0
Diamondrg Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

the key of or to the door?

0The question is quite clear.02br
02br
00- 'I've got the key of the door. I've never been 21 before.' To get ... ' To get the key to the door, you'd have to be 21.'02br
02br
00NYTimes0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 01i 00the key to the door02i 02br 00 the door to the garage02br 00 the entrance to the building02br 00 the combination to the safe02br 00 the attachments to this vacuum cleaner02br 01i 00the answer to the question02br 00 my response to her letter02br 02br 02i 00Note that these expressions with 01i 00to02i 00 are often in the context of finding a smaller thing that goes with a bigger thing. 02br 00 There's no end 01u 00to02u 00the treats! 05002br 02br 00 CJ010id1

— CalifJim

  • 02br 02br 01i 00the key to the door02i 02br 00 the door to the garage02br 00 the entrance to the building02br 00 the combination to the safe02br 00 the attachments to this vacuum cleaner02br 01i 00the answer to the question02br 00 my response to her letter02br 02br 02i 00Note that these expressions with 01i 00to02i 00 are often in the context of finding a smaller thing that goes with a bigger thing.
  • 02br 00 There's no end 01u 00to02u 00the treats!
  • 05002br 02br 00 CJ010id1
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

24 Answers
0
1i00to02i00 is preferable, in the sense of 01i00which goes with, which belongs with02i00 (as a pair, usually).02br
02br
01i00the key to the door02i02br
00 the door to the garage02br
00 the entrance to the building02br
00 the combination to the safe02br
00 the attachments t
0
0
0Thank you, Jim. Is there any difference between 02br
02br
01i00the cover for the pot02i02br
02br
00and02br
02br
01i00the cover of the pot02i02br
02br
01i00the cover to the pot (?05000)02i010id37
0
0
0 There are subtle differences. First of all, I personally would never say 01i00the cover of the pot02i00. I would say 01i00the pot cover02i00.02br
02br
00 I might look for 01u00a cover 02u00for the pot00. I merely want something that will serve as a cover for that pot. It doesn't have to be that
0
0
So "keys to the car" is correct NOT "car keys", right?
0
0
Onh1986So "keys to the car" is correct NOT "car keys", right?
I use "car keys" all the time. Actually, I use both versions regularly.
0
0
Hi,

A very small comment about a cover for the pot.

I would suggest that most people would usually just speak of the lid or the pot lid.

Best wishes, Clive
0
0
car's key

OR

car key
OR

key of the car

OR

key to the car?
0
0
Hi,

The commonest way to say it is my car key.

Clive
0
0
CliveHi,

The commonest way to say it is my car key.

Clive

is commonest = most common ? I'm just curious as I never heard of the former before.

sorry I know I'm asking something irrelevant to the the topic
0
0
Hi,

Both forms are OK. (See Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, Section on comparative and superlative adjectives)

Clive
0

Related Questions