Grammar Police: This is Just Too Much!

Don't Make Me Come After You!

By J. E. Davidson, published May 12, 2008
Published Content: 207  Total Views: 123,680  Favorited By: 73 CPs
Rating: 4.9 of 5
Two/Too/To
These words are so basic that I think anyone who uses them incorrectly needs to go back to first grade spelling class, or at least proofread more carefully. I've seen this error made so often on AC that if it continues I'm going to start making arrests!

Two, of course, refers to the number that comes after one! This word is seldom mistaken for to or too.
Too means in addition to, also, or excessively.
To is for all other uses.

Examples:
This chili is too spicy for my taste. (The chili is excessively spicy.)
Are you going to the dance, too? (We're going to the dance. Are you going also?)
I broke my leg skiing when I ran into a tree, and bumped my head, too. (In addition to my broken leg, I have a headache!)

The last example brings up another common grammar mistake:

Into/In to
Into is a preposition that asks the question "where?" or "what?"
Examples:
When I blew a tire, my car went into the lake.
My son went into the army.
My dog turns into a snarling beast when strangers approach.

Into can also relate to time:
My flowers kept blooming into autumn.

In math class, into refers to division:
Two goes into ten five times.

In to are separate words that are sometimes used next to one another to imply intent.
Examples:
The firemen rushed in to rescue the family from their burning house.
I was near the video store, so I went in to rent a movie.

If you're unsure whether in to or into is correct, read the sentence aloud, pausing between in and to. If it sounds awkward, into is probably correct.

Comments
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Great points and rather well taken. It is a sad commentary that I can take my kid around the neighborhood and point out grammar and spelling errors -- including the ones you pointed out -- on business signage.

Posted on 07/01/2008 at 11:07:48 AM

 
Grammar is one of my favorite topics. Nice job with this one.

Posted on 06/04/2008 at 9:06:29 AM

 
Maybe our computers need better spell checkers haha. Good article.

Posted on 05/30/2008 at 7:05:50 PM

 
Great article! I also have a hard time reading articles with incorrect grammar or tons of mispelled words.

Posted on 05/24/2008 at 5:05:23 PM

 
Great job on this. Bad grammar usually jumps out at me. I recall learning a list of the most commonly misspelled words many years ago, and I've kept them in mind. What bugs me is when someone says or writes, I have an ideal - instead of, I have an idea. I could create a long list of these types of mistakes.

Posted on 05/22/2008 at 5:05:13 PM

 
Yet another excellent piece on the grammer police. well done job. Jill, thanks for the great tutorial. phil

Posted on 05/22/2008 at 4:05:17 AM

 
I hate it when people us "am" instead of "i'm" eg. "am going to the store". Some people even use "his" for "he's" and vice versa. Another common one is "your" for "you're". Sigh, the poor english language.

Posted on 05/19/2008 at 7:05:21 AM

 
Well, I really didn't intend to be funny, but hey, whatever works! Maybe it will be easier to remember!

Posted on 05/16/2008 at 6:05:06 PM

 
The to/too thing drives me crazy! I think that is one of the most common mistakes writers make.

Posted on 05/16/2008 at 2:05:29 PM

 
I know you were probably seething with intent to teach with this article but I must say, I was rolling with laughter! Great stuff!!

Posted on 05/16/2008 at 2:05:42 PM

 
I have to say, there is nothing that drives me crazier, grammatically speaking, than internet slang. Particularly when it starts rearing its ugly head in a non-internet context. In a recent (college) course I took, there were actually instances where some of my classmates attempted to use 'ur' in place of "your", "you're", or "you are"- on formal term papers. I try not to be a total Grammar Nazi. Many of the mistakes people make are fairly understandable. English isn't everybody's strong suit. I'm sure my own grammar usage is far from perfect. But seeing "ur" sprinkled throughout an otherwise fairly well-written and conceived college essay just makes me want to cry.

Posted on 05/16/2008 at 12:05:37 PM

 
I have witnessed many grammatical errors when I have substituted in the elementary and the middle schools. Your article was nicely written.

Posted on 05/15/2008 at 4:05:27 PM

 
Excellent article. I have proofed high school papers where students don't know this basic info!

Posted on 05/15/2008 at 1:05:10 PM

 
Another bookmark made...thanks for the info.

Posted on 05/15/2008 at 12:05:21 PM

 
I love these poeces.

Posted on 05/13/2008 at 9:05:46 PM

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