to nowhere but or nowhere but to

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

hi Alan,

I shall be grateful to you if you could kindly help me get rid of the confusion regarding the following constructions:

I want to go to nowhere but London.
I want to go nowhere but to London.
I want to go to London itself.

Souba73

2

Hi Alan/Beeesneees,

I am eagerly awaiting your reply.

Souba73

3

Hi Alan,
I don’t know why you are silent to my queries. I am really astonished that nobody leaves any comment to my post so far. I would be happy if you leave any comment - whatever it may be- to my post.

souba73

4

I want to go to nowhere but London. - strictly speaking, the ‘to’ would not be used with ‘nowhere’.
I want to go nowhere but to London.
I want to go to London itself.

The final two sentences are both correct but do not have the same meaning.
The last sentence indicates that you wish to go to London, not somewhere that is like London or somewhere that explains about London but is not in London.

5

Isn’t it redundant to say ‘explains about London’, Bev?

6

Not if you read it correctly. It is absolutely necessary.

explains (things) about London

7

Well, yes, it needs to be taken as implied. (‘it’ means ‘things’) - Edited.

8

I don’t see how i can answer a statement which lacks so much clarity.

9

Then, you may just forget about it. Let’s spend our time for better things.

10

… on better things.

11

Hi Beeesneees,
I have found the following entries in the BNC:

  1. Then the light had crept forward, down the rutted track that led to nowhere but their house.
  2. …there was anything here that came to him from his father, it could be nowhere but in the church…

I would be happy if you could kindly disclose the name of the books where you have found this subtle difference – if it is not your personal perception.

12

What subtle difference are you talking about here, Souba?
The examples you quote from the BNC are, to me, clearly very different uses to each other, and different again from the original in the first message.
The context is not the same for any of them.

13

Hi Beeesneees,
First of all I beg your pardon for being silent for long owing to my personal problem.

However, please ignore my last reply since you have already said “-strictly speaking, the ‘to’ would not be used with ‘nowhere’.”
But, why are you telling 2nd sentence is correct then?