To or For...

Hello students!
A lot of people ask about the difference between to and for.
Today's lesson will help you understand when to use these two prepositions.

Don’t say: “I’m studying every day for improve my English.”
Say: “I’m studying every day to improve my English.”

The prepositions to and for are very easy to confuse! Here are some rules:
Use TO in these cases:

• Destination
  “We’re going to Paris.”

• What time it is
  “It’s a quarter to 2.”

• Distance
  “It’s about ten miles from my house to the university.”

• Comparing
  “I prefer sleeping to working.”

• Giving
  “I gave the book to my sister.”

• Motive/Reason – with verb
  “I came here to see you.”

Use FOR in these cases:

• Benefits
  “Yogurt is good for your digestion.”

• Period of time
  “We’ve lived here for 2 years.”

• Schedule
  “I made an appointment for May 3.”

• Agree with 
  “Are you for or against the development of nuclear weapons?”

• Doing something to help someone
  “Could you carry these books for me?”

• Motive/Reason – with noun
  “Let’s go out for a drink.”

• Function – with verb (-ing form)
  “A ladle is a big spoon used for serving soup.”

As you can see in #6, TO or FOR can be used for a motive/reason, but TO is always with a verb, and FOR is always with a noun. Here’s a good example:

• I came to New York  to work.
• I came to New York  for a new job.