In my last blog on the difference between Cannot, Can Not or Can’t, I told you that the little space in between two words makes all the difference. Here is another example to validate the same.
We will take up the In to versus Into debate, but first, let’s address the more confusing question.
What’s the difference between In and Into?
- To indicate a position, we use in
She put her diary in the drawer.
- To indicate movement, we use into
She put her diary into her bag.
In to versus Into
In has many functions, it can be a preposition, adverb, adjective or noun. To is a preposition or adverb, and forms part of an infinitive like to eat.
For example:
- Jatin turned his report in to the teacher.
- The council gave in to the demands of the students.
(Here, in to is the adverb in followed by the preposition to.)
On the other hand, into is a preposition that, although has many definitions, basically relates to direction and motion.
Let’s have a look at some more examples:
- Sameer walked into the room by accident.
(Where did he walk? He walked into the room – both direction and motion are involved.)
- She called just as I stepped into the bus.
- I walked into the sofa as I was not paying attention.
- Tom drove the car into the garage.
I hope this clears the misconceptions that existed in your mind. Use both these words wisely the next time you do!