该是 “In To” 还是 “Into”?

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Tuesday, 08 March 2016

Language Line

先说个笑轻松一下吧 – 过去、现在和将来走进酒吧后变成时态。 (Past, present, and future walked into a bar – it was tense.)

这个笑话带出一串字的问题 – 我该写 “…walked in to a bar”吗? 在什么时候要把 in to 写作一​​个字?

虽然 into 和 in to 读音一样，但在写作上两者有不同的意思和文法。如果你选错串法，你的读者很有可能感到困惑。

要了解两者的分别，我们要从文法着手。单字 into 是介词，介词置于名词或代名词前以显示地方 (we live in an apartment)、时间 (it rained during the day) 或方向 (a mouse ran across my path)。

Into 有数个关于流动、动作或改变的意思﹕

• 形容造成某人或某事被其他事物包围或与之接触的动态或动作﹕Martin put the wine into the fridge;
• 表示状态的改变﹕the peaceful demo turned into a violent confrontation;
• 展示某行为的结果﹕the minister was forced into a public apology;
• 关于某事﹕an investigation into the incident is under way;
• 数字被除时使用﹕two goes into six three times;
• 非正式地解作对某事情极感兴趣﹕she’s into swimming

至于 in 及 to，它们有很多含意，亦可在句子中扮演不同的角色 (两者都是副词和介词; in 同时更是形容词和名词)。你也可以以to配合动词原形使用 (she had to leave him)。

以下为一些例子﹕

• Mum called us in to supper (副词in, 介词to)
• He caved in to their demands (短语动词 cave in, 介词to)
• The whole family pitched in to clean the house (短语动词 pitch in, 不定词to clean)
• I came in to have a cup of coffee (副词in, 不定词to have)’

决定用 ”in to” 或 “into”时可先问自己:

1. To 是不定词的一部分或是介词?

如果是，书写时永远分开 in 和 to ﹕

Ministers stepped in to resolve the crisis.

(in 是短语动词 step in的一部分; to resolve 是不定词形)

I just dropped in to see how you were.

(in 是短语动词 drop in的一部分; to see 是不定词形)

He listened in to our phone call.

(in 是短语动词 listen in的一部分; to是属于名词片语 our phone call的介词)

2. Into与表示流动、动作或改变的动词一起出现吗?它是否担当介词的角色，与名词或代名词有意思上的关联?若是，into该作单字使用。

When I first stepped into the room, I had no idea of​​ its size.

(step 是简单的动词，表示动态; into 是介词)

Oh no! I dropped my phone into the bath!

(drop 是简单的动词，表示动作; into 是介词)