From This to That – Correct Grammar & Example Sentences

There are a lot of rules for how we construct sentences in English. Sometimes native English speakers don’t even know these rules exist even though they’re following them!

Today we’re going to help you understand one of these rules: how to use the grammatical construction “from…to…”.

From This to That – Correct Grammar

The phrase “from this to that” represents a grammatical construction that contrasts two things, with a list being implied to exist between them. It is not standard to use this construction to list multiple items with commas between. The meaning implied is usually that the two items are disparate.

from this to that

So, the most standard use of this construction is like below:

  • From traditional three-course meals to trendy taco vans, our catering service delivers it all!

In this example the “traditional three-course meals” are the “this” and the “trendy taco vans” are the “that”. 

This technique is being used as a quick way to illustrate the breadth of what the catering service can offer without having to actually list all the items.

Readers who are familiar with this syntax will understand that many items are implied to exist between these two bookends. 

Another way this construction can be used is to denote the distance being traveled:

  • He’d had a long drive yesterday, from Glasgow to London.

It is sometimes used to compare items that might not indicate a large range. However, this isn’t really thought of as correct stylistically.

There are some scenarios where you could construct “from this to that” differently. We’ll tell you more about that later on in the article.

What Does “From This to That” Mean?

“From this to that” draws a connection between two separate things, the “this” and the “that”. When the phrase is used in this state (i.e., without different words replacing “this” and “that”) it indicates a range of things where the details of the items are unimportant.

  • He was completely off his head, just going on about anything from this to that.

The phrase also illustrates a grammatical construction: “from…to…”. 

This construction is used to indicate a range without providing a list. The words between the “from” and the “to” will normally be contrasting.

How to Use “From This to That” in a Sentence

Here are some examples of how to use “from this to that” in a sentence. We have stuck to the most stylistically correct use here, which is utilizing the construct to contrast items in a range.

  • The strange old shop at the top of the hill sold all sorts of things, from tiny dolls that occasionally winked at you to knives carved from suspiciously human-looking bones.
  • Red was dastardly but he could charm anyone, from five-year-old boys to 95-year-old grandmas, all fell before his wit.
  • There wasn’t a town in the land she hadn’t made an enemy in: from the mountains in the East to the mines in the West, they cursed her name.
  • Overnight he had gone from nobody to a legend.

You could also use this construction for comedic effect by listing two items that aren’t very different at all.

  • The inn was an ugly, topsy turvy, ramshackle little thing by the side of the dirt road; outside read a (poorly written) sign: everything the hungry traveler needs, from hot stew to cold stew.

Comma With “From This to That”

As an independent phrase, “from this to that” doesn’t require a comma. You can place one in the middle of the phrase, but anywhere else would be incorrect:

  • Correct = from this, to that
  • Incorrect = from, this to that
  • Incorrect = from this to, that

You could use a comma either before or after using a “from this to that” construction in a sentence. 

  • From garden furniture to ice cream, they sold it all.
  • They sold it all, from garden furniture to ice cream.

This is because the two parts of the sentence joined together by the comma are not independent clauses, i.e., they don’t make sense grammatically on their own. They depend upon each other for meaning.

It would be incorrect to use a semicolon in place of a comma here because a semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses.

“From this to that” on its own is not a complete sentence. However, you can create a whole sentence that uses this construction”

  • From the river lands of the South to the great cities in the North, they spat after they spoke of her.

It would now be appropriate to join this sentence to another one using a semicolon, like so:

  • Her reputation was huge and intimidating; from the river lands of the South to the great cities in the North, they spat after they spoke of her.

Can “From This to That” Be Used for Multiple Items?

It is not considered standard practice to use “from this to that” for multiple items. This is because there are several more efficient ways to denote a list.

However, even though it is not stylistically correct, it is not uncommon to see people using this format for a list in casual writing. 

You’re unlikely to find this in published writing unless it is being used as an artistic choice. It could, for example, be used to show that a character is droning on for a bit too long…

  • Oh yes, ma’am, we get all sorts of types coming by here; why, we get everything from elderly wizards to young wizards, to very short witches, to unusually tall witches, to common pickpockets, to posh pickpockets, to horrible warty goblins, to rather lovely clear-skinned goblins….

You get the picture.

One more efficient way you could use this construct to present a list is by just using the “to” part once.

For example:

  • Oh yes, ma’am, we get all sorts of types coming by here, from elderly wizards to young wizards, very short witches, unusually tall witches, common pickpockets, posh pickpockets, and more!

We would still advise using this technique carefully. There are clearer ways to write a list and we’ll show you some in the next section.

Alternatives to Using “From This to That”

Here are some of the alternatives to using “from this to that” when you want to write a list:

  • Including: The catering service offers many options, including three-course meals, finger food buffets, hot buffets, street food vans, charcuterie boards, and more.
  • Inclusive of: Our restaurant caters to many dietary needs, inclusive of gluten intolerances, lactose intolerances, vegetarians, vegans, halal, and nut allergies.
  • Contained: The menu contained burgers, pizza, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes, and soda, among other things.

Here are phrases you could use when you want to combine two items without contrasting them.

  • As well as
  • In addition to
  • In conjunction with

Final Thoughts

“From this to that” is a phrase that indicates the speaker is discussing a large range of items, even though they are just comparing two things at opposite ends of this range. It can also be used to indicate a transformation between two extremes, or a distance traveled.