ENGLISH
REFERENCE

turn into sth

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to change and become something different, or to make someone or something do this.

phr. v.. to undergo a transformation or to cause a change in form, character, or function; functions as a transitive or intransitive phrasal-prepositional verb.


SIMPLE

The caterpillar will turn into a butterfly.

CONTEXTUAL

What started as a small argument quickly turned into a serious fight between the two brothers.

COMPLEX

The alchemists of the Middle Ages spent centuries attempting to discover a method to turn lead into gold through chemical processes.

Particles
into
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
turn + into + object
Usage

often used for natural growth, magical changes, or situations that develop in an unexpected way.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'become'; while 'become' focuses on the final state, 'turn into' emphasizes the process of transformation from one thing to another.

Pitfall

The rain turned in snow.The rain turned into snow.the preposition 'into' is necessary to show the movement from one state to another; 'in' does not express change.

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