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What is the difference between "go in to work" and "go to work"?
Initially, I stumbled on go in to work watching Big Bang Theory movie series, an episode where Sheldon got fired, and Penny asked him
How come you didn't go in to work today?
But after I try to google it I found that both expressions seem to be quite common though scrutinizing of those google hits doesn't help me to understand a difference in using. Meanings of both seem to be the same to me.
Go in to work has a very specific meaning that implies physically travelling to one's place of business.
Go to work can be used in place of Go in to work, but it may also be used to imply focusing one's attention on a task. For example, one may Go to work on a taco if one is very hungry and the taco is very large. This usage could also be expressed as Get to work, which oddly enough rarely refers to arriving at a place of business; almost always referring to focusing on a task or responsibility.
