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syoshioka99
Joined: 28 Oct 2005
Posts: 185
Location: Korea
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 Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:41 pm Post subject: Re: use of 'to' |
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| do_it wrote: |
I agree with CP on some things but disagree with others.. I definately don't think they are all ok without 'to'
For number 7, I agree that you can't say, Several questions were asked to me by the boy, but also it is incorrect to say 'Several questions were asked me by the boy' It is better to say 'asked of me'.
Because they are in the passive form, I think that it sounds very funny to say things like 'This dictionary was given me...
A sad story was told me..
I don't know why anyone thinks they are ok.
It is definately much better to use 'to' in all of the sentences except 7. But if I only had the choice out of (me/to me) for 7 I would use to.
#1 This dictionary was given to me by my father.
#2 A sad story was told to me by my mother.
#3 This Christmas Card was sent to me by my cousin.
#4 English is taught to the students by Mr. Suzuki.
#5 A story is read to the children every night by her.
#6 The truth wasn't told to me by him.
#7 Several questions were asked of me by the boy.
#8 The T-shirt was given to me by my uncle.
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>>>>>>>>>>so you think those sentences without "to" sound stragne to you. Have you ever heard anyone utter those sentences in america???
(do u think those without " to" is incorrect?)
Satoru |
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Anuradha Chepur
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 933
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| Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:32 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
>>>>>>>>>>so you think those sentences without "to" sound stragne to you. Have you ever heard anyone utter those sentences in america???
(do u think those without " to" is incorrect?) |
While we wait for CP/do_it/others to confirm, I might vouchsafe that in America, people would normally choose the active voice in most of those situations. Those passive forms should occur only in grammar exercises (passive for the sake of passive). In natural situations, the passive, as CP said earlier, would be used for special emphasis as in when the doer is unknown/unimportant or when it is the action that matters and not who did it. |
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