Is it bad English to have two to's in a row?

For example how would one correct the sentence "what website should I go to to upload the photo?" or is it correct already?


Solution 1:

You do not have to correct it as it is perfectly grammatical. In fact the rules of English grammar are the very reason why the two tos occur in the first place.

It should also be noted that they are two entirely different tos, each serving a different purpose. It just so happens that they are pronounced and spelled the same, but removing one of them for that reason alone is like removing one of the words "what website" because they happen to begin with the same letter.

Sentences with three or more homonyms in a row are not unheard of, one of the most prominent examples being "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo".

Solution 2:

As Reg says, it's perfectly correct, but if you don't like it, you could, of course, simply rephrase it:

Which website should I use to upload the photo?
Which website should I visit to upload the photo?

Solution 3:

If you consider this sentence acceptable:

The maid made our beds in the morning.

then you should consider yours acceptable too.

Still, the "to to" does look strange on the page, and it may be a distraction to the reader. For this reason, and for this reason alone, it might be a good idea to reword the sentence. For example:

Which website should I go to when I want to upload the photo?