Learn English – “switch something to something” or “switch something for something”

prepositions

Tell me please which preposition I have to use in the following context, to or for:

  1. If you come home and realize that the jeans you bought doesn't really fit you, then you can easily take them back to the shop and switch to other ones fitting.

  2. If you come home and realize that the jeans you bought doesn't really fit you, then you can easily take them back to the shop and switch for other ones fitting.

Best Answer

Either is fine, although they might have very slightly different nuances. I think of switching to something as having more emphasis on throwing out or not using the original thing anymore, while switching for has more of an emphasis on the transaction. Functionally, though, they're interchangeable (though you might need slightly different wording based on the context), and I'd probably say something like this:

If you go home and realize that the jeans you bought don't fit, then you can easily take them back to the shop and switch them out for ones that fit better.

You could also say "switch to ones that fit better".