I'm writing a LinkedIn post about an interview I did with The College Fix. The first sentence of my post is: “After seeing one of my Austin news segments, Jon Garaffa from The College Fix invited me to an interview where we spoke about life at TVAH.” I'm concerned about whether it's correct for me to say that I was “invited to” the interview instead of being “invited for” it. I've heard the sentence both ways. Is being “invited to” an interview the same as being “invited for” one?
4
-
1They're more or less the same, but I think "invited to an interview" emphasises the place you're going to be interviewed at (so may be less suitable for a telephone interview), while "invited for an interview" or "invited to give an interview" foregrounds the interview. In practice, I'm not sure it's a distinction many people would care about.– Stuart FCommented May 7, 2021 at 14:52
-
If you were invited, you didn't necessarily go, ergo, to mention what you were actually interviewed about is odd. [...]interviewed me about life at TVAH.– LambieCommented May 7, 2021 at 15:39
-
@StuartF - Thank you! The comment you wrote answers my question. May you copy and paste your comment into the answers section so that I may confirm that it's the answer to my question?– Colin FiedorowiczCommented May 7, 2021 at 16:37
-
@StuartF: I think the distinction matters once you start talking about third parties. For example, you might invite an audience to the interview, but not for the interview (unless you intend to interview the audience). SmartJanitor explains this distinction in his answer.– BrianCommented May 14, 2021 at 14:51
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
"Invite," in the sense you're using it, takes the preposition "to."
"To" connotes the appointment, meeting, opportunity, etc. to which one is invited: The Queen invites Belle to the Jubilee Dance.
When one uses "for," it's a more colloquial sense connoting what one might be enjoying, consuming, etc.: The Queen invites Belle to Windsor Castle for bagels and lox.
Or: Adam received a gift of rare Scotch, and invited me for a taste.
The confusion you're understandably having is that the interview is both an occasion and something of a benefit or an honor.
"Invite for" is colloquial, again. People say things like "My boss invited me to his house for drinks." That illustrates the difference. "My boss invited me to his house" but "My boss invited me for drinks." The second sentence is colloquial. Thus, in your LinkedIn post, use "invited to an interview," as you're describing an occasion, meeting, or date.
To - indicating motion towards an object.
OED:
To (preposition)
1.a. Expressing motion directed towards and reaching: governing a noun denoting the place, thing, or person approached and reached.
1904 F. G. Kitton Dickens Country 63 Dickens returned to London.
For (preposition)- indicating the purpose of the object.
IV. Of purpose [...].
8a. With a view to; with the object or purpose of: [...].
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 615 A considerable number of prisoners were immediately selected for execution.
answered May 7, 2021 at 19:13
