Rule for using “for” vs. “to”












10














A Brazilian friend speaks English very well, but has a very unique habit: it seems often that she needs to use "for" but she instead uses "to", and vice-versa.



For instance:




The present is to Thomas. (should be "for")



Say hello for your wife. (should be "to")




I have tried looking in the dictionary to specifically determine which definitions she's confusing, and it seems that she's mixing up using "to" as a consequence and "for" to indicate a purpose.



How can I help her find a way of remembering to use them correctly?



Edit: We recently ran into a better example:




You started working on a fix to that problem. (should be "for")











share|improve this question




















  • 2




    Ah yes, the "para" vs "por" issue...
    – RegDwigнt
    Oct 19 '10 at 8:42








  • 3




    I wonder whether the edited example (fix for) is simply idiomatic -- compare solution to, which has similar semantics but a different preposition. If so, it's probably impossible to find a rule of thumb that would make it clear for a non-native speaker. Back to memorization. :-)
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:54






  • 1




    PS I have beat my head against por/para in Spanish, not to mention the various idiomatic uses of prepositions in German, so I am completely sympathetic to your friend's difficulties in mastering these in English and to your difficulties in finding mnemonics for them.
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:56










  • @Mike Pope Great comments, thanks for pointing that out. The silly thing is that "solution for" would also work. I think what might actually work best is trying "towards" for "to", or "for the [...] of" for "for" (where an appropriate noun fits; e.g. "for the good of" or "for the resolution of").
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 21 '10 at 15:23


















10














A Brazilian friend speaks English very well, but has a very unique habit: it seems often that she needs to use "for" but she instead uses "to", and vice-versa.



For instance:




The present is to Thomas. (should be "for")



Say hello for your wife. (should be "to")




I have tried looking in the dictionary to specifically determine which definitions she's confusing, and it seems that she's mixing up using "to" as a consequence and "for" to indicate a purpose.



How can I help her find a way of remembering to use them correctly?



Edit: We recently ran into a better example:




You started working on a fix to that problem. (should be "for")











share|improve this question




















  • 2




    Ah yes, the "para" vs "por" issue...
    – RegDwigнt
    Oct 19 '10 at 8:42








  • 3




    I wonder whether the edited example (fix for) is simply idiomatic -- compare solution to, which has similar semantics but a different preposition. If so, it's probably impossible to find a rule of thumb that would make it clear for a non-native speaker. Back to memorization. :-)
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:54






  • 1




    PS I have beat my head against por/para in Spanish, not to mention the various idiomatic uses of prepositions in German, so I am completely sympathetic to your friend's difficulties in mastering these in English and to your difficulties in finding mnemonics for them.
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:56










  • @Mike Pope Great comments, thanks for pointing that out. The silly thing is that "solution for" would also work. I think what might actually work best is trying "towards" for "to", or "for the [...] of" for "for" (where an appropriate noun fits; e.g. "for the good of" or "for the resolution of").
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 21 '10 at 15:23
















10












10








10


4





A Brazilian friend speaks English very well, but has a very unique habit: it seems often that she needs to use "for" but she instead uses "to", and vice-versa.



For instance:




The present is to Thomas. (should be "for")



Say hello for your wife. (should be "to")




I have tried looking in the dictionary to specifically determine which definitions she's confusing, and it seems that she's mixing up using "to" as a consequence and "for" to indicate a purpose.



How can I help her find a way of remembering to use them correctly?



Edit: We recently ran into a better example:




You started working on a fix to that problem. (should be "for")











share|improve this question















A Brazilian friend speaks English very well, but has a very unique habit: it seems often that she needs to use "for" but she instead uses "to", and vice-versa.



For instance:




The present is to Thomas. (should be "for")



Say hello for your wife. (should be "to")




I have tried looking in the dictionary to specifically determine which definitions she's confusing, and it seems that she's mixing up using "to" as a consequence and "for" to indicate a purpose.



How can I help her find a way of remembering to use them correctly?



Edit: We recently ran into a better example:




You started working on a fix to that problem. (should be "for")








differences prepositions to-for






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Aug 14 '12 at 8:53









RegDwigнt

82.6k31281377




82.6k31281377










asked Oct 19 '10 at 8:34









Paul Lammertsma

1,71821622




1,71821622








  • 2




    Ah yes, the "para" vs "por" issue...
    – RegDwigнt
    Oct 19 '10 at 8:42








  • 3




    I wonder whether the edited example (fix for) is simply idiomatic -- compare solution to, which has similar semantics but a different preposition. If so, it's probably impossible to find a rule of thumb that would make it clear for a non-native speaker. Back to memorization. :-)
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:54






  • 1




    PS I have beat my head against por/para in Spanish, not to mention the various idiomatic uses of prepositions in German, so I am completely sympathetic to your friend's difficulties in mastering these in English and to your difficulties in finding mnemonics for them.
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:56










  • @Mike Pope Great comments, thanks for pointing that out. The silly thing is that "solution for" would also work. I think what might actually work best is trying "towards" for "to", or "for the [...] of" for "for" (where an appropriate noun fits; e.g. "for the good of" or "for the resolution of").
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 21 '10 at 15:23
















  • 2




    Ah yes, the "para" vs "por" issue...
    – RegDwigнt
    Oct 19 '10 at 8:42








  • 3




    I wonder whether the edited example (fix for) is simply idiomatic -- compare solution to, which has similar semantics but a different preposition. If so, it's probably impossible to find a rule of thumb that would make it clear for a non-native speaker. Back to memorization. :-)
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:54






  • 1




    PS I have beat my head against por/para in Spanish, not to mention the various idiomatic uses of prepositions in German, so I am completely sympathetic to your friend's difficulties in mastering these in English and to your difficulties in finding mnemonics for them.
    – Mike Pope
    Oct 21 '10 at 7:56










  • @Mike Pope Great comments, thanks for pointing that out. The silly thing is that "solution for" would also work. I think what might actually work best is trying "towards" for "to", or "for the [...] of" for "for" (where an appropriate noun fits; e.g. "for the good of" or "for the resolution of").
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 21 '10 at 15:23










2




2




Ah yes, the "para" vs "por" issue...
– RegDwigнt
Oct 19 '10 at 8:42






Ah yes, the "para" vs "por" issue...
– RegDwigнt
Oct 19 '10 at 8:42






3




3




I wonder whether the edited example (fix for) is simply idiomatic -- compare solution to, which has similar semantics but a different preposition. If so, it's probably impossible to find a rule of thumb that would make it clear for a non-native speaker. Back to memorization. :-)
– Mike Pope
Oct 21 '10 at 7:54




I wonder whether the edited example (fix for) is simply idiomatic -- compare solution to, which has similar semantics but a different preposition. If so, it's probably impossible to find a rule of thumb that would make it clear for a non-native speaker. Back to memorization. :-)
– Mike Pope
Oct 21 '10 at 7:54




1




1




PS I have beat my head against por/para in Spanish, not to mention the various idiomatic uses of prepositions in German, so I am completely sympathetic to your friend's difficulties in mastering these in English and to your difficulties in finding mnemonics for them.
– Mike Pope
Oct 21 '10 at 7:56




PS I have beat my head against por/para in Spanish, not to mention the various idiomatic uses of prepositions in German, so I am completely sympathetic to your friend's difficulties in mastering these in English and to your difficulties in finding mnemonics for them.
– Mike Pope
Oct 21 '10 at 7:56












@Mike Pope Great comments, thanks for pointing that out. The silly thing is that "solution for" would also work. I think what might actually work best is trying "towards" for "to", or "for the [...] of" for "for" (where an appropriate noun fits; e.g. "for the good of" or "for the resolution of").
– Paul Lammertsma
Oct 21 '10 at 15:23






@Mike Pope Great comments, thanks for pointing that out. The silly thing is that "solution for" would also work. I think what might actually work best is trying "towards" for "to", or "for the [...] of" for "for" (where an appropriate noun fits; e.g. "for the good of" or "for the resolution of").
– Paul Lammertsma
Oct 21 '10 at 15:23












6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes


















8














One possibility, understanding that prepositions have very slippery and often idiosyncratic meanings ... have her think of to as indicating a destination:



I sent the present to him.



I gave the present to her.



Whereas for can indicate or "for the good of":



I did it for her.



The present is for him.



Do you think this might help? Note that we're likely to find many cases where these simplistic definitions don't work, alas.






share|improve this answer





















  • I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 19 '10 at 21:58










  • I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 20 '10 at 16:13






  • 1




    In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
    – Waggers
    Jul 5 '11 at 8:24



















7














The problem is that both "for" and "to" translate to Portuguese in these cases as para.:



"The present is for Thomas." --> O presente é para o Thomas.



"Say hello to your wife." --> "Diga oi para a sua esposa."



As a native Portuguese speaker (I'm Brazilian too), I'd say that there's no simple rule of thumb to always avoid this confusion. You can explain to her what Mike Pope said in his answer; that should help. But it's only by listening and repeating the appropriate usage that we will naturally learn to use these prepositions correctly.



This is my advice for her... I mean, my advice to her.






share|improve this answer



















  • 1




    Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
    – Paul Lammertsma
    Oct 19 '10 at 21:56





















1














I'm a spanish speaker and I sometimes confuse them too, because we use the word "para" with both meanings.



In this example "Say hello to your wife" and in all the sentences where you have "dative case" you should use "to" I think.






share|improve this answer





























    0














    There's also the situation where either is acceptable.




    I read a story to the children.



    I read a story for the children.







    share|improve this answer





























      0














      Deeper, more profound answers require one to appeal to Linguistics. So I Googled "semantics of english prepositions" which revealed many references such as the following:



      Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Learning the Semantics of
      English
      to, for
      and
      at:
      An Experimental Investigation by Andrea Tyler, Charles Mueller, Vu Ho.



      At 26 pages, it is too long to reproduce here, but the following quote from p 2 of 26 (Introduction) should already convince you of and to evidence its helpfulness.




        Language teachers and researchers have long recognized that the acquisition
      of prepositions poses major challenges for second language learners (e.g., Celce-
      Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999). One reason for this is that the semantics of
      prepositions are notoriously difficult to characterize. For instance, on first inspection,
      the distinction between prepositions such as
      over
      and
      above
      is quite unclear. On one
      hand, the sentence:
      The picture is over the mantle,   is a near paraphrase of:  
      The picture is
      above the mantle.


      On the other hand, the sentence:
      Mary hung her jacket over the back
      of the chair


      is interpreted as meaning something quite different than:
      Mary hung her
      jacket above the back of the chair.


      Additionally, prepositions tend to develop a complex
      set of extended meanings, for instance,
      over
      has developed at least 16 meanings,
      many of which do not appear to be systematically related. Although linguists have
      long been aware that prepositions develop complex polysemy networks, the meaning
      networks surrounding spatial markers (and the systematic processes of meaning
      extension from which they result) have only become the foci of linguistic inquiry
      in the last 20 years. Even the best descriptive grammars and dictionaries present
      the multiple meanings of spatial language as largely arbitrary. Traditional accounts
      have represented the semantics of English prepositions as arbitrary (Bloomfield, 1933;
      Frank, 1972; Chomsky, 1995). Consequently, pedagogical treatments have often
      suggested memorization as the best strategy. Studies show that accurate use of spatial
      language is one of the last elements learned and many highly proficient L2 speakers
      never attain native speaker-like use (e.g.,
      Lam, 2009). Indeed, Lam found that L2
      Spanish learners made virtually no gains in their mastery of the prepositions
      por
      and
      para
      over the course of four years of college Spanish.

         Cognitive Linguistics (CL) offers an alternative perspective, suggesting that
      the many distinct meanings associated with a particular preposition are related in systematic, principled ways (e.g., Brugman, 1988; Dewell, 1994; Dirven, 1993; Lakoff,
      1987; Linder, 1982; Hawkins, 1988; Herskovits, 1986, 1988; Tyler and Evans, 2001a,
      2003; Vandeloise, 1991, 1994)




      Ensure to consult and try the many References on pp 22-26, which includes (on page 25) the following which I plan to read myself:



      Tyler, A. & Evans, V. 2003. The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes,
      Embodied Meaning and Cognition.

      Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.






      share|improve this answer





























        0














        This link has the most complete explanation https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-to-and-for/






        share|improve this answer








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          6 Answers
          6






          active

          oldest

          votes








          6 Answers
          6






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          8














          One possibility, understanding that prepositions have very slippery and often idiosyncratic meanings ... have her think of to as indicating a destination:



          I sent the present to him.



          I gave the present to her.



          Whereas for can indicate or "for the good of":



          I did it for her.



          The present is for him.



          Do you think this might help? Note that we're likely to find many cases where these simplistic definitions don't work, alas.






          share|improve this answer





















          • I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:58










          • I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 20 '10 at 16:13






          • 1




            In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
            – Waggers
            Jul 5 '11 at 8:24
















          8














          One possibility, understanding that prepositions have very slippery and often idiosyncratic meanings ... have her think of to as indicating a destination:



          I sent the present to him.



          I gave the present to her.



          Whereas for can indicate or "for the good of":



          I did it for her.



          The present is for him.



          Do you think this might help? Note that we're likely to find many cases where these simplistic definitions don't work, alas.






          share|improve this answer





















          • I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:58










          • I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 20 '10 at 16:13






          • 1




            In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
            – Waggers
            Jul 5 '11 at 8:24














          8












          8








          8






          One possibility, understanding that prepositions have very slippery and often idiosyncratic meanings ... have her think of to as indicating a destination:



          I sent the present to him.



          I gave the present to her.



          Whereas for can indicate or "for the good of":



          I did it for her.



          The present is for him.



          Do you think this might help? Note that we're likely to find many cases where these simplistic definitions don't work, alas.






          share|improve this answer












          One possibility, understanding that prepositions have very slippery and often idiosyncratic meanings ... have her think of to as indicating a destination:



          I sent the present to him.



          I gave the present to her.



          Whereas for can indicate or "for the good of":



          I did it for her.



          The present is for him.



          Do you think this might help? Note that we're likely to find many cases where these simplistic definitions don't work, alas.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Oct 19 '10 at 15:45









          Mike Pope

          59629




          59629












          • I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:58










          • I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 20 '10 at 16:13






          • 1




            In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
            – Waggers
            Jul 5 '11 at 8:24


















          • I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:58










          • I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 20 '10 at 16:13






          • 1




            In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
            – Waggers
            Jul 5 '11 at 8:24
















          I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
          – Paul Lammertsma
          Oct 19 '10 at 21:58




          I've given it some thought before, and am inclined to agree. When I wrote the examples in the OP, I already realized that they were too simple; I've caught myself trying to find some direction or intent for when she slips up, but it's usually a fairly complex sentence. I'll keep track and post an update when I have a better example.
          – Paul Lammertsma
          Oct 19 '10 at 21:58












          I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
          – Paul Lammertsma
          Oct 20 '10 at 16:13




          I've updated the OP with a better example. The substitution rule ("towards" or "for the good of") helps a little, but neither is obviously correct. How could you substitute "for" in that example to demonstrate that it's the right one?
          – Paul Lammertsma
          Oct 20 '10 at 16:13




          1




          1




          In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
          – Waggers
          Jul 5 '11 at 8:24




          In that example we could think of the problem more generally, as a situation. The fix is "for the benefit of" the situation, not something that moves us towards the situation.
          – Waggers
          Jul 5 '11 at 8:24













          7














          The problem is that both "for" and "to" translate to Portuguese in these cases as para.:



          "The present is for Thomas." --> O presente é para o Thomas.



          "Say hello to your wife." --> "Diga oi para a sua esposa."



          As a native Portuguese speaker (I'm Brazilian too), I'd say that there's no simple rule of thumb to always avoid this confusion. You can explain to her what Mike Pope said in his answer; that should help. But it's only by listening and repeating the appropriate usage that we will naturally learn to use these prepositions correctly.



          This is my advice for her... I mean, my advice to her.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 1




            Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:56


















          7














          The problem is that both "for" and "to" translate to Portuguese in these cases as para.:



          "The present is for Thomas." --> O presente é para o Thomas.



          "Say hello to your wife." --> "Diga oi para a sua esposa."



          As a native Portuguese speaker (I'm Brazilian too), I'd say that there's no simple rule of thumb to always avoid this confusion. You can explain to her what Mike Pope said in his answer; that should help. But it's only by listening and repeating the appropriate usage that we will naturally learn to use these prepositions correctly.



          This is my advice for her... I mean, my advice to her.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 1




            Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:56
















          7












          7








          7






          The problem is that both "for" and "to" translate to Portuguese in these cases as para.:



          "The present is for Thomas." --> O presente é para o Thomas.



          "Say hello to your wife." --> "Diga oi para a sua esposa."



          As a native Portuguese speaker (I'm Brazilian too), I'd say that there's no simple rule of thumb to always avoid this confusion. You can explain to her what Mike Pope said in his answer; that should help. But it's only by listening and repeating the appropriate usage that we will naturally learn to use these prepositions correctly.



          This is my advice for her... I mean, my advice to her.






          share|improve this answer














          The problem is that both "for" and "to" translate to Portuguese in these cases as para.:



          "The present is for Thomas." --> O presente é para o Thomas.



          "Say hello to your wife." --> "Diga oi para a sua esposa."



          As a native Portuguese speaker (I'm Brazilian too), I'd say that there's no simple rule of thumb to always avoid this confusion. You can explain to her what Mike Pope said in his answer; that should help. But it's only by listening and repeating the appropriate usage that we will naturally learn to use these prepositions correctly.



          This is my advice for her... I mean, my advice to her.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38









          Community

          1




          1










          answered Oct 19 '10 at 19:24









          b.roth

          16.6k1876121




          16.6k1876121








          • 1




            Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:56
















          • 1




            Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
            – Paul Lammertsma
            Oct 19 '10 at 21:56










          1




          1




          Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
          – Paul Lammertsma
          Oct 19 '10 at 21:56






          Thanks for pointing out where the confusion is coming from! She says that's exactly it.
          – Paul Lammertsma
          Oct 19 '10 at 21:56













          1














          I'm a spanish speaker and I sometimes confuse them too, because we use the word "para" with both meanings.



          In this example "Say hello to your wife" and in all the sentences where you have "dative case" you should use "to" I think.






          share|improve this answer


























            1














            I'm a spanish speaker and I sometimes confuse them too, because we use the word "para" with both meanings.



            In this example "Say hello to your wife" and in all the sentences where you have "dative case" you should use "to" I think.






            share|improve this answer
























              1












              1








              1






              I'm a spanish speaker and I sometimes confuse them too, because we use the word "para" with both meanings.



              In this example "Say hello to your wife" and in all the sentences where you have "dative case" you should use "to" I think.






              share|improve this answer












              I'm a spanish speaker and I sometimes confuse them too, because we use the word "para" with both meanings.



              In this example "Say hello to your wife" and in all the sentences where you have "dative case" you should use "to" I think.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered Oct 29 '10 at 23:55









              vicmp3

              248138




              248138























                  0














                  There's also the situation where either is acceptable.




                  I read a story to the children.



                  I read a story for the children.







                  share|improve this answer


























                    0














                    There's also the situation where either is acceptable.




                    I read a story to the children.



                    I read a story for the children.







                    share|improve this answer
























                      0












                      0








                      0






                      There's also the situation where either is acceptable.




                      I read a story to the children.



                      I read a story for the children.







                      share|improve this answer












                      There's also the situation where either is acceptable.




                      I read a story to the children.



                      I read a story for the children.








                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered May 12 '15 at 21:07









                      jgritty

                      11416




                      11416























                          0














                          Deeper, more profound answers require one to appeal to Linguistics. So I Googled "semantics of english prepositions" which revealed many references such as the following:



                          Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Learning the Semantics of
                          English
                          to, for
                          and
                          at:
                          An Experimental Investigation by Andrea Tyler, Charles Mueller, Vu Ho.



                          At 26 pages, it is too long to reproduce here, but the following quote from p 2 of 26 (Introduction) should already convince you of and to evidence its helpfulness.




                            Language teachers and researchers have long recognized that the acquisition
                          of prepositions poses major challenges for second language learners (e.g., Celce-
                          Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999). One reason for this is that the semantics of
                          prepositions are notoriously difficult to characterize. For instance, on first inspection,
                          the distinction between prepositions such as
                          over
                          and
                          above
                          is quite unclear. On one
                          hand, the sentence:
                          The picture is over the mantle,   is a near paraphrase of:  
                          The picture is
                          above the mantle.


                          On the other hand, the sentence:
                          Mary hung her jacket over the back
                          of the chair


                          is interpreted as meaning something quite different than:
                          Mary hung her
                          jacket above the back of the chair.


                          Additionally, prepositions tend to develop a complex
                          set of extended meanings, for instance,
                          over
                          has developed at least 16 meanings,
                          many of which do not appear to be systematically related. Although linguists have
                          long been aware that prepositions develop complex polysemy networks, the meaning
                          networks surrounding spatial markers (and the systematic processes of meaning
                          extension from which they result) have only become the foci of linguistic inquiry
                          in the last 20 years. Even the best descriptive grammars and dictionaries present
                          the multiple meanings of spatial language as largely arbitrary. Traditional accounts
                          have represented the semantics of English prepositions as arbitrary (Bloomfield, 1933;
                          Frank, 1972; Chomsky, 1995). Consequently, pedagogical treatments have often
                          suggested memorization as the best strategy. Studies show that accurate use of spatial
                          language is one of the last elements learned and many highly proficient L2 speakers
                          never attain native speaker-like use (e.g.,
                          Lam, 2009). Indeed, Lam found that L2
                          Spanish learners made virtually no gains in their mastery of the prepositions
                          por
                          and
                          para
                          over the course of four years of college Spanish.

                             Cognitive Linguistics (CL) offers an alternative perspective, suggesting that
                          the many distinct meanings associated with a particular preposition are related in systematic, principled ways (e.g., Brugman, 1988; Dewell, 1994; Dirven, 1993; Lakoff,
                          1987; Linder, 1982; Hawkins, 1988; Herskovits, 1986, 1988; Tyler and Evans, 2001a,
                          2003; Vandeloise, 1991, 1994)




                          Ensure to consult and try the many References on pp 22-26, which includes (on page 25) the following which I plan to read myself:



                          Tyler, A. & Evans, V. 2003. The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes,
                          Embodied Meaning and Cognition.

                          Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.






                          share|improve this answer


























                            0














                            Deeper, more profound answers require one to appeal to Linguistics. So I Googled "semantics of english prepositions" which revealed many references such as the following:



                            Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Learning the Semantics of
                            English
                            to, for
                            and
                            at:
                            An Experimental Investigation by Andrea Tyler, Charles Mueller, Vu Ho.



                            At 26 pages, it is too long to reproduce here, but the following quote from p 2 of 26 (Introduction) should already convince you of and to evidence its helpfulness.




                              Language teachers and researchers have long recognized that the acquisition
                            of prepositions poses major challenges for second language learners (e.g., Celce-
                            Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999). One reason for this is that the semantics of
                            prepositions are notoriously difficult to characterize. For instance, on first inspection,
                            the distinction between prepositions such as
                            over
                            and
                            above
                            is quite unclear. On one
                            hand, the sentence:
                            The picture is over the mantle,   is a near paraphrase of:  
                            The picture is
                            above the mantle.


                            On the other hand, the sentence:
                            Mary hung her jacket over the back
                            of the chair


                            is interpreted as meaning something quite different than:
                            Mary hung her
                            jacket above the back of the chair.


                            Additionally, prepositions tend to develop a complex
                            set of extended meanings, for instance,
                            over
                            has developed at least 16 meanings,
                            many of which do not appear to be systematically related. Although linguists have
                            long been aware that prepositions develop complex polysemy networks, the meaning
                            networks surrounding spatial markers (and the systematic processes of meaning
                            extension from which they result) have only become the foci of linguistic inquiry
                            in the last 20 years. Even the best descriptive grammars and dictionaries present
                            the multiple meanings of spatial language as largely arbitrary. Traditional accounts
                            have represented the semantics of English prepositions as arbitrary (Bloomfield, 1933;
                            Frank, 1972; Chomsky, 1995). Consequently, pedagogical treatments have often
                            suggested memorization as the best strategy. Studies show that accurate use of spatial
                            language is one of the last elements learned and many highly proficient L2 speakers
                            never attain native speaker-like use (e.g.,
                            Lam, 2009). Indeed, Lam found that L2
                            Spanish learners made virtually no gains in their mastery of the prepositions
                            por
                            and
                            para
                            over the course of four years of college Spanish.

                               Cognitive Linguistics (CL) offers an alternative perspective, suggesting that
                            the many distinct meanings associated with a particular preposition are related in systematic, principled ways (e.g., Brugman, 1988; Dewell, 1994; Dirven, 1993; Lakoff,
                            1987; Linder, 1982; Hawkins, 1988; Herskovits, 1986, 1988; Tyler and Evans, 2001a,
                            2003; Vandeloise, 1991, 1994)




                            Ensure to consult and try the many References on pp 22-26, which includes (on page 25) the following which I plan to read myself:



                            Tyler, A. & Evans, V. 2003. The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes,
                            Embodied Meaning and Cognition.

                            Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.






                            share|improve this answer
























                              0












                              0








                              0






                              Deeper, more profound answers require one to appeal to Linguistics. So I Googled "semantics of english prepositions" which revealed many references such as the following:



                              Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Learning the Semantics of
                              English
                              to, for
                              and
                              at:
                              An Experimental Investigation by Andrea Tyler, Charles Mueller, Vu Ho.



                              At 26 pages, it is too long to reproduce here, but the following quote from p 2 of 26 (Introduction) should already convince you of and to evidence its helpfulness.




                                Language teachers and researchers have long recognized that the acquisition
                              of prepositions poses major challenges for second language learners (e.g., Celce-
                              Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999). One reason for this is that the semantics of
                              prepositions are notoriously difficult to characterize. For instance, on first inspection,
                              the distinction between prepositions such as
                              over
                              and
                              above
                              is quite unclear. On one
                              hand, the sentence:
                              The picture is over the mantle,   is a near paraphrase of:  
                              The picture is
                              above the mantle.


                              On the other hand, the sentence:
                              Mary hung her jacket over the back
                              of the chair


                              is interpreted as meaning something quite different than:
                              Mary hung her
                              jacket above the back of the chair.


                              Additionally, prepositions tend to develop a complex
                              set of extended meanings, for instance,
                              over
                              has developed at least 16 meanings,
                              many of which do not appear to be systematically related. Although linguists have
                              long been aware that prepositions develop complex polysemy networks, the meaning
                              networks surrounding spatial markers (and the systematic processes of meaning
                              extension from which they result) have only become the foci of linguistic inquiry
                              in the last 20 years. Even the best descriptive grammars and dictionaries present
                              the multiple meanings of spatial language as largely arbitrary. Traditional accounts
                              have represented the semantics of English prepositions as arbitrary (Bloomfield, 1933;
                              Frank, 1972; Chomsky, 1995). Consequently, pedagogical treatments have often
                              suggested memorization as the best strategy. Studies show that accurate use of spatial
                              language is one of the last elements learned and many highly proficient L2 speakers
                              never attain native speaker-like use (e.g.,
                              Lam, 2009). Indeed, Lam found that L2
                              Spanish learners made virtually no gains in their mastery of the prepositions
                              por
                              and
                              para
                              over the course of four years of college Spanish.

                                 Cognitive Linguistics (CL) offers an alternative perspective, suggesting that
                              the many distinct meanings associated with a particular preposition are related in systematic, principled ways (e.g., Brugman, 1988; Dewell, 1994; Dirven, 1993; Lakoff,
                              1987; Linder, 1982; Hawkins, 1988; Herskovits, 1986, 1988; Tyler and Evans, 2001a,
                              2003; Vandeloise, 1991, 1994)




                              Ensure to consult and try the many References on pp 22-26, which includes (on page 25) the following which I plan to read myself:



                              Tyler, A. & Evans, V. 2003. The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes,
                              Embodied Meaning and Cognition.

                              Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.






                              share|improve this answer












                              Deeper, more profound answers require one to appeal to Linguistics. So I Googled "semantics of english prepositions" which revealed many references such as the following:



                              Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Learning the Semantics of
                              English
                              to, for
                              and
                              at:
                              An Experimental Investigation by Andrea Tyler, Charles Mueller, Vu Ho.



                              At 26 pages, it is too long to reproduce here, but the following quote from p 2 of 26 (Introduction) should already convince you of and to evidence its helpfulness.




                                Language teachers and researchers have long recognized that the acquisition
                              of prepositions poses major challenges for second language learners (e.g., Celce-
                              Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, 1999). One reason for this is that the semantics of
                              prepositions are notoriously difficult to characterize. For instance, on first inspection,
                              the distinction between prepositions such as
                              over
                              and
                              above
                              is quite unclear. On one
                              hand, the sentence:
                              The picture is over the mantle,   is a near paraphrase of:  
                              The picture is
                              above the mantle.


                              On the other hand, the sentence:
                              Mary hung her jacket over the back
                              of the chair


                              is interpreted as meaning something quite different than:
                              Mary hung her
                              jacket above the back of the chair.


                              Additionally, prepositions tend to develop a complex
                              set of extended meanings, for instance,
                              over
                              has developed at least 16 meanings,
                              many of which do not appear to be systematically related. Although linguists have
                              long been aware that prepositions develop complex polysemy networks, the meaning
                              networks surrounding spatial markers (and the systematic processes of meaning
                              extension from which they result) have only become the foci of linguistic inquiry
                              in the last 20 years. Even the best descriptive grammars and dictionaries present
                              the multiple meanings of spatial language as largely arbitrary. Traditional accounts
                              have represented the semantics of English prepositions as arbitrary (Bloomfield, 1933;
                              Frank, 1972; Chomsky, 1995). Consequently, pedagogical treatments have often
                              suggested memorization as the best strategy. Studies show that accurate use of spatial
                              language is one of the last elements learned and many highly proficient L2 speakers
                              never attain native speaker-like use (e.g.,
                              Lam, 2009). Indeed, Lam found that L2
                              Spanish learners made virtually no gains in their mastery of the prepositions
                              por
                              and
                              para
                              over the course of four years of college Spanish.

                                 Cognitive Linguistics (CL) offers an alternative perspective, suggesting that
                              the many distinct meanings associated with a particular preposition are related in systematic, principled ways (e.g., Brugman, 1988; Dewell, 1994; Dirven, 1993; Lakoff,
                              1987; Linder, 1982; Hawkins, 1988; Herskovits, 1986, 1988; Tyler and Evans, 2001a,
                              2003; Vandeloise, 1991, 1994)




                              Ensure to consult and try the many References on pp 22-26, which includes (on page 25) the following which I plan to read myself:



                              Tyler, A. & Evans, V. 2003. The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes,
                              Embodied Meaning and Cognition.

                              Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.







                              share|improve this answer












                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer










                              answered Jan 23 '16 at 5:51









                              Greek - Area 51 Proposal

                              3,98684089




                              3,98684089























                                  0














                                  This link has the most complete explanation https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-to-and-for/






                                  share|improve this answer








                                  New contributor




                                  Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                  Check out our Code of Conduct.























                                    0














                                    This link has the most complete explanation https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-to-and-for/






                                    share|improve this answer








                                    New contributor




                                    Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















                                      0












                                      0








                                      0






                                      This link has the most complete explanation https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-to-and-for/






                                      share|improve this answer








                                      New contributor




                                      Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                      Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                      This link has the most complete explanation https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-to-and-for/







                                      share|improve this answer








                                      New contributor




                                      Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                      Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer






                                      New contributor




                                      Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                      Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                      answered 18 mins ago









                                      Idith

                                      1




                                      1




                                      New contributor




                                      Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                      Check out our Code of Conduct.





                                      New contributor





                                      Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                      Check out our Code of Conduct.






                                      Idith is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                      Check out our Code of Conduct.






























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