Different English prepositions after THINK

Don't say, I'm thinking to buy a new car. The correct way is, I'm thinking about buying a new car. There are actually multiple prepositions we can use after the verb think. But what's the difference between them? That's what you'll learn in today's lesson. How can you improve your grammar so that you don't make mistakes with prepositions? I have resources for all levels, from my Basic and Intermediate Grammar eBooks to my Advanced Grammar course. The lessons inside will explain English grammar clearly, so you can understand and use it confidently. Click on the link under this video to learn more and sign up. Alright, let's learn about all these different words we can use after think. The two most common prepositions used after the verb think are about and of. They are very similar, but there is a small difference. Usually when you think of something, it is a brief moment, just a few seconds. Think of is also used for opinions. But when you think about something, you are considering it for a longer time, like a few minutes or more. Here are some examples. Every time I hear this song, I think of my mother. So I think of my mother means I think for a few seconds. What do you think of my new haircut? That's asking for an opinion. I'm thinking about moving to a different city. So not thinking to move, thinking about moving, and that means I'm considering it. I still get angry when I think about all the rude things my sister said to me. So that's thinking for a few minutes or more. Think of for thinking for just a few seconds or opinions, and think about for thinking for a longer time. We also have think over and think through. We use these when you need to consider a topic extra carefully or think about it for a longer time like hours, days, or even weeks. For example, I'm not sure which course I want to take. Let me think it over for a while. I'll need some time to think through your proposal. Can I call you back next week? We also have think ahead and think back. The preposition ahead is used for thinking about and especially planning for the future. For example, we need to think ahead at least five years if we want our company to have long-term success. And think back is used for thinking about the past. For example, I like to think back on my college years. That was a great time in my life. Next we've got think up. That's an expression that means to imagine, invent, or create an idea. For example, we need to think up a way to distract Laura while we play on her surprise party. I spent half an hour trying to think up a good excuse for why I was late to work. Let's think up some new strategies for increasing sales. Think up to imagine, create, or invent. Finally, we do use think to. That's most frequently used with myself, so that's when you think about something but you don't say it or share it with any other person. Think to myself is often followed by a direct statement of the thought. For example, whenever I'm in a meeting at work, I think to myself, this is a huge waste of time. The expression didn't think to can also be used when something did not even enter your mind. For example, sorry, I didn't see your message. I didn't think to check my email before I left the house. I'm annoyed because all my friends went to the movies and didn't think to invite me. Let's quickly review. We use think of for thinking for a few seconds or having an opinion. Think about for considering for a little bit of a longer time. Think over and think through for considering carefully for an extra long time. Think ahead, planning for the future. Think back, reflecting on the past. Think up, meaning to invent or create an idea. Think to oneself for especially private thoughts that you don't express to others. And didn't think to do something, meaning the action didn't even enter your mind. Wouldn't you like to be more confident about your English grammar? Then make sure to get my grammar e-books and join my advanced grammar course so that you know the right ways to say and write things in English. Before you go, why not try to make your own example sentences using each of the prepositions after think. Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next video.