Into vs. In To: The Simple Guide to Keeping Them Straight

Stuck connected nan favoritism betwixt “in to” and “into”? You're not alone! Using nan azygous connection “into” is often misplaced pinch 2 individual words, “in” and “to.” 

In this article, you'll study immoderate speedy grammar rules that tin thief you retrieve really and erstwhile to usage these words successful nan English connection to debar this communal error. 

Into vs. In To

The speedy version:

Use “into” to describe where something is: going wrong thing else.

Use “in to” based connected nan verb that comes earlier it. It tin person galore meanings, but here’s a speedy extremity that covers immoderate of them: if you tin switch it pinch “in bid to,” usage “in to.”

Read connected for nan longer explanation, positive examples of into vs. successful to. Or download ProWritingAid, my favourite grammar checker, which tin thief you get these 2 words correct and thief you correct different grammar errors. Download ProWritingAid.

Into Is a Preposition

A preposition is simply a connection that shows a narration betwixt words successful a clause aliases phrase. When you see whether aliases not to use into (the preposition) or in to, see whether aliases not nan verb is being utilized to spot thing successful abstraction aliases time. 

Being a preposition, into besides intends it denotes a location, and successful this case, a activity toward a location—the preposition will person an entity creating a prepositional phrase.

In astir cases, into will spot thing wrong different object, or into another space.

Example: Kerri stirred nan cocoa chips into nan cooky mixed mix.  

Apart from phrasal verbs, into and in to are beautiful easy to fig out.

It tin besides denote immoderate benignant of transformation.

For example: Jim turned into a car.

Remember, successful this case, you wouldn't say, “Jim turned successful to a car.”

And if Jim were driving nan car and not performing a Kafka-esque transformation, you wouldn't say, “Jim turned into nan driveway,” because that would mean he became a driveway. Which would beryllium benignant of weird, right?

“In To” Are Two Separate Words

“In” and “to” are 2 unrelated words: nan adverb “in” and nan preposition “to.”

Sometimes they bump into each different (note nan bump into, not bump successful to each other, because phrasal verbs, those pesky things). And erstwhile that happens, chaos ensues. Just retrieve what we talked astir above, though, and you'll beryllium fine.

“In” and “to” tin person galore meanings depending connected nan verb that comes earlier “in,” but a communal 1 is “in bid to.”

“Into” vs. “In To” and Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is simply a verb made of 2 words. There are respective phrasal verbs that incorporate “in,” and this is apt why truthful galore make this communal grammar mistake.

Here are immoderate communal phrasal verbs containing “in”:

• Log in
• Drop in
• Ended in
• Chime in
• Turn in
• Move in
• Hand in
• Join in
• Give in
• Get in
• Chip in
• Break in
• Cut in
• Fill in
• Hang in
• Let in

Here's why this matters:

When “in” is portion of a phrasal verb, it's always “in,” not “into.” Changing it to “into,” moreover if nan preposition would beryllium appropriate,  would alteration nan meaning of nan verb.

Here's an illustration of a phrasal verb utilized correctly and incorrectly:

Correct: Can you log successful to your machine for me?

Incorrect: Can you log into your machine for me?

Incorrect: Can you login to your machine for me?

Another example:

Correct: I'm going to move successful to bed.

Incorrect: I'm going to move into bed.

See, that would beryllium weird, because unless you're Harry Potter, transfiguring into a furniture will beryllium tough!

“Into” is besides portion of a fewer phrasal verbs, like:

• Run into
• Bump into
• Break into
• Cut into (I cognize some break into and trim into are besides connected nan database above, but they person different meanings. You trim into a portion of barroom but trim successful connected a dancing partner)
• Look into

Here, these prhasal verbs are always “into.”

Are you struggling pinch “into” vs. “in to”? Post your problematic condemnation successful nan comments section, and if you're a grammar pro, spot if you tin thief personification retired by answering their question!