Meaning & use
participate in or to
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A phrase used when asking which preposition is correct after 'participate'.
Grammar: The standard preposition is 'in'; 'to' is not used after 'participate'.
Patterns
- participate in something
Many learners ask whether they should say 'participate in' or 'participate to'.
The correct form is 'participate in': She participated in the debate.
You can also use 'take part in' if you want a more informal alternative.
Common combinations
- participate in an activity
- All students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities.
- participate in a study
- Volunteers will participate in a study on sleep patterns.
- actively participate
- She actively participates in class discussions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- take part in
- More informal and common in everyday speech; 'participate in' is slightly more formal.
- engage in
- Suggests ongoing involvement rather than a single event; often used for activities like conversation or research.
Opposites
Word family
- participation noun
- The act of taking part in something.
- participant noun
- A person who takes part in an activity or event.
- participatory adjective
- Involving people actively taking part.
Commonly confused: participate in or to or participate to?
participate in or to vs participate to
Not standard English; always use 'participate in'.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
'Participate' is followed by 'in' when talking about an activity or event. 'To', 'at', and 'on' do not collocate with 'participate' in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “participate in or to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.