Stick to means to keep to something and not give up on it: a plan, rules, a decision, a budget. The second meaning is to limit yourself to one thing: I'll stick to water means you'll just have water; stick to the point means to talk only about what matters.
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stick to + plan/rules/decision/budget; stick to + -ing; stick to the point
- We made a detailed budget for the move and actually managed to stick to it.
- I'm driving tonight, so I'll stick to orange juice.
- If you stick to a regular study schedule, the exam won't feel so scary.
What changed
First versionThis month I'm trying to stick to cook at home instead of ordering food.
RevisionThis month I'm trying to stick to cooking at home instead of ordering food.
The to in stick to is a preposition, not the to that comes before a verb in want to cook. After a preposition, the verb takes -ing: stick to cooking. The same trap appears in look forward to seeing. So cook is replaced with cooking.
Stick with is similar, but it's used for not giving up an activity or for staying close to someone: The course is hard, but stick with it. In the crowd, stick with me. For rules and the topic of a conversation, you need stick to: stick to the rules, stick to the point.
Your turn
You've been talking about your holiday for ten minutes. Please ___ the point: we need to agree on the budget today.
Show the answer
stick to — A colleague has been talking about their holiday for ten minutes and is being asked to get back to business. The set phrase for that is stick to the point. Stick with is used for continuing an activity or staying close to someone, and it doesn't go with point.
Write about a rule or plan you try to stick to: a budget, a sleep schedule, your studies. Name it and say what helps you follow it.
I stick to a monthly food budget of 300 euros, and planning my meals on Sundays really helps.
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