Teacher Discussion Forums

Hello,
I'm not sure if I should use the word "to" or "through" in the following sentences, or are they both gramatically correct?
1. I work Monday "to / through" Friday.
2. I studied English from primary school "to / through" high school.
3. I live in China every year from December "to / through" May.

Hi!

I'm not an American, and the phrase "from A through B" is mostly used in the US and Canada, whereas "from A to B" is more usual in other countries.

However, I am sure 1. is correct both ways, and I think 2. sounds correct both ways as well.

No. 3 is ok too, as long as you mean that you live in China Dec though May, and somewhere else for the other months.

Just to confuse matters more, some people even say "from A through to B", as in " I studied Englsih from primary school through to high school"

These three phrases basically have the same use and meaning.

Hope that helps

Great question. Seems to be more of a "style" issue than a grammatical one. Language is always growing and changing. Organic things do that, I guess. I wonder, however, how much the next wave of texting and twitter(ing)(?) will impact what we currently think is "good English".

I'm very willing to interpret (1) 'I work Mon to Fri' as being inclusive of the Friday (due no doubt to the ubiquity of the five-day week), but far less willing to view (3) 'I live in China every year from December to May' as being inclusive of (the whole month of) May (we are talking after all about an individual's unique life in a foreign country). As a Brit I guess I'd say something like 'from Dec to/through to (a la Chris's last point)/until the end of May/(the beginning of) June' to make "my" meaning clear.

Fluffy, as a Canadian I take your intent on this. December to May means December to April 30th, while December through May means December to May 31st.

However to and through when expressed in workweek and such has almost become an idiom. Monday to Friday would be taken, commonly, to mean Monday to and including Friday. A more interesting example would be the dates of item sales in flyers. Prices are effective to Friday .... does this mean inclusive of Friday [ when a new flyer comes out ]?

Rp

Heh, when I said I was 'very willing to interpret (1) as being inclusive of the Friday, etc', I meant that I too take it to be an idiom or whatever, Rp!

Hmm, do ELTers have enough money nowadays to take advantage of sales even?!