Phrasal verb
belong to
Definition
phrasal verb. to be the property of someone or to be a member of a specific group.
phrasal verb. to be owned by a person or entity; to be a member of a club, organization, or category.
Examples
“This blue umbrella belongs to me.”
“I have lived in this city for years, but I still don't feel like I belong to this community.”
“The ancient artifacts discovered during the excavation belong to the national museum and cannot be sold to private collectors.”
Examples
simple
“This blue umbrella belongs to me.”
contextual
“I have lived in this city for years, but I still don't feel like I belong to this community.”
complex
“The ancient artifacts discovered during the excavation belong to the national museum and cannot be sold to private collectors.”
Usage
always followed by the preposition 'to' and an object.
Teaching tip
remind students that 'belong' is a stative verb and is almost never used in the continuous (-ing) form.
Pitfall
The book belongs me.
The book belongs to me.
the verb 'belong' requires the preposition 'to' before the owner or group.
Phrasal verb
Particles
to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
belong + to + object