There once was a perky cheerleader who grew up to work at the Home Shopping Network and be part of one of those celebrity couples where you mix both parties’ names #Jopher. Her name is Jodi (or as she prefers to be called, Princess Jodi). One afternoon, as she was typing something in her computer, she yelled out: “Oh, Fairy Godwriter! What is the difference between into and in to?”

As I flew over the vast blue oceans of my galaxy, I heard her plea. “That is an excellent question!” I thought; for not all grammar mistakes are created equal. This one’s not even a cringe-worthy one. So I hurried up to my little work space, and started typing into my vintage typewriter (a Remington Paragon 12, if you must know the make and model).

Anyway, below is the result of my efforts. Enjoy!

When To use “into”?

(1) When you are referring to movement OR direction towards the inside:

“I walked from the hot sun into the refreshing A/C of the shopping mall.”

“Look into my eyes, you will see, what you mean to me. Search your heart, search your soul, and when you find me there, you’ll search no more….” (Is Bryan Adams stuck in your head yet?)

(2) When referring to a change or transformation:

“Right at the stroke of midnight, Cinderella’s carriage turned back into a pumpkin.”

(3) When referring to someone’s interests:

“The Fairy Godwriter is really into proper grammar.”

“That classy gentleman is into you. You should invite him over for tea and crumpets.”

(4) When referring to exploring something in more detail: 

“Before she signed that lease, she wanted to look into why so many people were moving out of          the building.”

 “The bookshop’s owner said she would look into whether they could place an additional                       order of Isabel Allende’s newest novel.” 

When to use “in to”?

“In to” is used when “in” is part of a verb phrase and “to” could be replaced with the wording “for the purpose of”:

“She ran in to see what all the ruckus was all about.” In this example, the subject (“she”) ran in for the purpose of seeing what all the ruckus was all about.

“His boss came in to remind him of his work assignment.” In this example, the boss came in (verb phrase) for the purpose of reminding the employee of what he needed to do.

Alright, my dreamy readers. I hope this clarifies this conundrum. May you all have a wonderful day, and remember: there is always someone watching your grammar.

Much love,

The Fairy Godwriter