The word “to” can be used in different ways in English grammar. Here are some of the most common ones:
- To can be a preposition that shows direction, destination, or receiver of an action. For example:
- I’m going to Tokyo next week. (direction)
- He gave the book to his friend. (receiver)
- This is the key to the door. (attachment)
- To can also be part of the infinitive form of a verb, which is the base form with “to” in front of it. For example:
- I want to learn Japanese. (infinitive as an object)
- She likes to play tennis. (infinitive as a complement)
- He went out to buy some milk. (infinitive as a purpose)
- To can also be used to express time, especially when referring to minutes before the hour. For example:
- It’s ten to six. (It’s 5:50.)
- The train leaves at quarter to nine. (The train leaves at 8:45.)
- To can also be used in some phrasal verbs, which are verbs that combine with a preposition or an adverb to create a new meaning. For example:
- I look forward to hearing from you. (I’m excited about hearing from you.)
- He objected to the plan. (He disagreed with the plan.)
- She boiled down the sauce to make it thicker. (She reduced the sauce by boiling it.)
