The usage of To in English | Practice exercises with detailed answers

Verb

Meaning

Example

Afford to

(usually used with can, could or be able to, especially in negative sentences or questions)

to have enough money to be able to buy or do something

She can’t afford to buy a new car right now.

Agree to

to have the same opinion as somebody; to say that you have the same opinion

He agreed to help with the project.

Choose to

to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available

They chose to spend their vacation in the mountains. 

Decide to

to think carefully about the different possibilities that are available and choose one of them

I’ve decided to take up a new hobby. 

Determine to

to discover the facts about something; to calculate something exactly

She is determined to finish the marathon. 

Expect to

to think or believe that something will happen or that somebody will do something

They expect to receive the results by next week. 

Fail to

to not be successful in achieving something

He failed to complete the assignment on time. 

Hesitate to

to be slow to speak or act because you feel uncertain or nervous

She hesitated to speak in front of a large audience. 

Hope to

to want something to happen and think that it is possible

I hope to visit my grandparents this summer. 

Pretend to

to behave in a particular way, in order to make other people believe something that is not true

He pretended to be asleep when his mom called him. 

Intend to

to have a plan, result or purpose in your mind when you do something

They intend to launch a new product next month. 

Promise to

to tell somebody that you will definitely do or not do something, or that something will definitely happen

She promised to help her friend move to a new apartment. 

Refuse to

to say or show that you will not do something that somebody has asked you to do

He refused to eat the vegetables on his plate. 

Try to

to make an attempt or effort to do or get something

I will try to finish the report before the end of the day. 

Verb

Meaning

Example

Advise

to tell somebody what you think they should do in a particular situation

She advised her friend to take a break and relax after a long week of work. 

Allow

to let somebody/something do something; to let something happen or be done

The teacher allowed the students to work in groups for the project. 

Ask

to say or write something in the form of a question, in order to get information

He asked his colleague to help him with the presentation. 

Beg

to ask somebody for something especially in an anxious way because you want or need it very much

The child begged his parents to buy him a new toy. 

Believe

to feel certain that something is true or that somebody is telling you the truth

She believed her friend to be capable of achieving great success. 

Cause

to make something happen, especially something bad or unpleasant; to make somebody do something

The heavy rain caused the event to be postponed. 

Challenge

to question whether a statement or an action is right, legal, etc.; to refuse to accept something

The coach challenged his team to perform their best in the upcoming match. 

Command

(of somebody in a position of authority) to tell somebody to do something

The general commanded his troops to advance. 

Compel 

to force somebody to do something; to make something necessary

The urgent situation compelled the employees to work overtime.

Consider 

to think about something carefully, especially in order to make a decision

They considered the proposal to merge the two companies. 

Enable

to make it possible for somebody/something to do something

The new software enabled the team to streamline their workflow. 

Encourage 

to give somebody support, courage or hope

She encouraged her brother to pursue his passion for music. 

Expect

to think or believe that something will happen or that somebody will do something

The manager expects his employees to meet their deadlines. 

Find

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

Mary found her friend to be very helpful in times of need. 

Forbid

to order somebody not to do something; to order that something must not be done

The sign forbids visitors to enter without proper authorization. 

Get

to receive something

He got his friend to proofread his essay before submitting it. 

Help

to make it easier or possible for somebody to do something by doing something for them or by giving them something that they need

They helped their neighbor to repair the fence. 

Imagine 

to form a picture in your mind of what something might be like

She imagined her life to be completely different after moving to a new country.

Instruct 

to tell somebody to do something, especially in a formal or official way

The teacher instructed the students to complete the assignment by the end of the week. 

Invite

to ask somebody to come to a social event

They invited their friends to join them for a picnic on the weekend. 

Lead

to go with or in front of a person or an animal to show the way or to make them go in the right direction

The CEO’s vision and determination led the company to achieve record profits.

Order

to ask for something to eat or drink in a restaurant, bar, etc.

The manager ordered his team to review the project proposal one more time. 

Permit

to allow somebody to do something or to allow something to happen

The sign permits visitors to take photographs in the museum. 

Prefer

to like one thing or person better than another; to choose one thing rather than something else because you like it better

She prefers her coffee to be black and without sugar. 

Persuade

to make somebody do something by giving them good reasons for doing it

He persuaded his colleagues to support his proposal. 

Remind

to help somebody remember something, especially something important that they must do

She reminded her brother to call their parents on their anniversary. 

Adjective

Meaning

Example

Able to

having the skill, intelligence, opportunity, etc. needed to do something

She was able to solve the puzzle in just a few minutes. 

Acceptable to

agreed or approved of by most people in a society

His proposal was not acceptable to the majority of the team members. 

Accustomed to

familiar with something and accepting it as normal or usual

After living in the city for years, she had become accustomed to the noise. 

Agreeable to

pleasant and easy to like

The board members were agreeable to the new marketing strategy. 

Addicted to

unable to stop using or doing something as a habit, especially something harmful

He’s addicted to playing video games for hours on end. 

Available to sb

that you can get, buy or find

The manager is available to discuss your concerns at any time. 

Delightful to sb

very pleasant

The surprise party was delightful to her and brought tears of joy to her eyes. 

Familiar to sb

well known to you; often seen or heard and therefore easy to recognize

The concept of virtual reality is familiar to most young people nowadays.

Clear to

easy to understand and not confusing

It’s clear to everyone that she worked really hard to achieve her goals.

Contrary to

different from something; against something

Contrary to popular belief, not all cats dislike water. 

Equal to

the same in size, quantity, value, etc. as something else

Her dedication to her work is equal to that of any top professional. 

Exposed to

not protected from the weather by trees, buildings or high ground

Children should not be exposed to violent content at a young age. 

Favorable to

making people have a good opinion of

The new regulations are favorable to small businesses. 

Grateful to sb

feeling or showing thanks because somebody has done something kind for you or has done as you asked

I’m extremely grateful to you for helping me during that difficult time. 

Important to

having a great effect on people or things; of great value

Exercise is important to maintaining good health. 

Harmful to sb/st

causing damage or injury to somebody/something, especially to a person’s health or to the environment

Smoking is harmful to both smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. 

Opposite to

on the other side of a particular area from somebody/something and usually facing them

Her opinion is completely opposite to mine on this matter.

Willing to

not objecting to doing something; having no reason for not doing something

She is willing to take on extra responsibilities to help the team.