They were going to travel on saturday but they had to change their plans. vs They were travelling on saturday but they had to change their plans.

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. The first phrase 'they were going to travel on Saturday but they had to change their plans' indicates a planned future action that was disrupted. The second phrase 'they were traveling on Saturday but they had to change their plans' suggests that the action of traveling had already started but was interrupted.

Last updated: March 22, 2024 • 323 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a planned future action that was disrupted.

"They were going to travel on saturday but they had to change their plans."

This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone had planned to travel on a specific day but had to change their plans for some reason.

Show examples from the web [+]

We were going to travel the world together.
So this is what they were going to do in their trial.
They were going to launch terrorist attacks in Spain using explosives.
I thought at least they read the resolutions they were going to vote on.
It was clear that on drugs policy they were going to lose gloriously in the House.
And we also heard they were going to deal with the Kurdish problem.
And we wanted to know when they were going to get home.
They were going to call me "Brush" Carter.
They were going to use me to split the vote.
I knew they were going to be at the theater.
They were going to kill someone with his belt buckle.
They were going to take over the world.
They were going to axe me for a younger man.
I thought first of all they were going to keep both lots.
Bill, they were going to kill another hostage.
They thought they were going to be heroes.
They were going to that Japanese restaurant you like to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
They were going to shoot you when you came in to supper.
They were going to stop us from protecting sharks.
He said they were going to Utopia.

Alternatives:

they had planned to travel on Saturday but they had to change their plans.
they intended to travel on Saturday but they had to change their plans.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that the action of traveling had already started but was interrupted.

"They were travelling on saturday but they had to change their plans."

This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone was already in the process of traveling on a specific day but had to change their plans for some reason.

Show examples from the web [+]

They were travelling south with a girl.
Listen Andi. Look, I know you're busy on Saturday but I was just thinking maybe, you could...
He was supposed to place bets for us all on Saturday but he didn't even do that.
They were deported from that country when they were travelling to talk to human rights activists, so-called dissidents.
The plane on which they were travelling, together with 160 other people returning from Denmark, was about to land at Heathrow Airport and was at an altitude of approximately 60 metres, when it very nearly crashed into another aircraft.
My constituent has also alleged that the Border Guards established that Nataliya was his wife and that they were travelling together.
Mr President, I take this opportunity to convey my deepest sympathy to the families of five young teenage girls who tragically lost their lives two days ago in Ireland in an accident involving a school bus in which they were travelling.
All passengers in uninsured vehicles are accordingly treated identically, regardless of whether they were travelling in the vehicle causing the damage or injury or not.
But they were ghosts... untraceable.
Now if you think back on Tina Fey's impersonations on Saturday Night Live of the newly nominated vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, they were devastating.
The two arrested men were taken to the local police station on Kallidromiou Street, where they were detained on Saturday evening.
I am very proud of the fact that they were in Edinburgh on the march. I should add that this was on Saturday, not two days ago.
But they were right. They were exactly right.
At a time when the textile sector is experiencing a true industrial and social disaster, they were listening, but they were not hearing.
They were having fun but they were also diligently accumulating information for Germany.
They were collecting scrap iron for the German government, but they were free.
The IDs indicated they were Mexican nationals, but they were fakes.
They were not perfect but they were my friends.
Two Ukrainian students, who were travelling from Wrocław to Berlin last year, were detained just as they were crossing the border, mainly because the young people were not aware of the rules, and they only wanted to make use of our intellectual resources.
They were travelling in a convoy of vehicles and were in the first car - the only one to be caught in the tragic homicidal ambush and to be drawn away from the rest of the convoy.

Alternatives:

they were on their way to travel on Saturday but they had to change their plans.
they had already started traveling on Saturday but they had to change their plans.

How TextRanch works

Fast and reliable proofreading, editing, and language advice tailored to your needs.

1. Choose Your Service

Quick Text Editing

Emails and short texts
Proofreading & editing
Ready in 5-10 minutes

SUBMIT YOUR TEXT NOW

Document Editing

Documents of any type (*.docx)
Advanced & Premium editing
Ready in as little as 4 hours

UPLOAD YOUR DOCUMENT

Humanize AI Content

AI-generated texts or documents (*.docx)
Check for errors and appropriateness
Rephrase to improve flow and style

SUBMIT YOUR AI CONTENT

Upload your document or paste your text directly into our platform. Your text is reviewed and refined by our expert editors (real people, not machines) who understand the nuances of English. Expect corrections, improvements, and insightful suggestions that enhance the clarity, tone, and professionalism of your writing.

3. Receive Your Polished Text

In just a few minutes (or hours for longer documents), you'll receive your corrected text. Review the changes, make any final adjustments, and confidently share your polished English with the world.
You can count on a personalized, friendly service every time you use TextRanch. We're committed to helping you make a great impression with every word you write.

We proofread and edit these types of texts and documents:

Short texts Business Emails Personal Emails Social media posts Resume and Curriculum Vitae Business documents Sales proposal Research and academic papers Thesis Dissertation Essays Articles Blog posts and much more....

Our Customers Love Us!

We have an average rating of 4.8 stars based on 301'733 votes.

"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"

Zubair
from Bangladesh

"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"

Arturo
from Mexico

"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."

Selena
from USA

"Wow, it's just so excellent. I never would have believed I could have a sure and excellent English companion. Thanks, TextRanch."

Ifiok
from Nigeria

"This is my first time using TextRanch, and I like how the editors take time to correct my text. To everyone who has never used TextRanch before, I highly recommend trying it."

Wilson
from France

"It is an amazing source of feedback because, as a non-native speaker, I really need to have a reliable helper correct my text."

Susan
from Germany

They were going to travel on saturday but they had to change their plans. vs They were travelling on saturday but they had to change their plans.