Into vs. In To

In to or into?

While editing a work document, I kept encountering these two variations: in to and into.

I spent way too much time researching when to use which form, but I think I have a grasp on it now.

Into is a preposition, which means it’s a positioning word. Prepositions include words like before, after, over, under, around, through, on, etc.

𝗦𝗼, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱.

Karen sorted her Halloween candy into piles.

Her cat placed the mouse into her purse.

There is one additional scenario when into is the correct word.

𝗜𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹.

The filtration system transformed dirty water into clean water.

Herbie, the caterpillar, transformed into a butterfly.

“In to” is often used when you have a phrasal verb.

Some examples include log in, drop in, ended in, chime in, turn in, move in, hand in, join in, give in, get in, chip in, break in, cut in, fill in, hang in, or let in. The “to” just happens to be a part of the sentence.

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She chimed in to the conversation. (She didn’t transform or place something inside another object.)

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸?

I think about if something is being placed inside an object or transforming. I use that as my main guide.

Do you get in to and into confused?