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Phrasal verbs and prepositions

“Take into” vs. “take in” vs. “take to”

These expressions have different meanings. Take into often appears in larger phrases such as take into account. Take in can mean understand, include, or host. Take to often means begin to like or start doing something regularly.

Quick answer

Main meanings

Use take into in fixed expressions such as take into account. Use take in for understanding, including, or hosting. Use take to for developing a liking or beginning a habit.

We must take into account all the risks.
It was hard to take in the news.
She quickly took to her new job.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
take into account/consideration

Include something in thinking

Take into commonly appears in fixed expressions about considering information.

Please take into account the budget limits.
2
take in + information

Understand or absorb

Take in can mean mentally process information.

I needed time to take in what happened.
3
take in + person

Host or provide shelter

Take in can mean allowing someone to stay with you.

They took in two stray cats.
4
take to + person/activity

Develop liking or habit

Take to means begin to like something or start doing it naturally.

He took to cycling after university.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
take into
We took the new evidence into account.
consider as part of a decision
take in
She could not take in all the details.
understand or absorb
take to
The child took to music immediately.
develop a liking or natural interest
take in
They took in a guest for the weekend.
host or shelter someone

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using take into alone

Take into usually needs a following noun phrase such as account or consideration.

✕ We must take into the risks. ✓ We must take the risks into account.

Confusing take in and take to

Take in is about understanding or receiving. Take to is about liking or habits.

✕ She took in painting quickly. ✓ She took to painting quickly.

Forgetting the object after take to

Take to normally introduces a person, activity, or habit.

✕ He took to very fast. ✓ He took to the new routine very fast.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We should take the new data ___ account.
2. It took me hours to ___ the information.
3. She immediately ___ her new colleagues.

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Frequently asked questions

Can take in mean deceive?

Yes, in some contexts, especially British English, take in can mean trick or deceive someone.

Is take into always followed by account?

No. Other phrases include take into consideration and take into custody.

Can take to describe habits?

Yes. For example: He took to running every morning.

tackle by, in, for, with or on? tack-on-onto-to-across, as "tag with" or "tag in"? tailor to, for, from, toward or towards? "taint by" or "taint with"? "talk about" or "talk to"? tally with, in, for, up or at? "tap into" or "tap on"? target at, by, for, to or in? tarnish by, in, with, after or as? "taste like", "taste of" or "taste in"? "tax at" or "tax on"?

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