ENGLISH
REFERENCE

to

prep. · part. · adv.
  1. 1 direction or destination (prep.)
    A1 Beginner

    in the direction of a place or person.

    indicating a destination, direction, or final position in space.

    Example

    We walked to the park to see the ducks.

    Example

    The commuters hurried to the station, hoping to catch the express train before the platform gates closed for the evening.

    Pitfall
    I 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'.

  2. 2 recipient (prep.)
    A1 Beginner

    the person or thing that receives something.

    indicating the indirect object or the recipient of an action or item.

    Example

    I gave the book to my sister for her birthday.

    Example

    The manager explained the new safety protocols to the staff during the morning briefing.

Show 5 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 time or range (prep.)
    A1 Beginner

    used to show the end of a period of time or a range of numbers.

    denoting the terminal point of a temporal or numerical range.

    Example

    The shop is open from nine to five every day.

    Example

    The temperature is expected to fluctuate between fifteen to twenty degrees throughout the weekend.

  2. 4 telling time (prep.)
    A1 Beginner

    used to say how many minutes there are before the next hour.

    preceding a stated hour to indicate the remaining interval.

    Example

    It is ten to six, so we should leave now.

    Example

    Glancing at his watch, he realised it was already a quarter to midnight and the last bus had likely departed.

  3. 5 comparison or ratio (prep.)
    B1 Intermediate

    used when comparing two things or showing a score.

    indicating a ratio, proportion, or comparison between two values or entities.

    Example

    Our team won the game three to one.

    Example

    The ratio of students to teachers in the private academy was significantly lower than in the local public schools.

  4. 6 with a verb (part.)
    A1 Beginner

    used before the basic form of a verb.

    a marker used to indicate the infinitive form of a following verb.

    Example

    I really want to learn how to play the guitar.

    Example

    The board of directors decided to postpone the merger until the market conditions became more stable.

    Pitfall
    I 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.

  5. 7 closed (adv.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    in a closed or nearly closed position.

    describing a door or window that is pushed into a closed or engaging position.

    Example

    He pushed the heavy wooden door to.

    Example

    She pulled the casement window to as the storm broke, shielding the library from the driving rain.

Word family

© 2026 English Reference