Word
start to
Definition
fixed phrase. to begin doing an action or to enter a new state.
fixed phrase. an aspectual construction using the infinitive to indicate the inception of an action or state; functionally similar to 'start' followed by a gerund.
Examples
“It is starting to rain.”
“After a few minutes of silence, the audience started to clap and cheer for the band.”
“As the global economy began its slow recovery, investors started to regain confidence in the stability of emerging markets.”
Examples
simple
“It is starting to rain.”
contextual
“After a few minutes of silence, the audience started to clap and cheer for the band.”
complex
“As the global economy began its slow recovery, investors started to regain confidence in the stability of emerging markets.”
Usage
followed by the base form of a verb to show the beginning of an activity.
Teaching tip
help students notice that 'start to [verb]' and 'start [verb]-ing' are usually interchangeable, though 'start to' is often preferred for stative verbs like 'understand' or 'realize'.
Pitfall
He starts to playing.
He starts to play.
the word 'to' must be followed by the base form of the verb, not the -ing form.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/start-to