Leaving to vs. Leaving for – Which is Correct?
Both “leaving to” and “leaving for” are correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes. Use “leaving for” before a destination, recipient, or event: “She is leaving for Boston.” Use “leaving to” before a verb, usually in the pattern “leaving to do something”: “He is leaving to find work tomorrow early.”
Leaving to or Leaving for – Which is Correct?
“Leaving to” and “leaving for” are both correct expressions, but they are followed by different kinds of words. Use leaving for when you name a destination, person, event, or purpose that acts like a destination. Use leaving to when to introduces an action, usually in the structure “leaving to do something.”
Compare these sentences:
- She is leaving for Chicago. Chicago is the destination.
- She is leaving to study in Chicago. “To study” explains the purpose or action.
In everyday speech, “leaving to” is often followed by a verb such as work, study, help, or find. By contrast, “leaving for” is commonly followed by a noun or noun phrase such as London, the airport, work, or a conference.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the destination-or-action test. If the next word names a place, person, or event, choose for: “leaving for the station.” If the next word describes an action, choose to: “leaving to catch the train.” Another useful test is to ask whether you can add “in order” before the verb. “Leaving to help” means “leaving in order to help.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| leaving to | Verb phrase + infinitive marker | Departing in order to perform an action | They are leaving to attend a wedding. |
| leaving for | Verb phrase + preposition | Departing for a destination, event, or recipient | They are leaving for the wedding. |
How to Use Leaving to
Use leaving to when to is followed by the base form of a verb. This construction normally expresses the reason for departing: someone is going away in order to complete an action. It is common in casual and formal English, although “leaving in order to” sounds more formal and deliberate.
Do not use “leaving to” directly before an ordinary destination noun. For example, “She is leaving to Paris” is incorrect in standard American English. Say “She is leaving for Paris” instead. However, “She is leaving to travel to Paris” is correct because travel is a verb after to.
Example 1: The volunteers are leaving to deliver supplies to the remote village.
Example 2: Marcus is leaving to start a new job next month.
Example 3: I am leaving to pick up the children from school.
Etymology of the phrase leaving to
Leaving comes from the Old English verb lǣfan, meaning “to leave” or “to allow to remain.” The word to developed from Old English forms that expressed direction and purpose. In “leaving to help,” it introduces an infinitive and connects the departure with the intended action.
How to Use Leaving for
Use leaving for when for introduces the place, person, event, or other destination connected with the departure. The destination may be physical, as in “leaving for Denver,” or figurative and situational, as in “leaving for work” or “leaving for a meeting.”
“Leaving for” can also identify the person or group someone is departing to join or serve. For example, “The train is leaving for the coast” names a destination, while “She is leaving for her family” may describe a departure motivated by or directed toward family responsibilities, depending on context.
Example 1: Our flight is leaving for San Francisco at six o’clock.
Example 2: Daniel is leaving for work after breakfast.
Example 3: The team is leaving for the championship game on Friday.
Etymology of the phrase leaving for
The verb leave comes from Old English lǣfan. The preposition for developed from Old English for, which expressed ideas such as direction, purpose, support, and exchange. In “leaving for Boston,” for marks the destination associated with the departure.
Related Concepts
Understanding infinitives and prepositions makes the difference between these phrases much easier to recognize.
- Infinitives: An infinitive usually consists of to plus the base form of a verb, as in “to study” or “to help.” In “leaving to study,” the phrase explains the purpose of leaving.
- Prepositions: Prepositions connect words and show relationships such as direction, destination, time, or purpose. In “leaving for Seattle,” for introduces the destination.
- Purpose clauses: A purpose clause explains why an action happens. “They are leaving to catch the train” means that catching the train is the reason they are leaving.
- Destination phrases: A destination phrase identifies where someone or something is headed. “Leaving for the airport” contains a destination phrase.
Examples from Media and Literature
The distinction between purpose and destination appears frequently in storytelling, journalism, travel writing, and dialogue.
- Travel news: A news report might say, “The delegation is leaving for Geneva,” using for to identify the destination.
- Historical biographies: A biography may explain that an explorer was “leaving to search for a new route,” using to before the action that motivated the journey.
- Film dialogue: A character might say, “I’m leaving for Los Angeles,” when announcing a destination, or “I’m leaving to protect my family,” when explaining a purpose.
- Adventure novels: A narrative may describe a hero “leaving for the mountains” before later explaining that the hero was “leaving to rescue a friend.”
- Workplace writing: An email can state, “I’m leaving for a conference on Tuesday,” while a project update might say, “I’m leaving to meet the client.”
Leaving to Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| departing in order to | Leaving with a stated purpose |
| going to | Moving away in order to perform an action |
| setting out to | Beginning a departure with a particular goal |
| heading off to | Departing for the purpose of doing something |
Leaving for Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| departing for | Leaving with a named destination or event |
| heading to | Moving toward a particular place |
| going to | Traveling toward a destination |
| setting off for | Beginning a journey toward a destination |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “leaving to” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Leaving to” is correct when to is followed by a base-form verb and introduces the purpose of leaving, as in “She is leaving to study abroad.”
Question 2: Is it “leaving to work” or “leaving for work”?
Both can be correct, but they mean different things. “Leaving to work” emphasizes the action or purpose of working. “Leaving for work” usually means departing for the workplace or beginning the trip to work.
Question 3: Is “leaving to New York” correct?
No, not when New York is the destination. Use “leaving for New York.” You may use “leaving to” before a verb, as in “leaving to travel to New York.”
Conclusion
Use leaving for before a destination, person, or event: “They are leaving for the airport.” Use leaving to before a verb that expresses purpose: “They are leaving to catch a flight.” Pro Tip: Choosing the correct preposition in professional emails, reports, and travel notices makes your writing clearer and strengthens your professional reputation.
