leave to work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'leave to work' is correct and can be used in written English.
It usually refers to someone departing a home or other location to go to work. For example: She grabbed her bag and left to work, determined to make the most of her day.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

You could see he would leave to work for a big club like Chelsea one day.

Independent

Every year he takes up to three months' leave to work in conflict or disaster zones.

Independent

Some 1,733 (42%) said they would leave to work abroad, notably in Australia or New Zealand.

The Guardian

There's another annual slump about now as people leave to work trimming the marijuana crop in northern California, he says.

The Guardian

Others leave to work for the government or for public-interest groups, but statistics are hard to come by.

The New York Times

"We need better remuneration to prevent the brain drain by which doctors leave to work in Kenya and Rwanda.

The Guardian

The village teenagers leave to work in the big houses, as before, but come home with unsettling new ideas.

The Guardian - Books

Many firms feel that it is not worth training people if they are likely to leave to work for someone else.

The Economist

Ultimately Leela loses a tooth in a beating, and she and a friend leave to work in Dubai at the urging of a gangster.

The New York Times - Books

He wants to do more, especially involving the young people, whose schooling is cut short when they leave to work in the States.

The New York Times

An inconvenient truth is that each year up to 85% of newly qualified doctors in Ethiopia leave to work in the USA or Europe.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "leave to work" to clearly indicate the action of departing one location with the specific intention of going to work. For example, "She had to leave to work early to prepare for the meeting".

Common error

Avoid using "leave to work" when you mean simply 'to leave work'. "Leave to work" implies departing from somewhere to go to one's job, whereas "leave work" means to stop working and depart from the workplace.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "leave to work" functions primarily as an infinitive phrase indicating the purpose or intention behind an action. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and frequently used. It specifies the reason for departing a certain place, which is to go to work.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

22%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "leave to work" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression that describes the act of departing with the intention of going to one's job. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous examples across diverse contexts, primarily in news, scientific, and business domains. While suitable for neutral registers, it's crucial to differentiate "leave to work" from "leave work", which signifies departing from the workplace after finishing work. Alternative phrases like "depart for work" offer similar meanings with slight variations in formality or emphasis, allowing for precise communication depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

depart for work

This alternative replaces "leave" with "depart", which is a more formal synonym indicating a similar action of going to work.

go to work

This is a more direct and common way to express the action of going to one's workplace.

head to work

This alternative uses "head" to indicate direction and purpose, suggesting a journey towards the workplace.

set off for work

This phrase emphasizes the beginning of the journey to work, suggesting a departure from a starting point.

take off for work

This implies a quick or sudden departure for work.

start for work

Similar to "set off for work", this highlights the commencement of the work commute.

begin working

This focuses on the initiation of work activities rather than the act of leaving for work.

move to employment

This is a more formal and less common way to describe transitioning to a work environment.

shift to working

This alternative suggests a change or transition towards a state of working.

transfer to job

This alternative is best suited when someone transitions from an unemployment/education status.

FAQs

How can I use "leave to work" in a sentence?

Use "leave to work" to describe the action of departing from a place (usually home) with the intention of going to your job. For example, "I need to "leave to work" now if I want to arrive on time".

What's a more formal way to say "leave to work"?

A more formal way to express "leave to work" is to say "depart for work". This substitutes the more common "leave" with the more formal "depart".

Is it correct to say "leaving to work"?

Yes, "leaving to work" is grammatically correct, but it's the present continuous tense of ""leave to work"", used to describe an action in progress. For example, "She is leaving to work right now".

What's the difference between "leave work" and "leave to work"?

"Leave work" means to finish your work and depart from your workplace. "Leave to work", however, means to depart from somewhere (usually home) with the intention of going to your job.