Between . . . and / From . . . to | Mastering Grammar

(Last Updated: 16 April 2024)

Between . . . and and from . . . to are word pairs commonly used to talk about ranges. However, writers often mistakenly combine between with to, and from with and. 

When defining two endpoints, between should be linked with and, and from should be linked with to:

✅ The expected temperature outside is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.
❌ The expected temperature outside is between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.

✅ The construction project aims to build between 20 and 30 new houses in the neighbourhood.
❌ The construction project aims to build between 20 to 30 new houses in the neighbourhood.

✅ The competition will take place from 1st June to 15th June.
❌ The competition will take place from 1st June and 15th June.

✅ The bookshop is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
❌ The bookshop is open from Monday and Friday, from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Are from . . . to and between . . . and interchangeable?

There is no significant difference between from . . . to and between . . . and in everyday language usage. Both are used to express a range that includes the numbers at both ends.

In mathematics or technical contexts, however, between . . . and is usually interpreted to mean 'not including the endpoints', while from . . . to is usually understood to include the endpoints. For example, if you need to list all the whole numbers between zero and ten, you would write the following:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

However, if the range should include zero and ten, it would be clearer to state it as from zero to ten or from zero through ten, inclusive.

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Examples from the Media

Between 2019 and 2022, the City of Ottawa saw calls relating to aggressive dog behaviour jump more than 16 percent. —Toronto Star (2023)

As migration returns to the top of Europe’s political agenda, including in Britain, Europe’s border and coast guard agency said on Friday irregular arrivals had risen by 13% between January and July to 176,100, the highest number for the period since 2016. —The Guardian (2023)

Use of Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger as a news source declined slightly from 2017 to 2019, coinciding with a decision by Facebook last year to make posts from friends and family rank higher in the news feed. —The Sydney Morning Herald (2019)

India's financial year runs from April to March. —The Washington Post (2023)

Practice

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

1. There was a significant increase in carbon emissions from 2010 and/to 2020.

2. The test scores ranged from 51 and/to 96.

3. The expansion project will involve building between 20 and/to 30 additional classrooms in the school.

4. Sales of home fitness equipment rose dramatically from 2019 and/to 2022.

5. Eating out between 2:30 p.m. and/to 6 p.m. tends to be cheaper.

6. The new factory will create between 150 and/to 200 jobs.

Answer Key

1. to    2. to    3. and    4. to    5. and    6. and

Real-World Examples of Misuse

1. The writing component of the HKDSE English Language exam is divided into two sections: Part A and Part B. When referring to these sections, we can use either Part A and Part B or the more concise form Parts A and B. Saying Part A and B would imply the existence of a single combined section called A and B, which is not the case.
2. When defining the endpoints of a range, do not pair between with to. The correct combinations are between . . . and and from . . . to. In the given sentence, on a scale of 0 to 7 sounds the most natural.
(Source: HKDSE English Language 2021 Question Papers)
(Also by HKEAA: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14)

The correct combinations to use when stating a range are from . . . to and between . . . and, so you can use either from 5 to 10 years old or between 5 and 10 years old to express the age range of children who might enjoy the yoghurt. In everyday English usage, both phrases will be understood to include children who are exactly 5 or 10 years old.
(Source: English Classroom Practice Comprehension, Primary 1)