he pointed at the plate vs he pointed to the plate

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'He pointed at the plate' is used when indicating the direction or location of something, while 'He pointed to the plate' is used when referring to the destination or target of the pointing gesture.

Last updated: March 23, 2024 • 963 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"he pointed at the plate"

This phrase is used to describe the action of pointing in the direction or location of the plate.

Examples:

He pointed at the plate on the table.
She pointed at the plate on the shelf.

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He pointed at somebody taking a basket out of a van.
He pointed at your picture and said, "That's my girl Mary."
And when somebody dared to disobey he pointed at him, and he had to come up to him, and he bashed him with the staff, and that was it.
One day, he pointed at his watch and told me, ...he would remember me forever for that very minute
At the end of it, he pointed at the horizon and said, "Faya."
And he pointed at the screen, he said, "He's in that firefight."
He pointed at three grains of rice at the bottom of my bowl, and he said, "Clean."
He pointed you to an absence of evidence.
He pointed it at Victor's head.
I cut him loose ce he pointed me towards Jacobson.
He pointed out that Buddhism was a "non-theistic religion".
He pointed out that Buddhism was a "non-theistic religion".
No, you said it, he pointed.
He pointed out the two girls.
And then he pointed to me right in open court.
He pointed us in your direction to send you a clear message.
He pointed the light right at me.
I ran in the direction he pointed.
I figure he pointed out caroline's habit of offing her husbands.
- He pointed the gun at you.

Alternatives:

He indicated the plate.
He gestured towards the plate.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"he pointed to the plate"

This phrase is used to describe the action of pointing towards the destination or target of the pointing gesture, which is the plate.

Examples:

He pointed to the plate as an example.
She pointed to the plate for emphasis.

Show examples from the web [+]

And then he pointed to me right in open court.
He pointed to his mother's abusive boyfriend as a suspect... domestic violence...
If he pointed to the right, you died.
That picture he pointed to - it was the sacrifice!
And he pointed to the busloads of tourists that would show up everyday, with cameras ready usually.
I asked him where my money was, and he pointed to the dresser.
Indeed he pointed to rather earlier dubious US foreign policy decisions which in effect allowed Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein to thrive.
He pointed to the Parliament's Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought and its opposition to the death penalty.
He pointed to Wednesday morning's' trialogue' agreement to release a €100m tranche of aid as an example.
He pointed to these changes and to the growing strength of two new economic superpowers, India and China.
Darwin was probably one of the first scientists to systematically investigate the human emotions, and he pointed to the universal nature and the strength of the disgust response.
But he didn't give me that, he pointed to this one.
The Commission, he said, was committed, to bringing terrorists to justice and he pointed to measures brought in at EU level such as the European counter-terrorism strategy.
He pointed to the contracting Greek economy in a "death spiral" and said that far from addressing key problems such as youth unemployment, the Troika's policies were driving Greece towards a revolution.
Regarding standardisation, he pointed to the success of the Europe-wide GSM standard for phones, which had enabled Europe to become a world leader in this field.
He pointed to two external issues, "global warming and declining availability of fossil fuels" as well as an internal one: "the competitiveness of the European Union".
"When asked where he found these berries, for they were not like others I have seen, he pointed to the drawing upon Resting Rock."
If he pointed to the left, you did hard labor.
But he pointed to shortcomings in crisis management and the fact that the single market was incomplete as being cases where the Member States still needed to deliver.
Lastly, he pointed to the "progressive policies on equal opportunities and gender issues" pursued by Mr Zapatero's government, saying they were "good for Spain and good for Europe".

Alternatives:

He directed his finger towards the plate.
He indicated the plate.

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he pointed at the plate vs he pointed to the plate