to

to¹ W1S1 [tə before vowels tu strong tu:] [used before the basic form of a verb to show that it is in the infinitive ]

1.)

a) used after a verb, noun, or adjective when an ↑infinitive completes its meaning

▪ We tried to explain.

▪ It was starting to rain.

▪ The manager asked them to leave.

▪ an attempt to escape

▪ Have you got permission to stay here?

▪ Our team's certain to win.

▪ Are you ready to start?

▪ This delicious dessert is easy to make (=you can make it easily) .

b) used by itself instead of an ↑infinitive in order to avoid repeating the same verb

▪ You can drive today if you want to (=if you want to drive) .

▪ I could have helped, but nobody asked me to.

2.) used after a word such as 'how', 'where', 'who', 'what', or 'whether' to refer to an action about which someone is not certain

▪ I know where to go but I don't know how to get there.

▪ She wondered whether or not to trust him.

3.) used to show a purpose or intention

▪ They left early to catch the 7.30 train.

▪ To find out more about university courses, write to this address.

▪ We need more money to improve transport in London.

4.) used to refer to an action or state, when describing it

▪ It's nice to be wanted.

▪ He's finding it hard to cope.

▪ To say I am disappointed is an understatement.

▪ The simplest solution would be to increase the price.

5.) used to say what can or cannot be done, or what should be done

▪ You'll soon be old enough to vote in elections.

▪ He did not have the energy to resist.

▪ I'm too tired to go out tonight.

6.) used after the verb 'be' to give an order or to state arrangements for the future

▪ You are to wait here until I return.

▪ They are to be married on May 25th.

7.) used to say what someone discovers or experiences when they do something

▪ He arrived there to find that the last train had already left.

▪ The princess stepped ashore to be greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of admirers.

▪ She woke to see Ben standing by the window.

8.) used to say what your attitude or purpose is in saying something

▪ I've never heard of him, to be quite honest.

▪ To begin with, let's look at Chapter 3.

to ²

to² W1S1 prep

[: Old English;]

1.) used to say where someone or something goes

▪ She stood up and walked to the window.

▪ the road to London

▪ our weekly trip to the supermarket

▪ sending a spaceship to Mars

▪ These people go from house to house selling goods (=visit many different houses) .

2.) used to say who receives something or is told or shown something

▪ He sent presents to the children.

▪ She whispered something to the girl beside her.

▪ Give my best wishes to your parents when you see them.

▪ Don't show these letters to anyone else.

▪ a message from the Emperor to his people

3.) used to show in which direction something is in relation to something else

▪ Knutsford is about 16 miles to the south of Manchester.

▪ There was a table to the left of the doorway.

4.) used to show the purpose, event, or activity for which you go somewhere

▪ Sophie goes to gymnastics every Friday.

▪ Did you get an invitation to their wedding?

▪ Don't forget, we're going to a party tomorrow night.

▪ If he needed help, Mother came rushing to the rescue.

5.) used to say what state someone or something is in as a result of an action or change

▪ She sang the baby to sleep.

▪ Wait until the lights change to green.

▪ a return to a traditional way of life

6.) used to say that one thing is touching another

▪ He held a knife to her throat.

▪ They danced cheek to cheek.

7.) used to say where something is fastened or connected

▪ He tied the rope to a tree.

▪ Attach a recent photograph to your application form.

▪ Cash machines are linked up to a central computer.

8.) facing something or in front of it

▪ I sat with my back to the window.

▪ We were standing face to face.

9.) used to show a relationship with someone or something

▪ George's sister was married to an Italian.

▪ He was first cousin to King Philip VI.

▪ The robbery may be linked to other crimes of violence.

10.)

a) as far as a particular point or limit

▪ She can already count from one to twenty.

▪ The water came right up to our knees.

▪ Temperatures dropped to 25 degrees below zero.

▪ It's ten kilometres from here to the coast.

▪ She read the novel from beginning to end.

▪ Does your interest in nuclear physics extend to nuclear weaponry?

b) until and including a particular time or date

▪ They stayed from Friday night to Sunday morning.

▪ I'll be on duty from 8 am to 10 pm.

11.) used to say what or who an action, attitude, situation etc affects or is related to

▪ The factory clearly represents a danger to health.

▪ She's always been kind to animals.

▪ his attitude to life

▪ What have you done to the radio? It's not working.

12.) used to say who someone works for

▪ Jane is secretary to the managing director.

13.) used to say what something is needed for

▪ I'm still waiting for an answer to my question.

▪ Have you seen the key to the back door?

14.) used when comparing two things, numbers etc

▪ England beat Scotland by two goals to one.

▪ Yes, she was punished, but it was nothing to what she deserved.

15.) used to say who has a particular attitude or opinion about something

▪ The whole thing sounds very suspicious to me.

▪ Tickets cost £10 each and to some people that's a lot of money.

▪ To my mind, age does not matter; love is what matters.

16.) used to say what someone's reaction is when something happens

▪ Much to everyone's surprise she passed the exam with distinction.

▪ I discovered to my horror that my passport was missing.

17.) used when saying how much time there is before a particular event or time

▪ It's only two weeks to Christmas.

▪ How long is it to dinner?

ten to five/twenty to one etc

(=ten minutes, twenty minutes etc before a particular hour)

18.)

a) used when talking about a rate or quantity to say how many smaller units equal a larger unit

▪ We're only getting 130 yen to the dollar at the moment.

▪ There are just over four and a half litres to a gallon.

b) used to show the relationship between two different measurements or quantities

▪ The car will do over 40 miles to the gallon.

▪ The scale of your map is one inch to the mile.

19.) used to say that a particular sound is heard at the same time as something happens

▪ I woke to the sound of torrential rain.

▪ The royal couple arrived to a fanfare of trumpets.

▪ I like to exercise to music.

20.)used between two numbers when you do not know exactly what the real number or amount is

▪ There must have been eighteen to twenty thousand people at the concert.

▪ He drowned in 10 to 12 feet of water.

21.) (all) to yourself

if you have something or someone to yourself, you do not have to share them with other people

▪ It was the first time I'd had a room to myself.

22.) used to say what the chances of something happening are

▪ I'll bet you ten to one he'll forget all about it.

to ³

to³ [tu:] adv BrE

if a door is pushed to, it closes or almost closes

▪ The wind blew the door to.

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