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Which one's correct - "this two" or "these two"?

I’m aware that ‘this’ is used for a singular thing while ‘these’ is used for plural. However, I also see people who use the phrase ‘this two’ so I’m not sure which one’s correct.

Erin L.'s user avatar

"These two" is correct because two is a plural, as you say. The only sensible exception I can come up with is in a very specific verbal discussion.

A signwriter is having trouble deciding how to write a numeral, so he calls a colleague over. "I'm trying to find way to make this price signage really eye-catching. So which do you prefer? This two," he asked, pointing to a curling, cursive numeral, "or that two?"

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To vs. Too: What’s the Difference?

Marko Ticak

In the hierarchy of things that drive grammar sticklers mad, to and too are near the top. It’s very common to see them confused, abused, and misused, and not just in YouTube comments or on Reddit. People seem to mix up these two funny little words all over the place, and it’s something that can happen to anyone.

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How to use to

To is a preposition and a versatile little word that can be used to say many things. You can use it to indicate a goal or a direction of movement, as well as a place of arrival. That’s the way you use it when you say you’re going to class tomorrow. To also plays a role when we want to indicate that a verb is an infinitive.

You’ll often use to when you want to indicate a relationship between words, relationship like possession, attachment, and addition. You get attached to people, you have things that belong to you. To is also used to indicate a range or a period of time, like when you say it will take you five to ten minutes to finish something.

There are other things for which we use the word to , but by now you should know enough of them to make sure you notice the difference between it and too .

How to use too

Too is also a useful little word, but it’s not a preposition like to , and it doesn’t have as many meanings. You can use it instead of “besides,” “in addition,” “also,” or “as well.” But you can use it for other things, too, like when you want to indicate excessiveness. If you find grammar tough, you can say that it’s too hard. In casual speech, speakers sometimes use too in the sense of “very”: That gal is too funny!

To , too , and two

Apart from being spelled very similarly, to and too are pronounced the same—[too]. And there’s another word that’s also pronounced that way: the number two. We call words that share a pronunciation homophones , and if you take a look at any list of commonly confused words, you’ll find plenty of homophones on it. Words like there, their, and they’re, your and you’re, and bear and bare are up there, along with to , too , and two . It doesn’t matter whether the homophones have different meanings and uses or if they are in completely different word classes; we still mix them up.

The only way to fix this is to repeat over and over again what each of the homophones means so that people who don’t know it get the chance to learn. For those who know the difference, a few minutes of proofreading should fix the issue.

How to remember the difference between to and too

Since they are pronounced the same, you don’t have to worry about mixing up to and too in speech. It’s writing that creates problems. But there’s an easy way to make sure you’re using the correct word. Because to can be used in more ways than too , it’s easier to remember that too can be replaced with “also,” “very,” or “excessively.” If you’re not sure whether the to you’ve written should actually be a too , try replacing it with one of those substitutes. If it works, you’ve made a mistake. If it doesn’t, you’re good. You can do the same to make sure that your too s are indeed too s and not to s.

Examples of to vs. too

Crucially the FCO stopped well short of advising against travel to France, which is the most popular holiday destination in the world (and the second-most popular, after Spain, for UK holidaymakers).

—The Independent

Had David Cameron not won an election he never expected to win, he might not have lost a referendum he never expected to lose.

—The Guardian

Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has announced his engagement to long-term girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones.

—The Daily Mirror

The African turquoise killifish has one of the shortest lifespans of all vertebrates: it reaches the ripe old age of only three to twelve months.

—New Scientist

But from what we’ve seen in this tournament I think she meant it, too.

Chances are that too much information running through our small brains clouds our thinking, making it more difficult to do our jobs.

—TechCrunch

On the other hand, given that these references are too obvious, they may have been intentionally included to insinuate a Kemalist junta rather than a Gulenist one.

these two to

To, Too, and Two: How to Choose the Right Word

All three terms sound alike but have very different meanings and uses.

The words "to," "too," and "two" are  homophones : they sound alike but have different meanings. The preposition "to" refers to a place, direction, or position. The particle "to" is used before the verb in a to-infinitive. The adverb "too" means also, very, extremely, or additionally.

"Two" refers to the number 2. It's probably the easiest one to remember, maybe because it doesn't look like it should rhyme with "to" and "too." It can be confusing for English language learners, and even native English speakers, to distinguish and use these terms.

How to Use To

"To" is a preposition or part of a verb infinitive. For example,

The first usage is a preposition . It starts a prepositional phrase explaining where the boy went. The second usage is as a particle — that is, "to" in this use is part of the verb "to buy."

How to Use Too

"Too" means also or in addition. For example,

In the top sentence, the first "to" is a particle (as described above); it is part of the verb "to come." The word "too" in the first example means also, additionally, or as well. In the second example, the word "too" is used as an adverb. It describes, or modifies, the verb "cute" and means "very" or "extremely."

How to Use Two

The word "two" always refers to numerical 2. For example:

In the first example, the word "two" describes the number of pennies this person had left. In the second, the word "two" refers to the number of hours until the train arrived.

How to Remember the Differences

The confusion between "to" and "too" is one of the most common homophone errors in written English, as many people get stuck deciding between them (even native English speakers struggle with it). One easy trick to remember: If you mean to say "too" as in "additionally," "very," or "also," remember that that word "too" (also) has more Os than the word "to." Think of the extra O as meaning a little extra or additional.

To differentiate "too" from "to," look at the sentence without it, and even read it aloud to better engage your ear. Does it still make sense as a sentence? Examine this example:

You can omit the "too," and the sentence still makes sense. That is not the case if you remove either of the uses of the word "to." You wouldn't say, "Because I went ____ the store..." or "Because I went to the store ____ stand..." When you read either phrase aloud, your ear detects a dropped word—as indicated by the blank lines—even if your eye skips over it. The sentence needs the prepositional "to," in the first use, in order to show where she went (to the store), and the particle "to" in order to create an infinitive verb, "to stand."

Additionally, you can tell whether you need "to" or "too" by substituting the word also "also." In the above example, you could say:

This sentence still makes sense when you can swap out "also" for "too." It would not make sense, however, to replace either the prepositional use of "to" (to the store) or the particle use (to stand), with the word "also," as in:

Clearly, you need to word "to" in these uses, not "too."

Differentiating between "to," "too," and "two" allows us to use the right terms in the right way and at the appropriate times, even in the same sentence. Consider the following examples to deepen your understanding of the distinction between the three terms: 

Idiom Alerts

As these are such widely-used words, the three terms also appear in a number of idiomatic expressions in English. Here are a few:

these two to

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To vs. Too vs. Two Grammar Grammar - Usage - Definition

Www.totootwo.com, how do you use to , too , and two .

These three words cause some of the most common grammar problems as they are commonly misspelled or used wrong. Their usage can be difficult to understand. Welcome to the easiest way to learn how to use to , too , and two ! See the grammar rules below, then test yourself with the quiz at the bottom of the page. You should also master the use of there , they're , and their !

To, Too, Two Rules

Use to as a preposition before a noun or as an infinitive before a verb. To and Too can be tricky!

"Please take me to the dance"

"We don't need to buy that right now."

"You have to run every day!"

Use too as a synonym for also or to indicate excessiveness before a verb. Usually, if you can replace too with also in the same sentence, and it still makes sense, then you are using it correctly.

"I am going to the mall, too."

"I had too many tacos for lunch."

Use two to spell out the number 2. If you can replace two with 2 in the same sentence, and it still makes sense, then you are using it correctly. This should be the easiest one!

"I have two hands and two feet."

"Can you give me two dollars?"

Take the To, Too, and Two Quiz Now!

Use this quiz to practice using the right form of to, too, or two. Decide which word correctly fills in the blank below and click "Get Answer" to see if you are right. To get a new question, just click here (or refresh the page).

I have ____ tickets left.

I have two tickets left.

Get Answer!

Or Download the To, Too, and Two Worksheet Now!

Download our free worksheet now! You can download and print out this free To, Too, Two Worksheet to help you or someone you study the difference between to, too, and two. (See answers)

This has been a lesson in proper grammar. For another great lesson, learn how to properly use there , they're , and their .

If you have used this website to learn how to use the words to, too, and two, then please remember it the next time you see someone else misuse these words. You can help them out by sending them the link shown below through email, IM, or on a message board.

<a href="http://www.totootwo.com">Learn How To Use To, Too, and Two Correctly</a>

This website is supposed to be in good humor, much like Add Letters .

Cambridge Dictionary

This , that , these , those

This, that, these and those are demonstratives . We use this, that, these and those to point to people and things. This and that are singular. These and those are plural. We use them as determiners and pronouns.

This , that , these , those as determiners

Pointing to things.

We use this and that with singular and uncountable nouns:

Try to repeat this exercise every morning and evening. ( this + singular countable noun)
What does this music make you think of? ( this + singular uncountable noun)
I’ve never been to that part of France. ( that + singular countable noun)
Can I have some of that juice, please? ( that + singular uncountable noun)

We use these and those with plural nouns:

You can use any one of these computers. ( these + plural noun)
I need to paint those windows. ( those + plural noun)

Time phrases

We often use this with words describing time and dates like morning, afternoon, evening, week, month, year to refer to ‘the one that’s coming’ or ‘the one we’re currently in’:

I’ll be with you some time this evening .
Johan seemed very happy this afternoon .
Ian is in Germany all this week .

This , that , these , those as pronouns

Referring to things or ideas.

We normally use this, that, these and those as pronouns to refer to things or ideas:

Put the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan. Heat this over a low flame until it melts.
We’re going to eat first and then go to the film. Are you happy with that ? (Are you happy with the idea of eating first, then going to the film?)

[talking about the TV]

Can you turn that off if you’re not watching it?

[talking about shoes]

What colour are those ? Black or dark blue. I can’t see.

Referring to people

We can use this and that as pronouns to refer to people when we want to identify ourselves or others, or to ask the identity of other speakers:

Linda, this is my mother, Anne.
Is that your brother over there?

We often do this in telephone calls and in answer-phone messages:

Hello, is that Ken Orm? This is Jane Bromham here.

This and these , that and those : uses

Physical closeness and distance.

We use this and these most commonly to point to things and people that are close to the speaker or writer, or things that are happening now:

Shall I use this knife here?

[pointing to something]

Is this what you mean?
I’ll post these letters on my way home.

[pointing to a pile of books]

Do these belong to the Bradshaws?

We use that and those most commonly to point to things and people which are not easy to identify in a situation. They are often more distant from the speaker, and sometimes closer to the listener:

What’s in that bottle over there?
Could you blow out those candles near you?

Sometimes they are not visible to either the speaker or listener:

Budapest! That ’s my favourite place!

Emotional distance

We sometimes use this, these, that, those to identify emotional distance. We use this and these to refer to things that we feel positive about, that we are happy to be associated with, or we approve of:

I love these new woollen mobile phone covers that you can get.

We use that and those to create distance:

What are you going to say to that sister of yours?

[talking about a restaurant]

I didn’t like the decoration. It had those awful paintings.

Shared knowledge and new information

We sometimes use that instead of the to refer the listener to shared knowledge, often when we are telling a story or explaining something:

You know that old shop on the corner? Well, they’re going to turn it into a restaurant.

We sometimes use this instead of a/an to refer to something important or recent, or to introduce a new person or thing in a story:

This guy knocked on the door and asked if I wanted new windows.
Then suddenly she pulled out this big pile of papers from her briefcase and threw them on the table.

It , this and that in paragraphs

Determiners ( the, my , some , this )

Substitution with that, those

In formal contexts, we can use that and those as substitutes meaning ‘the one(s)’:

The most important information is that given at the beginning of the manual. ( that substitutes for the information )
The methods employed are those familiar to researchers. (more formal than The methods employed are the ones familiar to researchers .)

In formal contexts, especially in academic style, we use that of/those of instead of the one of/the ones of or the … one/the … ones . This is preferred to the possessive X ’s one/X’s ones :

The proton has a similar mass to that of a neutron. (preferred to The proton has a similar mass to the neutron’s .)
The emotions in the poems are those of loss and grief.
Not: The emotions in the poem are loss and grief ones .

We normally only use that as a substitute for a thing, not for a person or animal:

A: Have you met Mr Kelly? B: The one who works at the town hall, or his brother? A: The one at the town hall .
Not: That who works at the town hall .

We can use those as a substitute for persons, animals or things:

There are sports facilities for guests. Those interested in golf can enjoy our eighteen-hole course.

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IMAGES

  1. Alec Benjamin

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  2. These Two

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  3. these two 😳💅 💕 💕 💕

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  4. These two youtube thumbnails : oddlysatisfying

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  5. By Ankita Mishra

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  6. These two : punchableface

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VIDEO

  1. We got three of them !!! # sub

  2. Three of them 😏

  3. That’s two

  4. Well…. These two only these 2

  5. Those two...what?!

  6. Two of them

COMMENTS

  1. pronouns

    "These two" is correct because two is a plural, as you say. The only sensible exception I can come up with is in a very specific verbal discussion. A signwriter is having trouble deciding how to write a numeral, so he calls a colleague over. "I'm trying to find way to make this price signage really eye-catching. So which do you prefer?

  2. To vs. Too: How Should You Use To and Too?

    Just to be clear: two is pronounced the same as to and too, but it can’t be used instead of either of them because it’s a number. In the hierarchy of things that drive grammar sticklers mad, to and too are near the top. It’s very common to see them confused, abused, and misused, and not just in YouTube comments or on Reddit.

  3. To, Too, and Two: How to Choose the Right Word

    The word "two" always refers to numerical 2. For example: He had only "two" cents to his name. There were only "two" hours to go until the train would arrive. In the first example, the word "two" describes the number of pennies this person had left. In the second, the word "two" refers to the number of hours until the train arrived.

  4. To, Too, Two

    Two Use two to spell out the number 2. If you can replace two with 2 in the same sentence, and it still makes sense, then you are using it correctly. This should be the easiest one! Examples "I have two hands and two feet." "Can you give me two dollars?" Take the To, Too, and Two Quiz Now!

  5. This, that, these, those

    This, that, these, those - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

  6. Which is correct, ‘these two lady’ or ‘these ...

    Answer (1 of 27): We know that ‘two’ is a plural because it is more than one; therefore we should use ‘these/those’ before ‘two’, and we need to add a plural noun after ‘two’.