English grammar tips (1): "To" or "For"?
I am not native English speaker so I really need to learn English grammar. Often I find myself in those situations where I struggle to figure out which word is right to use.
So finally I made a small personal database. Here I am collecting tips that I have found useful.
Then I thought, why not to share them with you too? Native English speakers maybe find them too easy but for others... Maybe they're helpful.
So this is where I struggled today: to or for?
Use "to" when object moves in the direction towards something or someone.
Use "for" when someone benefits from the action.
Examples:
I brought a chair for Sam. ('Sam' benefits from the action.)
I brought a chair for myself. (I benefit from the action.)
I brought a chair to the table. (The chair moves in the direction towards the table.)
I made a cake for Pat. ('Pat' gets the cake! Pat benefits.)
I made a cake to Pat. (Ungrammatical. Use a movement verb, like 'give'.)
I gave a cake to Pat. (The 'cake' moves in the direction towards Pat. Pat also benefits, but don't use 'for'. The verb 'give' already has the meaning of benefit within its meaning.)
I wrote a letter for Pat. ('Pat' benefits. Someone else did the work.)
I wrote a letter to Pat. (The 'letter' moves in the direction of 'Pat'.)
I will buy a cake for Sam. ('Sam' benefits. Someone else does the buying.)
I will buy a cake to Sam. (Ungrammatical. 'buy' expresses an exchange of items (money and things bought) so 'for' is best.
I learned it from here:
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/4912-quot-to-quot-or-quot-for-quot
Recent Comments
13
Good question, Russ. I think Christmas is the closest holiday that my son Sam can expect it :)
Carla would be the one to describe this but from the first example for me, I would write this "I brought a chair over for Sam", "I brought a chair over for myself", "I brought a chair over to the table".
This seems more appropriate to me. :))
check out the English Grammar in Use series by Cambridge University Press, brings students through all the grammar easily with lots of practice examples...used in some EFL schools...
Do you have a link? Sometimes their websites are too overwhelming to find out the right thing. :)
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Hi Egon, thanks for posting this. My brother is in Spain trying to learn Spanish and is exchanging lessons in English with a Spanish lady... this will be really helpful so I'm sending them the link. Great to meet you in WA and happy to follow you.
Maria