Common English Mix Ups: two, to, too

Today I’m focusing on a very common mix up that confuses many English students – and even native English speakers: two, to and too.

Two – this is the easiest one to understand. It is the number 2 (two). You always spell out numbers up to 10, so we always write ‘two’.

To – there are many definitions for ‘to’. The most common that you will use in your lessons is the infinitive form of a verb, for example, ‘to go, to see, to watch, to do’. So if you ever see ‘to’ before a verb, then it is being used in the infinitive form.

The other most common use of ‘to’ is in a preposition. It will help to tell us where an object is located. For example, ‘let’s go to the park’ or ‘give the paper to him’. Both of those sentences are using ‘to’ as a preposition.

Too – this ‘too’ is much easier to understand. ‘Too’ means ‘in addition to’ or ‘also’. For example, ‘I bought the book, too!’ However, ‘too’ will not always be at the end of the sentence, you could also say ‘I too bought this book’.

So do you think you understand ‘two’, ‘to’, and ‘too’? Let’s try these three sentences and see how well you get on.

1. I am going _____ the store, _____.

a. two, too

b. to, too

c. too, to

d. too, two

2. My daughter is ______ years old.

a. two

b. too

c. to

3. I want _____ see the movie.

a. two

b. too

c. to

Answers: 1. B, 2. A, 3. C

So how did you do? You can find many similar exercises in the EF English Live online school to really perfect your skills.

image: Indi Samarajiva