31 January 2012

Two, To, and Too

Another example of frequently confused homophones (words which sound the same but have different spellings and meaning) are two, to, and too

Two

Two is a number:

     Ex.: Two days.

To

Preceding a noun, to can be used as a preposition:

     Ex.: I am going to the store.

When it precedes a verb,  to indicates its infinitive:

     Ex.: I like to dance. 
     Ex.: I need to eat.

Too

Too can be used as a substitute for 'also.'

     Ex.: I want to go, too. (I want to go also.)

Too, when preceding an adverb or adjective, can also mean excessively:

     Ex.: He is walking too quickly.
     Ex.: I'm too tired. 

In Sum

If you're referring to something excessive, use the word 'too.'
To denote the number 2, use the word 'two.'
For everything else, 'to' is appropriate.

No comments:

Post a Comment