to

Capitalized as TO. This term is used mainly in linguistics and language education to distinguish the established spelling from newer or phonetic writing systems.

Capitalized as TO. Used in financial reports, accounting documents, and business summaries to save space.

The verbs that take this pattern all point toward something that is still in the future from the speaker's perspective at the time of speaking.

Unlike some other verbs (e.g. 'enjoy', 'finish'), which are followed by -ing, these verbs specifically require 'to' + base verb.

In this pattern 'to' carries the meaning of the whole earlier infinitive phrase. Common with 'want to', 'forget to', 'try to', 'tell someone to', 'ask someone to'.

Only works with reporting verbs that involve a directive. Verbs like 'say' or 'mention' cannot use this pattern — you cannot say 'He said me to go'.

Common with adjectives describing feelings (happy, sad, surprised, ready) and qualities (easy, hard, important, difficult). The adjective tells you how someone feels about the action, or how easy/difficult the action is.

Common nouns used in this pattern include ability, attempt, chance, desire, need, opportunity, right, way, and wish.

This structure is more common in formal writing than in everyday conversation. In casual speech, speakers often use 'it' as a placeholder subject instead — e.g. 'It takes a lot of time to learn a new language.'

The most common question words used in this pattern are what, where, how, when, and who. This structure is especially common after verbs like know, ask, tell, show, decide, explain, and wonder.

When the subject is a person doing an action, use the pattern '[subject] + [verb] + to-infinitive'. For describing what an object is used for, use '[subject] + use + [noun] + to-infinitive'. In more formal English, 'in order to' can replace 'to' for emphasis.

These introductory phrases are fixed expressions. Common ones include to be honest, to be fair, to tell the truth, to sum up, to begin with, to put it simply, and to give an example. They are followed by a comma and then the main clause.

This pattern is very common with indefinite pronouns like nothing, something, anything, everything, and with nouns preceded by quantifiers such as a lot of, plenty of, several, enough.

Only used in the fixed phrase 'to be going on with' (or 'to go on with'). More common in British English than American English.

Often used with verbs of giving, sending, telling, and showing. Some verbs (like 'explain' and 'describe') must use 'to' and cannot take an indirect object without it.

Common with verbs like give, send, pass, teach, write, show, tell, sell, lend, and throw. The direct object always comes before 'to' here: verb + what + to + who.

Often appears in the structure 'from X to Y' to mark a complete range. With 'up to', it emphasises the maximum limit.

In American English, 'before' or 'until' is more common for telling time (e.g. 'ten before seven'). 'Past' is the opposite — used for minutes after the hour.

The verb before 'to' always describes the action that causes the extreme result. Passive forms (was torn, was moved) are especially common with this sense.

Not every noun that expresses a relationship uses 'to'; some take 'of' (the colour of the car, the cover of the book). Learn common pairings like 'the answer to', 'the key to', 'the attitude to'.

This sense almost always follows a verb of attaching (tie, chain, attach, fix, stick, pin, glue). The object being attached usually comes before 'to'.

This pattern is more formal than 'going to' or 'will'. It is commonly used in news reports and official announcements. The subject is usually a person, organisation, or thing that has some official status.

The negative form 'are not to' is very common and carries the meaning of a strong prohibition. This pattern can sound strict or formal; everyday English often uses 'must not' or 'should not' instead.

This structure is unique to headlines and titles. In a normal sentence you would write 'The Prime Minister is to resign' or 'The Prime Minister will resign'. British newspapers use this pattern more frequently than American ones.

This pattern uses a possessive pronoun or name before the emotion word: to my surprise, to her relief, to the crowd's delight. The noun after 'to' must always be possessive. 'Much to…' adds emphasis.

Typically placed at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma, contrasting one viewpoint with another or stating a personal judgment.

Common after job-role nouns such as assistant, adviser, secretary, interpreter, consultant. The person following 'to' holds authority or is the recipient of the service.

Often used with verbs of physical placement or pressure: press, hold, lean, put, place. The object after 'to' is typically a hard surface or another body part.

Common with nouns for matched items: key/lid/cap/cover/password/answer/solution/manual. The 'to' links an accessory or component to its parent object.

Often appears in the patterns 'there is/isn't something to + noun' or 'have + quality + to + it/them'. The quality named is usually sensory or evaluative: smell, look, feel, charm, beauty.

Often pairs with spatial nouns such as left, right, north, south, east, west, front, rear, and side. The pattern is: be + to + the + [spatial noun] + of + [reference point].

Common in ceremonial or commemorative contexts. Many fixed phrases use this pattern: 'a toast to…', 'dedicated to…', 'a tribute to…', 'in honour of…' (which is a near-synonym).

Primarily British English for expressing rates (American English often uses 'per' or 'a' instead). Common in measurements of fuel efficiency, currency exchange, and proportional distribution.

Almost always pairs with 'from' in the pattern 'from X to Y'. The range can include times, prices, quantities, distances, pages, and many other countable scales.

Commonly used with verbs of movement (dance, sway, tap, clap) or vocal performance (sing, hum). The noun after 'to' is typically a type of music, song, tune, beat, or rhythm.

Common in formal writing about policies, reforms, business decisions, and agreements. Unlike sense 25 (CAUSING FEELING), this sense does not name an emotion — it names a practical outcome or benefit such as 'effect', 'benefit', 'advantage', or 'satisfaction'.

Frequently used in the fixed expressions 'compared to', 'prefer A to B', and 'nothing compared to'. Takes a noun phrase or gerund as its object.