Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Tetsu]

Hello, Miss Oikawa
Hello, Anuradha Chepur
Hello, redset
Hello, CP

Thanks for your kind helps.

I understand your explanations very well. I understand well that TO in "Where are you going to?" is usually clumsy but in very, very specific situatiions it is used and shows a subtle and special affection, doubt, surprise, and so on.

I understand the other rules and nuances, for example, "To whom are you speaking?" or "Which place are you coming from?" and so on. They are quite different rules but I understand well.

All your examples and explanations were so wonderful and helped me to feel the nuance of where and to and pushed me into a new world of English. I can't tell how much I thank you.

But please let me say again. Thank you!
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Tetsu

[Anuradha Chepur]

Another point to note is where is an adverb, whereas which is a pronoun. Where essentially means in/at/to a place. We don't put prepositions with adverbs. To which place is okay but not
to where. A common error in India is with the adverb abroad, which means to/in/at a foreign country. Many people mistake it for a noun and say I'm going to abroad, when to is implicit in abroad. Here people treat abroad on par with USA as in I'm going to USA.

For Taj Mahal is in Agra, we would never ask Where is Taj Mahal in? My office is at Vihar never gets questioned as Where is your office at?

And you're welcome Tetsu .

[redset]

I hadn't really thought about it that way, and you're definitely right - but there are some situations where where doesn't really seem to imply a preposition, like 'I am here' corresponds to 'where are you?' without involving at or in. Wouldn't north in 'we're going north' be an adverb? If so there's no preposition there either (and I don't think it implies to since it doesn't imply an actual destination)... so while you're right in that generally where corresponds to prep + location it seems like there are a few exceptions, so I'm just hesitant to see it as a blanket rule.

[Anuradha Chepur]

No redset, its not about imposing rules. Just thinking aloud (or thinking online rather ) about the behaviour of this creature 'where'. BTW, here (in or at this place), and north (in a northern direction) can be adverbs (besides being nouns and adjectives) and when they play adverbs, prepositions are implicit.

[Tetsu]

Hello, Anuradha Chepur
Hello, redset

I understand you and your feelings helped me a lot to understand where and adverbs.
Thanks again!
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Tetsu