When to use the word to or too in a sentence

Main To vs. Too Takeaways:

• To is typically a preposition or infinitive verb.It shows a relationship between words or elements.
• Too is always an adverb.
• It can also indicate an excessive amount. Therefore, when you need a word that means more, use too with more ‘Os’.
• What’s more, too can be a synonym for really, also, and in addition.
• When you aren’t sure whether to use to vs. too, replace the word with really, also, or in addition. If the sentence still makes sense, too is correct.
• Too can also indicate agreement. Since you need at least two people to come to an agreement, think of the two ‘Os’ in too.
• Two is always a number.

To vs. too: which one is correct? And what about two? We break things down in this super easy guide.

To vs. Too vs. Two

On one hand, to (one ‘O’) shows the relationship between two words. Itcan be a preposition or an infinitive verb that joins words or clauses together. When it comes before a verb, it helps form an infinitive verb, or a verb that is not conjugated. Sometimes to also acts as an adverb, but this is rare. On the other hand, too (two ‘Os’) is always an adverb. It has several meanings and uses. First, too means also. In other cases, it refers to an excessive amount, such astoomuch. What’s more, too can indicate agreement, such as me too. Conversely, two is always a number. It’s how we write out the number 2.

Two is always a number. You can never use two in place of too or to.

Remember, to and too are never interchangeable. You also can’t use two instead of to or too.

How do you Remember the Difference Between To and Too?

Here is the easiest way to remember the difference between to and too: use the ‘O’ trick. Too can indicate something excessive or be a synonym for also or in addition. Remember that when a word means more, you need more ‘Os’. Similarly, it takes at least two people to agree on something, so you need two ‘Os’ to express that (I think sotoo.). Another trick is to replace the word with really, very, or also. If the sentence still makes sense, the use too. If not, you probably should use to.

On the other hand, since to is a preposition or infinitive verb that links parts of a sentence together, think of the one ‘O’ as one link. When you need a link to show direction or to show that a verb is an infinitive, use to.

Do you Need a Comma Before or After too?

There really is no fixed grammar rule when it comes to using commas with the adverb too. Because the overall meaning usually depends on the writer’s intent, adding a comma before too is more of a stylistic or personal choice. That said, if your sentence would be clearer with a comma, use one. All in all, if too functions as an interrupter or nonrestrictive clause that appears in the middle of the sentence, you can offset it with commas (I, too, love pizza). However, if too appears at the end of the sentence and means also or in addition, including the comma after too is up to you.

How do you use the Word Too in a Sentence?

Too Sentence Examples:

[/example]There is too much shouting and not enough problem solving.[/example]

too definition:(adverb) also; excessive; a higher degree than expected or permitted.

To Sentence Examples:

to definition:(preposition) a word that governs a noun or pronoun and conveys a relationship between another word or element in a clause.

Is it Love you too or to?

If someone tells you that they love you and you would like to say it back, the correct sentence to say is I love you too. This is because too(with two ‘o’s) means also in this complete sentence. However, the phrase I love you might be part of a longer sentence instead of a complete sentence in itself. For example, in the phrase I love youtothe moon and back, you should use to (with one ‘o’). The reason is because the word is part of a longer sentence where to acts as a preposition or infinitive verb.

Is it to Fast or too Fast?

If you’re talking about excessive velocity or speeds, the correct phrase is too fast. In this way, too(two ‘Os’) is an adverb that refers to an excessive amount (of speed). However, if you’re talking about the act of fasting or abstaining from eating, then the correct phrase would be the to fast. In this case, to (one ‘O’) is helping to create the infinitive verb to fast. The third option is Fast is the name of a place. In this case, the to would be a preposition that indicates a direction toward a place called Fast, and the correct phrase would be to Fast.

To vs. Too vs. Two: Test Your Skills

Read More: Whoever vs. Whomever: How to use Them Properly in a Sentence

When it comes to learning English, just because a word is short doesn’t mean it’s easy to use, pronounce, or understand. If you’ve ever had trouble with the words “to” and “too”, you know exactly what I mean. Sometimes, learning shorter words can be much more difficult than you expect because it’s so easy to mix up similar words. Plus, “to” and “too” are almost spelt the same, which makes it even harder to understand the difference. Though, you might feel better to know that even native English speakers can mix them up.

If you’ve been struggling to use these words while speaking or writing English, these tips can help.

What’s the difference between to and too in English?

So, why are “to” and “too” different words? At first, it can seem pretty confusing. This is because these words are homophones (like there, their and they’re). That means they have the same pronunciation, but different spellings and meanings.

The word “to” is only spelt with one ‘o’ and is a preposition that shows direction or location in a sentence. For example, “I’m going to the book store.” Think of it as a replacement for words like “toward” or “until”.

On the other hand, the word “too” is spelt with an extra ‘o’ and is an adverb. It’s used to mean “also” or “very”. For example, “I like ice cream, too.”

• Learn English with these top online games

How to use “to” in a sentence

You know that “to” is a preposition, but that doesn’t mean you know when you should use it in a sentence. One reason English language learners have so much trouble with the word is that it’s used quite frequently and can mean a few different things.

For instance, you can use “to” to provide information about where someone or something is going. “Jack is going to work.”

The word “to” can also be used in place of “until”, especially when you want to talk about time. For instance, “The class is from two o’clock to three.”

You’ll also use the word “to” when you use verbs in the infinitive form. For example, “I like to have coffee in the mornings.”

• Get a laugh with these top 10 English jokes

How to use “too” in a sentence

When you first see the word “too”, it’s easy to mistake the word as a misspelt “to”. Once, you realize it’s a completely different word, you might start to worry.

Luckily, the word “too” has fewer uses. When using it to mean “also”, you’ll likely see it at the end of a sentence and separated by a comma.  For example, “I’d like a glass of water, too.”

You can also use “too” as a way to say “very” or “excessively”. For instance, “It’s too noisy inside that restaurant.”

You’re also more likely to come across the word “too” in informal speech as well as in a few expressions. For instance, if someone says they had “too much fun” at a party, it likely means that they had a lot to drink or did something they might regret.

• The best way to Learn English  

How to remember which one to use

Even if you remember what a word means, it can often be confusing if you come across it in a complex sentence or get confused while trying to speak or write.

There are a few tricks you can use if you want to check whether you should be using “to” or “too”.

First, you can try replacing the word with “also” or “excessively” and see if the sentence still makes sense. If you can still understand the meaning of the sentence with these words, you would use “too” in the sentence. If not, you might need to use “to”.

Did this article help you?

/ / Uncategorized

What’s the Difference Between To, Too, and Two?

To, too, and two are all homophones, which means that they sound exactly the same but have different spellings and definitions.

The primary use of to is as a preposition that shows motion towards a point. In other words, it is the opposite of from. There are multiple other definitions that will appear in more detail below.

• The turtle and the rabbit raced to the finish line.

Too is an adverb that means also or overly.

• If my sister gets ice cream I should get ice cream too. It’s only fair.

Two is a noun or adjective that is the number between one and three.

• The soccer player scored two goals in the last minutes of the game.

Now, let’s go over a few ways to use these words in English.

Using To in a Sentence

When to use to: To is usually a preposition, but it can also be an adverb. It has many definitions. These include towards, until, and with intention.

To is also part of the verb in its infinitive form. There are many more uses that are similar to those already mentioned, or that are less common.

For example,

• The lioness moved to her prey. (first definition)
• The workers must work from noon to six o’clock. (second definition)
• He bought a gun to rob the store. (third definition)
• The dog likes to run. (fourth definition)

There are many idioms that use to:

• to a certain extent: somewhat
  • It’s true to a certain extent that the President embezzled, but he used the money to help the poor people of the country, which was part of his job.
• to and fro: from one place to another, often with a backwards and forwards movement
  • The man had drunk too much wine and he staggered to and fro along the sidewalk. .
• from time to time: occasionally
  • I don’t go dancing often, but I do dance from time to time.

There are many more in which to plays only a minor role in the overall meaning of the expression that aren’t included above.

Using Too in a Sentence

When to use too: Too is an adverb that describes something that is excessive. It can also mean also.

For example,

• I feel sick because I ate too much popcorn. (first definition)
• Don’t run too much on your bad knee or you’ll injure yourself. (first definition)
• I want some cake too! (second definition)

There are also many idioms and expressions that use too:

• not a moment too soon: right before it would be too late
  • Thank goodness the police got here before the man shot anyone! They arrived not a moment too soon.
• too many cooks in the kitchen: so many people working on a single project that they are unable to function well
  • Why do you have ten people working on this simple poster? You should have been done hours ago. This is a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. You two finish the poster and the rest of you go work on something else.
• too long; didn’t read: The text was too long so one didn’t read it
  • “Too long; didn’t read” is often abbreviated as tl;dr and introduces a short summary of the text for those who don’t want to read the whole thing.
• not too shabby: not bad
  • Is that a new dress? Not too shabby!
• to spread oneself too thin: to do more work than one can handle
  • You can’t work extra hours. You’re already working 60 hour weeks. You’ll spread yourself too thin.

Too has a negative connotation, so don’t use it when you want to express something positive. For example, I had so much fun at the party means you had a good time. I had too much fun at the party could imply you drank so much that you got sick, or did something else you regret.

Using Two in a Sentence

When to use two: Two can be an adjective or a noun. It refers to the number after one and before three.

For example,

• I have two cats. (adjective)
• One plus one equals two. (noun)

There are also many idioms and expressions that use two, some of which are below:

• to be eating for two: a pregnant woman is eating for herself and her fetus
  • Here, have some more food. You’re eating for two!
• to go number two: to defecate
  • Mommy, I have to go number two.
• two faced: duplicitous
  • She seems nice at first, but don’t trust her. She’s very two-faced.
• two peas in a pod: two people who are very similar
  • The best friends are like two peas in a pod. They do everything together, like the same things, and even look alike!
• the lesser of two evils: the better of two bad choices
  • I don’t like either of the candidates running for president, but I’ll vote for the incumbent because she’s the lesser of two evils.

In its written form, two can be spelled out or written as the symbol 2.

Remembering To vs. Too vs. Two

There are a few different ways to remember the distinctions between these three words.

Let’s start with how to remember the word to. Many prepositions, especially the most common, have only two letters. This includes in, on, at, of, and by.

Prepositions usually show how two elements of a sentence relate to one another, especially through time or location. If this is too hard to remember, you can also remember that to and towards share the same first two letters, and have the same meaning in many contexts.

To remember the word too, think of its two closest synonyms: also and overly. When placed side by side, also overly, you can see the double oo like in the word too.

Finally, it can help to think of the word twenty to remember that there is a w in both the numbers twenty and two. Alternatively, you could remember that two is spelled with w, which is pronounced as double u, and double means 2.

Outside Examples

• Once the sun begins to reappear, the AAO says to immediately return the glasses to watch the remaining phase of the eclipse. –Chicago Tribune
• Things were great until a few months later, when snow began to fall and no one wanted to stop for music. So she took her act to a Times Square subway platform. –New York Post
• “We definitely have to win,” Jones said. “It’s just too big of a deficit with three races to go. I think the pressure is on, but we’ve been handling the pressure really well.” –USA Today
• “God’s Problem Child” is too finely made — and often too funny — to suggest that Nelson has finally run out of steam. –LA Times
• Joshua Wong, the face of huge street demonstrations in 2014 for freer elections of Hong Kong’s leader, was sentenced to six months in prison. Two fellow protest leaders, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, were given eight and seven months, respectively. –New York Times
• Tucker and his wife Heidi had been been married for one year, but had not yet been on their honeymoon. So the California couple set out on a two-week trip to Europe to celebrate their marriage.–LA Times

Quiz: Too vs. To vs. Two

Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct word, too or to or two, in the correct form.

• I need _______ guitars because I need an electric one and an acoustic one.
• I’m going _____ travel to China next year!
• I have _______ many books. I’ll never be able to pack all of them for the move.

See answers below.

Article Summary

Should I use to, too, or two? These words have similar spellings and the same pronunciation. However, there is no overlap between their definitions.

• To has many meanings but usually is a preposition meaning towards or until, or part of an infinitive verb.
• Too can mean either also or describe an excessive amount of something.
• Two refers to the number after one.

Make sure you know which of the three words has which meaning.

Answers

• two
• to
• too

Grammar would be so much easier if Prince invented it. For starters, you’d never have to worry about whether you should use to or too in a sentence. If Prince were in charge, the whole to vs. too issue would be moot because you’d just use the number 2 — for everything. Picture it:

• Nothing compares 2 U.

• Can U hand this pudding 2 Grandpa, please?

• We R going 4 fro-yo. Do U want 2 go 2?

Sadly, Prince didn’t invent grammar. He just revolutionized pop music instead. That means you still need to know when to use to vs. too. Put on your raspberry beret, grab your writing supplies, and let’s go crazy.

How Do You Know When To Use To vs. Too?

Understanding the roles that to and too play can help you decide which one to use and when. There’s a quick and relatively painless test that you can perform, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.

1. Too means also or refers to an excessive amount.

Too is an adverb. It has two main roles. The first is as a synonym for words such as also, as well, or in addition. Take a look at these examples of using too:

• I’d like to order the 14-pound burrito too.
• Trent has seen every episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210” too.
• If you want to go too, I can ask Millie if she has any more room in her car.
• I, too, love the smell of napalm in the morning.

You may have noticed that sometimes there’s a comma before too and sometimes there isn’t. The general rule is that you only have to add a comma before too if you want to create emphasis or intentionally interrupt or slow down the flow of the sentence, as in that last too example above. When you’re adding too to the end of a sentence, on the other hand, it rarely requires a comma.

Now that that’s settled, let’s talk about the other job that too can do. You can use too to indicate excess or an overload, such as in these examples:

• Tina would love to go to Comic Con, but the tickets are too expensive.
• Connor can’t watch horror movies because he scares too easily.
• Too many young adult books are set in dystopian futures.
• Ugh. I think I ate too much pie.

Too much vs. to much is one of the most common sources of confusion for writers. Unless you know a person or a place named Much, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever need to write to much. One of the exceptions of using too much vs. to much is when you’re talking broadly about a group – but the use case is more rare. For example:

• To much of the world, I’m known as a celebrity.

Aside from that, defaulting to too much is probably the safest bet.

That brings us to our next point: What does to mean?

2. To means, well, a lot of things.

I’m not being glib here. Ask any seasoned freelance writer and he or she will tell you: To is like the Swiss army knife of prepositions. The list of things that to can do is so long and varied that, if you’re trying to decide which word to use, it’s way easier to ask yourself, “Do I mean also? Am I talking about excess?” If the answer to either of those two questions is yes, then you need too. If the answer is no, then you likely need to.

Examples of To in Preposition Mode

Here are just a few things that to can do when it’s in preposition mode:

That’s not even a complete list of what to can do as a preposition, but you get the gist. To can also be used as part of an infinitive verb. Check it out:

• Rory’s dream is to play bass for Limp Bizkit.

Here, to is part of the verb phrase to play.

• I taught Grandma how to dab.

In this example, the verb phrase is to dab. Get it, Granny.

• Nina will do her Jerry Seinfeld impression if you ask her to.

In this instance, to acts as a stand-in for the full, implied verb phrase to do it, as in Nina will do her best Seinfeld if you ask her to do it.

Test Your Sentence by Removing To and Too

If you’re unsure about your word choice, one way to test it is to take out the to or too that you used. If the sentence still makes sense without it, then the word you’re looking for is likely too. Take a look at these examples removing too to see what I mean:

• Chad can juggle chainsaws too.
• Chad can juggle chainsaws.
• I, too, would like a margarita with no salt.
• I would like a margarita with no salt.

Since removing too from both of these examples doesn’t turn them into caveman gibberish, we can be pretty confident that too is the right word. If you remove to from a sentence, on the other hand, it usually makes the sentence sound weird:

• I’d like to see your manager, please.
• I’d like see your manager, please.

• Becca brought coleslaw to the cookout.
• Becca brought coleslaw the cookout.

In both of these sentences, taking out to makes the sentences sound strange. That’s the trick: If you take out the to/too and the sentence still sounds odd, the right word is to. If the sentence still sounds good, the correct word is too. This is a great rule to follow when deciding between to vs. too.

To vs. Too Question Solved!

Understanding what to and too can do for you in a sentence goes a long way toward mastering to vs. too. Do you have any tips for telling to from too? Have you ever dreamed of moving to Minneapolis, growing a tiny goatee, and changing your name to a symbol? (Just me then?) Sound off in the comments below!