English grammar help: how to use ‘into’

Even if you’re new to learning English you will have come across two of its most common prepositions, ‘in’ and ‘to’, but have you come across ‘into’?

‘Into’ is a preposition that’s related to direction. It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish when to use ‘into and ‘in to’. Here are some examples we can look at:

“When his house was burned down he was too upset to step in to see the damage.”

In this case we wouldn’t say ‘into’ because the word ‘to’ is attached the verb ‘to see’.

“She walked into the house.”

We can use ‘into’ here to indicate the direction. She is moving in the direction in which she will be inside the house.

We can also use ‘into’ when speaking about things of interest. So for example, if you enjoy playing the guitar, you could say “I am into playing the guitar.”

Practice:

1. I am ____ many things like cooking and painting.
2. Put them ____ the cupboard.
3. Don’t forget to hand your paper _____ the teacher.

It will take some practice to identify exactly when to use ‘in to’ and ‘into’. Good luck and see you in class soon!

Answers: into, into, in to

image: Horia Varlan