"from left to right" vs "from the left to the right"

Question

"from left to right" vs "from the left to the right"

Both "from left to right" and "from the left to the right" are correct, but the more common and concise phrase is "from left to right." The addition of "the" in the second phrase is not necessary and can make the expression sound a bit awkward.

Last Updated: March 27, 2024

This phrase is used to describe the direction of movement or orientation, indicating that something is moving or arranged from the left side to the right side.

Examples:

When reading a book, we usually move from left to right.
The cars were parked from left to right in the parking lot.
Arrange the items on the shelf from left to right.

Alternatives:

left to right

This phrase also describes the direction of movement or orientation, but the inclusion of "the" before "left" and "right" can make the expression sound a bit more formal or verbose.

Examples:

The teacher asked the students to move from the left to the right side of the room.
When setting up the stage, place the props from the left to the right.
The artist painted the mural from the left to the right.

Alternatives:

from left to right

Answer 1

from left to right

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

from the left to the right

This phrase is correct but less common and slightly more cumbersome than "from left to right."

"from left to right" vs "from the left to the right"

from left to right

from the left to the right

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