"He was late for class." vs "He was late to class."

Question

"He was late for class." vs "He was late to class."

Both phrases are correct and commonly used in English. They are interchangeable and convey the same meaning. The choice between 'for' and 'to' in this context is a matter of personal preference.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

This phrase is used to indicate that someone arrived after the expected time for a class.

Examples:

He was late for class because of traffic.
She was always late for class in high school.
I don't want to be late for class again.
They were late for class due to the bus breaking down.
The teacher was upset when the student was late for class.

Alternatives:

He arrived late for class.
He came late for class.
He was tardy for class.
He was delayed for class.
He missed the beginning of class.

This phrase is also used to indicate that someone arrived after the expected time for a class.

Examples:

He was late to class because he overslept.
She apologized for being late to class.
I hope I'm not late to class today.
They were always late to class together.
The student was late to class but the teacher understood.

Alternatives:

He arrived late to class.
He came late to class.
He was tardy to class.
He was delayed in getting to class.
He missed the start of class.

Answer 1

He was late for class.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

He was late to class.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"He was late for class." vs "He was late to class."

He was late for class.

He was late to class.

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