Phrasal verb
lead to
Definition
phrasal verb. to cause something to happen or result in something.
phrasal verb. to cause an event or outcome; transitive, typically followed by a noun or clause indicating the resulting situation.
Examples
“The accident led to a lawsuit.”
“The new policy led to increased productivity in the company.”
“The discovery of penicillin led to a revolution in medical treatment.”
Examples
simple
“The accident led to a lawsuit.”
contextual
“The new policy led to increased productivity in the company.”
complex
“The discovery of penicillin led to a revolution in medical treatment.”
Usage
typically followed by a noun or clause indicating the result.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'cause' (more direct) and 'result in' (more formal); 'lead to' implies a causal relationship over time.
Confusables
Lead to focuses on the process or path that starts a chain of events, while result in focuses on the final outcome or consequence.
RememberLead to is the path; result in is the destination.
Phrasal verb
Particles
to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
lead + to + object