How to use the preposition ‘to’.

The preposition ‘to’ is one of the most frequently used prepositions in English. It is used in almost every sentence, and this is where spoken English learners make mistakes. It’s very easy for anybody to get confused with the usage of the preposition ‘to’ unless we don’t know how to use it. Today in this article, we are going to learn all the concepts of using the preposition ‘to’ so that you are not confused and can reduce your mistakes with practice.

Preposition ‘to’: direction or destination

We use the preposition ‘to’ before any destination or direction. The preposition ‘to’ is used to show movement towards something.?

?Example:

We are going to Delhi next week.

Does she want to come to the movie with us?

The little kid ran to his mother.?

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The preposition ‘to’: as a time preposition

We employ the preposition ‘to’ to indicate the number of minutes before the hour.

?Example:

The train will depart at quarter to seven.

It’s five minutes to ten. The bell will ring soon to start the exam.

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The preposition ‘to’: indicates approximate numbers.

The preposition ‘to’ is used to talk about lower and higher numbers of something or to give an approximate number.

?Example:

There were fifty to sixty students on the bus.

I can eat more than three to four burgers at a time.

This laptop would cost you somewhere around sixty to seventy thousand rupees.

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The preposition ‘to’: is used after nouns.

Many nouns are followed by the preposition 'to', especially when indicating destination or direction.

?Example:

The road to the village is quite scenic.

The entrance to the museum is around the corner.

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Verbs followed by the preposition ‘to’

Some verbs are accompanied by the preposition ‘to’.

?Example:

Sara agreed to help with the project.

She listened to the instructions carefully.

They are planning to fly to Dubai next month.

She spoke to the client before leaving the office.?

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Preposition ‘to’: to-infinitive?

When we use ‘to’ before a verb, it’s known as the to-infinitive. Such as to play, to wear, to eat, etc.

?Example:

Mayra loves to play basketball.

Though she is an American, she loves to wear sarees.

What are we going to eat for dinner today?

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Phrasal verbs with the preposition ‘to’

Leave up to: meaning: giving someone the responsibility to do something.

We will leave it up to John to decide whether he wants to come on the trip with us or not.

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Face up to: meaning: to face a difficult situation.

It’s important to face up to your fears to overcome them.

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Look forward to: meaning: to be excited about the happening of an event.

I look forward to meeting you next week.

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Hang on to: meaning: to hold or keep something.

Hang on to your dreams even when you face difficult situations.

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Look up to: meaning: to respect someone.

I always look up to my father for advice and instructions.

See also:

Prepositions in, on, and at: How do you use them?

Pronunciation mistakes: short i /?/ vs. long e /i?/.