Open To: Standard Pattern
Open To: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.
Use “open to” before the person, group, possibility, or response to which something is available or exposed.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| available to or not restricted from a person/group | open to + person/group | Use “open to” before the eligible person or group. |
| willing to consider a proposal, possibility, or response | open to + noun/-ing phrase | Use “open to” with the thing being considered. |
| a different sense of “open,” such as physically not closed | context-dependent | Do not force the “open to” pattern onto unrelated senses. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does “to” introduce the person, group, possibility, or proposal that is available, permitted, or being considered?
If yes: Use “open to” followed by that complement.
If no: If “open” has a different sense, use the construction required by that meaning.
Caveat: “Open” has several senses. This page documents common “open to” complements and does not claim that the adjective always requires “to.”
Examples
The workshop is open to all staff members.
The “to” phrase identifies the eligible group.
We are open to changing the schedule.
An -ing phrase can name a possibility being considered.
The window was open all night.
The physical adjective does not require a “to” complement.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “open to” before the person, group, possibility, or response to which something is available or exposed.
Style Boundary
Cambridge documents many senses of “open”; this guide is limited to the adjective pattern “open to” in the relevant available/not-limited sense.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Open — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct learner-dictionary evidence for the adjective construction “open to” meaning available to or not limited to a person or group.