To
To is a preposition. It is also used as part of the infinitive (the to-infinitive):
Does this train go to Cambridge? (preposition)
I’d like to see that film. (to-infinitive)
To as a preposition: destination or direction
We can use to as a preposition to indicate a destination or direction:
We’re going to Liverpool next week.
Does he want to come to the park with us?
The dog ran to us as soon as we arrived.
To as a preposition: receiver of an action
We use to with verbs such as give, hand, send, write, to indicate the person or thing that receives or experiences the object of the verb:
I [V]gave [O]the keys to [receiver]Jane.
She’s always writing letters to the local newspaper.
See also:
To as a preposition: time
We use to in telling the time, when we refer to the number of minutes before the hour:
Her train arrives at quarter to five.
It’s ten to six. We’d better leave now or we’ll be late.
We can use to with the meaning of ‘until’ when we are talking about time. We often use it in the expression from … to …:
It’s just three days to New Year’s Day.
They’re only open from Monday to Friday. They’re closed at the weekend.
To as a preposition: approximate numbers
We can use to when we refer to an approximate number somewhere between a lower number and a higher number:
There were forty to fifty people at the meeting.
It’ll probably cost you thirty to thirty-five pounds.
To as a preposition: after nouns
A number of nouns are followed by to. These include nouns expressing direction or destination such as door, entrance, road, route, way:
The door to the main office was open.
Is this the way to the airport?
They also include nouns referring to transport, such as bus, coach, ferry, flight, train:
The ferry to Santander takes 12 hours.
Is this the bus to the stadium?
Nouns expressing reactions and responses are also followed by to. These include answer, key, reaction, reply, response, solution:
His reaction to her comments was very aggressive.
They don’t seem to be able to find a solution to the problem of global warming yet.
To as a preposition: after verbs
Some verbs are followed by the preposition to, including be used, get used, listen, look forward, object, reply, respond:
We listened to that CD you lent us. It’s great.
I object to your remarks.
The bank hasn’t replied to my letter yet.
To as a preposition: after adjectives
Some adjectives connected with people’s behaviour and feelings are followed by to, including cruel, faithful, generous, kind, loyal, nasty:
I cannot bear people being cruel to animals.
Be kind to her. You’re so nasty to her!
Many individuals have been loyal to the Conservative Party all their lives.
To: the to-infinitive
We use to before a verb to make the to-infinitive form:
She loves to wear really colourful dresses.
I need to leave early today.
To get an outside line, you have to dial 9 first.
(©劍橋大學出版社《當代英語語法》有關「To」的內容。)
- Adjectives and adverbs
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Easily confused words
- Above or over?
- Across, over or through?
- Advice or advise?
- Affect or effect?
- All or every?
- All or whole?
- Allow, permit or let?
- Almost or nearly?
- Alone, lonely, or lonesome?
- Along or alongside?
- Already, still or yet?
- Also, as well or too?
- Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)
- Although or though?
- Altogether or all together?
- Amount of, number of or quantity of?
- Any more or anymore?
- Anyone, anybody or anything?
- Apart from or except for?
- Arise or rise?
- Around or round?
- Arouse or rouse?
- As or like?
- As, because or since?
- As, when or while?
- Been or gone?
- Begin or start?
- Beside or besides?
- Between or among?
- Born or borne?
- Bring, take and fetch
- Can, could or may?
- Classic or classical?
- Come or go?
- Consider or regard?
- Consist, comprise or compose?
- Content or contents?
- Different from, different to or different than?
- Do or make?
- Down, downwards or downward?
- During or for?
- Each or every?
- East or eastern; north or northern?
- Economic or economical?
- Efficient or effective?
- Elder, eldest or older, oldest?
- End or finish?
- Especially or specially?
- Every one or everyone?
- Except or except for?
- Expect, hope or wait?
- Experience or experiment?
- Fall or fall down?
- Far or a long way?
- Farther, farthest or further, furthest?
- Fast, quick or quickly?
- Fell or felt?
- Female or feminine; male or masculine?
- Finally, at last, lastly or in the end?
- First, firstly or at first?
- Fit or suit?
- Following or the following?
- For or since?
- Forget or leave?
- Full or filled?
- Fun or funny?
- Get or go?
- Grateful or thankful?
- Hear or listen (to)?
- High or tall?
- Historic or historical?
- House or home?
- How is …? or What is … like?
- If or when?
- If or whether?
- Ill or sick?
- Imply or infer?
- In the way or on the way?
- It’s or its?
- Late or lately?
- Lay or lie?
- Lend or borrow?
- Less or fewer?
- Look at, see or watch?
- Low or short?
- Man, mankind or people?
- Maybe or may be?
- Maybe or perhaps?
- Nearest or next?
- Never or not … ever?
- Nice or sympathetic?
- No doubt or without doubt?
- No or not?
- Nowadays, these days or today?
- Open or opened?
- Opportunity or possibility?
- Opposite or in front of?
- Other, others, the other or another?
- Out or out of?
- Permit or permission?
- Person, persons or people?
- Pick or pick up?
- Play or game?
- Politics, political, politician or policy?
- Price or prize?
- Principal or principle?
- Quiet or quite?
- Raise or rise?
- Remember or remind?
- Right or rightly?
- Rob or steal?
- Say or tell?
- So that or in order that?
- Sometimes or sometime?
- Sound or noise?
- Speak or talk?
- Such or so?
- There, their or they’re?
- Towards or toward?
- Wait or wait for?
- Wake, wake up or awaken?
- Worth or worthwhile?
- Nouns, pronouns and determiners
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Prepositions and particles
- Above
- After
- Against
- Among and amongst
- At
- At, in and to (movement)
- At, on and in (place)
- At, on and in (time)
- Below
- Beneath: meaning and use
- Beyond
- By + myself etc.
- During
- For
- For + -ing
- From
- In front of
- In spite of and despite
- In, into
- Near and near to
- Of
- On, onto
- Over
- Prepositional phrases
- Prepositions
- To
- Under
- Until
- With
- Within
- Without
- Words, sentences and clauses
- Using English
- Verbs
「每日一詞」
warm-hearted
kind and loving