The Correct Use of To/into/too/two

To/Into/Too/Two

To/Too/Two are homophones, that is one of two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling or a character or group of characters pronounced the same as another character or group

To may be used as a preposition, a word or phrase placed typically before a substantive and indicating the relation of that substantive to a verb, an adjective, or another substantive. A substantive is a word or group of words functioning as a noun.

1a: In a direction toward so as to reach. "I went To the beach."

1b: Toward. "She turned To me."

2: Reaching as far as: "The water in the pond was clear all the way To the bottom."

3a: To the extent or degree of. "She loved him To distraction."

3b: With the resultant condition of. "She nursed him back To health."

4: Toward a given state. "They are helping children To reach their potential."

5: In contact with, against. "The children's faces were pressed To the windows."

6: In front of. "They stood toe To toe."

7: Used to indicate appropriation or possession. "I looked for the lid To the jar."

8: Concerning, regarding. "I'm waiting for an answer To my e-mail."

9: In a particular relationship with. "The brook runs parallel To the path."

10: As an accompaniment or a complement of. "They danced To the tune."

11: Composing, constituting. "There are four quarts To a gallon."

12: In accord with. "The requirements were suited To his skills."

13: As compared with. "Skills superior To the requirements."

14a: Before. "The time is five To six."

14b: Up till, until. "I work from nine To five."

15a: For the purpose of. "He went To lunch."

15b: In honor of. "A toast To the empire."

16a: Used before a verb to indicate the infinitive. "He would like To play."

16b: Used alone when the infinitive is understood. "Play if you want To [play]."

17a: Used to indicate the relationship of a verb with its complement. "Refer To your instructions." "Please refer me To a good doctor."

18: Used with a reflexive pronoun to indicate exclusivity or separateness. "We had the room To ourselves."

To may be used as an adverb, the part of speech that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb.

1: In one direction; toward a person or thing. "After the hurricane, we found the boat wrong end To."

2: Into a shut or closed position. "He pushed the door To."

3: Into a state of consciousness. "The patient came To."

4: Into a state of action or attentiveness. "He sat down for lunch and fell To."

To may be used to form an infinitive. Infinitives are verbal abstract nouns.

1. "To go to college is my aim." [Infinitive as a subject.]

2. "I asked her To go." [Infinitive as an object.]

Into may be used as a preposition, a word or phrase placed typically before a substantive and indicating the relation of that substantive to a verb, an adjective, or another substantive. A substantive is a word or group of words functioning as a noun.

1: To the inside or interior of. "He went Into the room."

2a: To the activity or occupation of: "Recent college graduates who go Into banking."

2b: To the condition, state, or form of: "Dishes breaking Into pieces;" "Changed Into a butterfly."

2c: So as to be in or be included in: "Parties entering Into an agreement;" "Wrote a new character Into the play."

2d: Informal Interested in or involved with: "They are Into vegetarianism."

3: To a point within the limits of a period of time or extent of space: "Well Into the week."

4: In the direction of; toward: "looked Into the distance;" "pointed Into the sky." Nautical "Into the wind."

5: Against: "crashed Into a tree."

6: As a divisor of: "The number 3 goes Into 9 three times."

Too is used as an adverb, the part of speech that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb.

1: In addition; also. "He will be joining us Too."

2: More than enough, excessively. "He drinks Too much."

3: Very, extremely, immensely. "He's only Too willing to screw her."

5. Indeed. "You will Too wear that dress!"

Two is a noun.

Noun:

1. The cardinal number equal to the sum of 1 + 1.

2. The second in a set or sequence.

3. Something having two parts, units, or members, especially a playing card, the face of a die, or a domino with two pips.

4. A two-dollar bill.

Idiom: in two Into two separate parts; in half: "He cut the sandwich In Two."

Slang: "Three Twos." (Used by hot rodders to refer to three two barrel carburetors.)

Common Errors: Probably the most common error in the use of the homophones to/too/two is the use of To when excessively or extremely is meant.

Correct: The sum of $100 for that item is Too much.

He came Too soon.

Too much love drives a man insane!

Error: We walked in to the room.

Correct: We walked Into the room.

Correct: To take two girls on a date is too much.