrases
- with the best of intentions: meaning to help, even if things go wrong Example: "With the best of intentions, Grandpa watered the cactus every day, and it rotted."
Usage Examples
Example 1: I had every intention of finishing the project before the weekend.
Example 2: Her intention was to help, not to show off.
Example 3: The coach made his intention clear: attack from the very first ball.
Fun Fact
In law, intention matters a great deal: courts often judge the same act very differently depending on whether the person meant to do it or did it by accident.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix given to make a real word. Choose it:
Suffix: ion
a) internal
b) intensive
c) intent
d) intend
Show answer
c) intent. Intent + ion gives intention; none of the other three can end in ion.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to intention as used in the sentence:
It was never my intention to keep the library book for a whole month.
a) purpose
b) accident
c) refusal
d) mistake
Show answer
a) purpose. An intention is something you mean to do, which is a purpose.
Mingle-Mangle
Rearrange the jumbled letters in the sentence to find the right word:
Mohan made his nottiinen clear by raising his hand before anyone else.
a) intonation
b) intention
c) invention
d) attention
Show answer
b) intention. There is no v or a in the jumble, which rules out invention, attention and intonation.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which verb is linked to intention?
a) intend
b) attend
c) extend
d) invent
Show answer
a) intend
2. If you did something with no intention of hurting anyone, you ____.
a) forgot what you did
b) did not mean to hurt anyone
c) planned to hurt everyone
d) wanted to hurt someone
Show answer
b) did not mean to hurt anyone
