[Grammar] turn red vs turn to red

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yuriya

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How would you explain the difference between "turn red", "turn to red" and "turn into red"? Thanks in advance!
 

Rover_KE

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What is the context?

Traffic lights? Sky? Cheeks? Autumn leaves?
 

yuriya

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What is the context?

Traffic lights? Sky? Cheeks? Autumn leaves?

All of the above actually. Here's my understandings and please feel free to correct them for me:
Your face (or cheeks) turns red (with mortification etc). Leaves are turning red in autumn. The sky turns red at sunset. Traffic lights turn (from green) to red.
On the other hand, with "into" the change seems to be drastic as in: Traffic lights turns into a red monster.
 

yamadew

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All of the above actually. Here's my understandings and please feel free to correct them for me:
Your face (or cheeks) turns red (with mortification etc). Leaves are turning red in autumn. The sky turns red at sunset. Traffic lights turn (from green) to red.
On the other hand, with "into" the change seems to be drastic as in: Traffic lights turns into a red monster.

I'm not a native speeker and my answer may be less authentic, but according to my observation it is also grammatical to say "Traffic lights turn red" in which the preposition to is dropping.
 

Barb_D

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All of the above actually. Here's my understandings and please feel free to correct them for me:
Your face (or cheeks) turns red (with mortification etc). Leaves are turning red in autumn. The sky turns red at sunset. Traffic lights turn (from green) to red.
On the other hand, with "into" the change seems to be drastic as in: Traffic lights turns into a red monster.

I agree (though here they from from green to yellow to red). Without the "from green" part you can simply say "The light turned red" without the to.

I like the image of the traffic light dropping down from the wire and becoming a robotic monster, though.
 
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