Prepositions and adverbs are two vital parts of English grammar. Many people are always confused regarding the right preposition or adverb they must use to complete a sentence.
‘To’ and ‘too’ are two such words that always confuse people as to which word is to be used in which sentence.
Key Takeaways
- “To” is a preposition to indicate direction or movement towards a destination, while “Too” is an adverb to indicate excess or also.
- “To” is used in infinitive phrases, while “Too” is used to modify or emphasize a word or phrase.
- “To” is used with verbs, while “Too” is used in a sentence as a modifier or standalone word.
To vs Too
The difference between ‘to’ and ‘too’ is that to is a preposition as per English grammar, whereas “too” is an adverb. When used in a sentence, ‘to’ is used to indicate a relationship between people and objects. On the other hand, ‘too’ is an adverb that is used to indicate a degree of excessiveness.
‘To’ is one of the smallest words in English grammar and has great importance and significance in indicating relationships between two things.
It is used for expressing a purpose or for specifying a direction towards a given point or place. It is also in use as an infinitive.
‘Too’ is an adverb that indicates a high degree of a particular thing. In simple words, it refers to excessiveness. For example, the dress is too short to wear.
An individual can use it in replacement of besides. It is used at the end of a sentence or just before an adverb or an adjective.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | To | Too |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | ‘To’ is used in a particular sentence to indicate a purpose, direction of motion, and for expressing a relationship between two or more objects or persons. | ‘Too’ refers to excessiveness or a greater extent of a particular thing. |
| Part of speech | ‘To’ is a preposition. | ‘Too’ is an adverb |
| Number of uses | ‘To’ has a large number of uses and applications as it is used for indicating a large number of things. | The word ‘too’ has only some limited, defined uses as it only indicates excessiveness in a sentence. |
| Followed by | It is followed by a verb or a noun. | It is followed by an adverb or an adjective. |
| Examples | I need to be awake all night for completing my assignment. Could Ram send all the details to me by the end of this day? | This dress is too short for Rima to wear. Raman is not only smart but intelligent too. |
What is To?
‘To’ is one of the most commonly used prepositions in English grammar. ‘To’ can also be used as a part of an infinitive type of word.
One of the major applications of to is indicating a specific range of time. For example, John has 1 to 2 hours to complete a given assignment.
‘To’ is used to indicate a particular movement or motion. It helps in showing movement from one place to another. Some examples where ‘to’ indicates a movement are:-
- Rhea is flying to Madrid on Monday to attend an important conference.
- Our family decided to walk to the restaurant for breakfast, as it was a pleasant morning.
- The flight from India to Dubai takes almost an hour.
The word ‘to’ also indicates a relationship between two words in a sentence. Some examples showcasing such relationships are:-
- My brother has recently got married to Devanshi’s sister.
- This book with a black cover belongs to Alexa.
- Raman has recently got engaged to his girlfriend.
‘To’ is also used to focus on the person who experiences some incident. Some examples where ‘to’ is used for indicating a person who experiences something are:-
- Sohini told everything about the accident Aryan.
- Alexa asked John not to be so embarrassed as this could happen to anyone.
What is Too?
‘Too’ is one of the most used adverbs in English grammar. It has limited uses and applications but is very important for indicating the excessiveness of a particular thing.
It can be used in place of besides to indicate more than one quality. ‘Too’ is a homophone, so it has to be kept in mind while writing sentences, as one can make an error not while speaking but while writing.
Some examples where ‘too’ is used for indicating excessiveness are:-
- Amit is too boring to be tolerated for long.
- The blazer is too large for the small kid to wear.
- Viraaj is too naughty to handle.
Some examples where ‘too’ is used as a replacement of besides and not only:-
- The old man is very honest and selfless, too.
- Do not forget to bring food and water too.
- Raman is highly disturbing and very noisy, too.
‘Too’ can also be used as a replacement for very as both indicate the excessiveness of a particular thing. Here are some examples showcasing the same:-
- The maths book of class 11 is too difficult to solve.
- Sheela can be easily fooled as she is too innocent and sweet.
- The dress that Reeta is wearing does not suit her as it is too short.
Main Differences Between To and Too
- ‘To’ is used in a particular sentence for indicating an objective direction and for establishing relationships between two objects or persons, whereas ‘too’ is used in a particular sentence for indicating the excessive nature of a commodity.
- ‘To’ is one of the most popular prepositions, whereas ‘too’ is one of the most used adverbs.
- ‘To’ has a large number of uses and applications, whereas ‘too’ only has limited applications.
- ‘To’ is basically followed by a verb or a noun. On the other hand, ‘too’ is followed by an adverb or an adjective.
- I have to be awake all night, an example where ‘to’ is used. This table is too large, which is an example where ‘too’ is being used.
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=V4ylHBrzTQsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=prepositions&ots=H6vCPuTEpg&sig=n4UCkEn5Qnb7HGXaKtD4EMcWWWc
- https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/aimagazine/article/view/678
Last Updated : 03 September, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
I did not know the many applications of ‘to’ and the limited uses of ‘too’. This is a very informative read.
That’s right, the article does a great job of breaking down the usage of ‘to’ and ‘too’.
Understanding the detailed grammar rules around ‘to’ and ‘too’ is essential. The article provides helpful insights.
I already knew the difference between ‘to’ and ‘too’, but the examples you have provided here are great and it’s a good article.
I appreciate how the article simplifies the complex rules of using ‘to’ and ‘too’. It is very informative.
Yes, the examples shed light on the accurate, context-specific use of ‘to’ and ‘too’.
The detail comparison between ‘to’ and ‘too’ you have explained is fantastic. It has helped me to understand their usage more clearly. Thank you!
I’m glad to know the correct ways to use ‘to’ and ‘too’. This write-up is excellent!
I agree. I had a few doubts before reading this article. It is a great help.
This article is quite enlightening. The comparison table is well-structured, and the explanation of ‘to’ and ‘too’ is clear and detailed.
The article is an excellent resource for anyone needing to understand ‘to’ and ‘too’ usage accurately.
The careful breakdown of ‘to’ and ‘too’ is impressive. It’s good to have precise grammar rules explained so clearly.
I will definitely share this article with my friends. It’s an easy read and very enlightening.
Absolutely worth sharing! The examples and explanations are top-notch.