apply to

apply to — phrasal verb

  • apply tobase form
  • applies to3rd person singular
  • applying to-ing form
  • applied topast simple

1. to officially ask a person or organization to consider you for a job, a place at

1.片語動詞不及物B1
釋義

to officially ask a person or organization to consider you for a job, a place at a school, or permission to take part in a programme.

例句

Kwame decided to apply to three different universities before the deadline.

apply to + [university / institution]

After the interview, Marta applied to the management training programme.

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

apply to + [school / programme / organization / position]

用法筆記

The preposition 'to' introduces the target institution or position. Do not omit it: you apply *to* a university, not apply a university.

常見錯誤

❌She decided to apply the nursing programme.
✅She decided to apply to the nursing programme.
💡'apply to' always needs the preposition 'to' to introduce the institution or programme.
❌I will apply a job at that company.
✅I will apply to that company for a job.
💡'apply' followed directly by a noun sounds wrong without 'to'.

2. to directly involve or have an effect on a particular person, group, or situatio

2.片語動詞不及物B1
釋義

to directly involve or have an effect on a particular person, group, or situation — for example, a school rule that bans phones during class applies to every student, not just the younger ones.

例句

The new safety rules apply to all employees, including part-time workers.

[rule] + applies to + [group of people]

Does this parking restriction apply to motorcycles as well as cars?

interrogative: 'Does [rule] apply to [X]?'

同義詞
  • be relevant to

    more formal, used in academic or professional writing

  • hold true for

    slightly informal, emphasises that the statement is equally valid for the group

  • concern

    more direct, often used for rules or laws that affect people

反義詞
  • exempt

    to be free from a rule or obligation that others must follow

文法句型

[rule / law / condition] + applies to + [person / group / situation]

用法筆記

The subject of this sense is typically an impersonal rule, law, condition, or restriction — never a person. To say a person is relevant, use 'apply to' in the active voice with the rule as subject.

常見錯誤

❌This rule is applying to you.
✅This rule applies to you.
💡'apply to' in this sense is stative and rarely used in continuous tenses.
❌The discount applies for students.
✅The discount applies to students.
💡the correct preposition is 'to', not 'for'.