to
prep. · part. · adv.-
1 direction or destination (prep.) A1 Beginnerin the direction of a place or person.
indicating a destination, direction, or final position in space.
ExampleWe walked to the park to see the ducks.
ExampleThe commuters hurried to the station, hoping to catch the express train before the platform gates closed for the evening.
PitfallI am going to home.I am going home.The word 'home' is used as an adverb here, so you do not need the preposition 'to'.
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2 recipient (prep.) A1 Beginnerthe person or thing that receives something.
indicating the indirect object or the recipient of an action or item.
ExampleI gave the book to my sister for her birthday.
ExampleThe manager explained the new safety protocols to the staff during the morning briefing.
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3 time or range (prep.) A1 Beginnerused to show the end of a period of time or a range of numbers.
denoting the terminal point of a temporal or numerical range.
ExampleThe shop is open from nine to five every day.
ExampleThe temperature is expected to fluctuate between fifteen to twenty degrees throughout the weekend.
- until
- up to
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4 telling time (prep.) A1 Beginnerused to say how many minutes there are before the next hour.
preceding a stated hour to indicate the remaining interval.
ExampleIt is ten to six, so we should leave now.
ExampleGlancing at his watch, he realised it was already a quarter to midnight and the last bus had likely departed.
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5 comparison or ratio (prep.) B1 Intermediateused when comparing two things or showing a score.
indicating a ratio, proportion, or comparison between two values or entities.
ExampleOur team won the game three to one.
ExampleThe ratio of students to teachers in the private academy was significantly lower than in the local public schools.
- against
- compared with
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6 with a verb (part.) A1 Beginnerused before the basic form of a verb.
a marker used to indicate the infinitive form of a following verb.
ExampleI really want to learn how to play the guitar.
ExampleThe board of directors decided to postpone the merger until the market conditions became more stable.
PitfallI want to going.I want to go.After 'to' as an infinitive marker, always use the base form of the verb, not the -ing form.
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7 closed (adv.) C2 Proficiency Literaryin a closed or nearly closed position.
describing a door or window that is pushed into a closed or engaging position.
ExampleHe pushed the heavy wooden door to.
ExampleShe pulled the casement window to as the storm broke, shielding the library from the driving rain.