What Part of Speech is “TO”

The word “TO” can be used as a  Preposition and as an Adverb. Take a look at the definitions and examples below to learn how “TO” works as these parts of speech.

1. Preposition

“To” can be considered as a preposition if it is used to indicate that a noun/pronoun is moving towards something. For instance, read the sample sentence below:

“I am heading to the fire exit.”

The word “to” shows that the pronoun “I” is moving in the direction of the “fire exit.”

Definition:

a. expressing motion in the direction of a particular location

• Examples:
• He ran to the kitchen.

 

b. identifying the person or thing affected

• Examples:
• She went to the Church.

 

c. identifying a particular relationship between one person and another

• Examples:
• Come to me.

 

2. Adverb

In some cases, the word “to” can also be considered as an adverb if it is used to modify a verb. Take the example below:

“My mom came in and pushed the door to.”

In this example, the word “to” is considered as an adverb because it modifies or is referring to the verb “pushed.”

Definition:

a. so as to be closed or nearly closed

• Examples:
• She pulled the door to behind her.
• The wind blew the window to.

 

b. into a state of being awake or conscious

• Examples:
• When she came to, she was lying on the floor with her hands and feet tied up.