TO vs FOR

So, as promised, let's try to work out how to understand when to use TO and when to use FOR.

Before I begin, let's explain the role of the PREPOSITION. Some people suggest that the word itself expresses everything and that PREPOSITIONS are PRE Positioned words. To some extent that is true. But the most important role of the preposition is to establish the relationship of the subject to the object.

Consider the following sentences.
The book is ON the table.
The book is UNDER the table.
The book is BEHIND the table, and so on. 

Simply by changing the preposition in this sentence, we alter the relationship of the BOOK to the TABLE.

Prepositions are often single words (at, in, on), might contain 2 or more words (in front of, close to) , can be phrases made up of several words (to look forward to, get back to) and might be words with different grammatical uses( by 

pronounced bī/

preposition

1. 1.

   identifying the agent performing an action.
2. 2.

   indicating the means of achieving something.

   "malaria can be controlled by attacking the parasite"

adverb

1. 1.

   so as to go past.

   "a car flashed by on the other side of the road"

   synonyms:

   past, on, along "people hurried by"

noun

1. 1.

   variant spelling of bye¹.

). (This brief explanation of BY was supplied by GOOGLE search)

Many Prepositions establish position (in) or movement (into). (I will cover this in a future post)

In this post we will see what kind of PREPOSITION the words TO and FOR represent.

TO, as a preposition, HAS to be seen to represent DIRECTION and nothing else. Direction can be seen when TO is used with verbs in acts of exchange or transfer as well as when used in conjunction with VERBS that show action that includes movement.

We exchange Emails by SENDING TO, REPLYING TO and FORWARDING TO.
VERBS with an action that includes movement are, GO, TRAVEL, DRIVE, WALK, RUN, SWIM as well as many others of a similar type.

Also as a direction we see, The time is 5 TO ten (5 minutes going in the direction of 10 o'clock.). I work from 9am TO 5pm. (going from 9am (09:00) in the direction of 5pm (17:00), from smaller TO greater)

In special circumstances, TO is used in a comparative sense.  They won the game 4 TO 3 (sometimes expressed - We won the game 4-2. She is different TO me.(In this sentence the "different TO" is sometimes replaced with "different FROM" and "different THAN")

TO is also used in a different way. Sometimes referred to as a PREPOSITION, it is in fact used for the INFINITIVE VERB structure. TO speak, TO broadcast, TO write, TO watch etc. No other word can be used in place of TO when an infinitive structure is being used.

TO should really ONLY ever be used for these two purposes. (I would like TO speak TO you later. He has TO go TO the doctors. I want you TO send this Email TO her.  - as the TO infinitive or as the TO preposition, or as in these cases, it can be used in both positions as the infinitive and as the preposition..)

FOR, on the other hand, has several different meanings when used as a preposition.

1. FOR can be used as a reason and answers the question WHAT FOR or WHY. (Why do you want to go to a Spa? FOR my health.). Let's go out FOR a walk. (Expresses the reason for going out.)
2. FOR used to mean - on behalf of, or in place of. (Let me do that FOR you., Please send an Email FOR me.)
3. FOR helps to determine time duration. (I have been here FOR some time.)
4. FOR expresses intention or belonging. (I brought this FOR you)
5. FOR as a reason but before VERBS + ING.A Cell phone can be used FOR doing many different things. This folder is FOR keeping notes while this folder is FOR storing completed records.
6. Obscurely, FOR is seen in structures like, I have booked the meeting FOR Friday (making an arrangement), and I am totally FOR equality and fully against segregation. (to express an opinion.)

                                                            --ooOO\\//OOoo--

In the following sentence;

I need TO go TO the supermarket FOR some fruit and vegetables FOR my mother.

Expresses, the infinitive (to go), the preposition for direction (to), the reason for going (for) and on behalf of or in place of (for). Explained simply, we often favour for as a reason so as not to need to explain the verb (to buy, to get, to take, to steal etc) while the for) on behalf of says that maybe the person who receives the goods in this case, is unable to perform the task themselves.

Consider the next example;

Please send an Email TO me. I wish to receive an Email from you (in my direction)

Please send an Email FOR me. I need your help to send an Email. (Please send an Email on my behalf.)

                                                      --ooOO\\//OOoo--

Brazilians translate their prepositions para and por into both TO and FOR.

It isn't uncommon for phrases to be made up of both at different times;

I bought this present TO you (FOR you or TO give TO you), or I want FOR drive FOR the stores (I want TO drive TO the stores) This folder is FOR keep documents safe. (FOR keeping or To keep)

The challenge is therefore, FOR Brazilians to avoid translating from their own language and to get a better feel for the English use of both TO and FOR .

And the Native English speaker must always help by ensuring that their own correspondence is correct and uses these two forms properly.

I hope that this was good enough FOR you.TO understand these two prepositions a little better.