Onto vs. On to: Tips for Correct Usage!

Last updated on September 18, 2024 by Liam Daniel

When it comes to writing, choosing the right preposition can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially when two options like “onto” and “on to” sound almost identical. But fear not, we are here to clear up any confusion about when to use each term. Understanding the difference between the two can really polish our writing and help us communicate our ideas more effectively.

Onto vs. On to: the Key Differences

Quick Tips:

  • “Onto” is a preposition that can have two different meanings, “on top of” and “fully aware of.”
  • Use “onto” when something is moving to a position on top of something else.
  • Use “on to” when “on” is part of a phrasal verb and is followed by “to.”
Onto vs. On to
Onto vs. On to – Created by 7ESL

Onto vs. On to: Definition, Usage

Onto:

  • Meaning: Refers to movement towards a surface or position on something. It implies a physical or metaphorical transition to a place or state.
  • Use: Often used when indicating that someone or something is moving from one place to another, ending up on a surface or location.
  • Examples:
    • “The cat jumped onto the table.”
    • “He held onto the rope tightly.”
  • Explanation: “Onto” is used when there’s a sense of motion or direction towards something.

On to:

  • Meaning: A combination of “on” and “to” used when “on” is part of a phrasal verb, and “to” is part of the next phrase.
  • Use: Typically appears in sentences where “on” is part of the verb (e.g., “move on,” “hold on”) and is followed by “to” as part of a prepositional phrase.
  • Examples:
    • “Let’s move on to the next topic.”
    • “He passed the ball on to his teammate.”
  • Explanation: “On to” is used when the words “on” and “to” belong to different parts of the sentence, often as part of a phrasal verb or to indicate continuation.

How to Use Onto vs. On to Correctly?

Let’s look at a few examples to make the distinction clearer. For instance, when you say that someone climbed onto the roof, onto is spelled as one word because it shows that this person climbed on top of the roof. Or, let’s say that one of your friends has been robbed. After they contact the police and say which items were stolen, the police will be onto the robbers. What you mean by this is that the police will be fully aware of, or informed about the robbers and that now they will do everything possible to catch them.

However, when you’re saying something like, “Joanna is going on to high school”, on to is spelled as two words. The reason behind this is that going on is a phrasal verb. The same applies to when someone is saying, “Let’s move on to the next step”. Because move on is a phrasal verb, you need to spell on to as two words, not one.

To sum up, onto is a preposition that usually has to do with movement, while in on to, on is a part of a phrasal verb. To check whether you are using the correct word, try placing “up” before the word in question. If it works, then you need to go for onto. For example, you can say both “He climbed onto the tree” and “He climbed up onto the tree”, so onto, indeed, should be one word.

Helpful Tips for Using “Onto” and “On to”

We can employ a couple of simple tricks to ensure that we’re using “onto” and “on to” accurately:

  • Replace with “upon”: If you can substitute “onto” with “upon” and the sentence still makes sense, “onto” is likely the right choice.
  • Verb Phrase Check: If “on” is part of a verb phrase, followed by “to,” then “on to” is the correct usage.

Common Mistakes:

Using “onto” when “on to” is needed in a phrasal verb:

  • Incorrect: “Let’s hold onto the plan.”
  • Correct: “Let’s hold on to the plan.”
  • Explanation: In this case, “hold on” is a phrasal verb, and “to” follows as part of the prepositional phrase.

Using “on to” when describing physical movement onto a surface:

  • Incorrect: “He climbed on to the roof.”
  • Correct: “He climbed onto the roof.”
  • Explanation: “Onto” is correct here because it describes a physical movement towards the roof.

Onto vs. On to Examples

 “Onto”  Examples

  • She climbed onto the roof to retrieve the lost ball.
  • The cat jumped onto the windowsill to bask in the sunlight.
  • Be careful not to drop any paint onto the carpet.
  • The children held onto the merry-go-round as it spun around.
  • He uploaded the documents onto the shared drive for everyone to access.

 “On to” Examples

  • After finishing the chapter, she moved on to the next one.
  • The detective is on to the suspect and is closely monitoring his movements.
  • Once you have mastered this skill, we can move on to something more challenging.
  • The con artist thought he was clever, but the police were on to him.
  • After the meeting, let’s move on to discussing the upcoming event.

Practice and Mastery

To truly master the differences between “onto” and “on to,” we must engage with targeted exercises that hone our ability to select the appropriate phrase.

Exercises for Onto

For “onto” practice, we will focus on sentences where the phrase indicates movement to the top of something or a position of being atop something.

  1. The cat jumped ___ the roof. (Answer: onto)
  2. Place the books ___ the shelf neatly. (Answer: onto)
  3. She stepped ___ the train as it arrived. (Answer: onto)
  4. The frosting was spread ___ the cake evenly. (Answer: onto)
  5. They moved ___ a new phase in the project. (Answer: onto)

Each blank should be aptly filled with “onto” to denote the action directed towards a surface or position.

Exercises for On to

In these exercises, we ensure that “on” is part of a phrasal verb or indicates a continuation or transition.

  1. She is moving ___ the next chapter in the textbook. (Answer: on to)
  2. Hold ___ your hats; we are moving ___ bigger challenges. (First Answer: on to, Second Answer: on to)
  3. I caught ___ his dubious reasoning quickly. (Answer: on to)
  4. Once you wrap up here, we’ll go ___ the last part of our assignment. (Answer: on to)
  5. He held ___ the rope as he swung ___ the next platform. (First Answer: on, Second Answer: on to)

Here, “on to” is correctly used to convey continuation or the act of proceeding with something, separate from the “on” in the verb phrase.

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