questions...

[layla0302]

Hi, I have some questions about prep "for"..

1. After a long search, we gave him up for lost

I have learned that a noun must follow a prep, but in this sentence, lost is adj. Could you explain this plz?

2. They left the country for good.

What does "good" mean in this sentence? Is it a noun?

3. to vs for

I am grateful to him
I am grateful for him

Do these two sentences have the same meaning?

Thanks!

[Rover_KE]

As your questions are about The preposition 'for' that would have been a better thread title.

1. There's no rule that says that a noun must follow a preposition.

2. 'For good' is an adverbial phrase meaning forever.

3. As a stand alone sentence, only 'I am grateful to him' works.

Rover

[emsr2d2]

I have a great Music teacher. I am grateful for him.

It means "I am grateful that he exists" or "I am grateful for the fact that he is my music teacher." Of course, I am also grateful to him for teaching me.

[layla0302]

I have a great Music teacher. I am grateful for him.

It means "I am grateful that he exists" or "I am grateful for the fact that he is my music teacher." Of course, I am also grateful to him for teaching me.

Thank you.
Then...does you mean that if I say "I have a great Music teacher. I am grateful to him" , is would be somewhat awkward ??

[emsr2d2]

Thank you.
Then...does you mean that if I say "I have a great Music teacher. I am grateful to him" , is would be somewhat awkward ??

It's not awkward at all, but "I am grateful to him" and "I am grateful for him" have completely different meanings.

[layla0302]

It's not awkward at all, but "I am grateful to him" and "I am grateful for him" have completely different meanings.

I guess... if I say "I am grateful to him", then he just did something for me on purpose so I am grateful because of that reason...am I right?

[emsr2d2]

I guess... if I say "I am grateful to him", then he just did something for me on purpose so I am grateful because of that reason...am I right?

Yes. As I said in my first post, "I am grateful to him" means "I am grateful to him for teaching me music". What you are specifically grateful for would probably be clear from the rest of the context.

James taught me to play the piano. I am grateful to him [for that].
My mother taught me to sew and I am grateful to her [for teaching me to sew].

James is a great music teacher. I am grateful for him.
My mother is a lovely person. I am grateful for her. (You are not grateful to her for purposely being a lovely person, you are just grateful that she exists.)

[layla0302]

Yes. As I said in my first post, "I am grateful to him" means "I am grateful to him for teaching me music". What you are specifically grateful for would probably be clear from the rest of the context.

James taught me to play the piano. I am grateful to him [for that].
My mother taught me to sew and I am grateful to her [for teaching me to sew].

James is a great music teacher. I am grateful for him.
My mother is a lovely person. I am grateful for her. (You are not grateful to her for purposely being a lovely person, you are just grateful that she exists.)

Now I got it. Thank you very much!!

[TheParser]

1. After a long search, we gave him up for lost

I have learned that a noun must follow a prep, but in this sentence, lost is adj. Could you explain this plz?

2. They left the country for good.

What does "good" mean in this sentence? Is it a noun?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) You and I come to "Ask a Teacher" because we want teachers' answers, and

an excellent teacher has just given us the answer.

(2) I thought, however, that you might be interested in what English Review Grammar by

Mr. Walter Kay Smart says:

(a) A preposition is regularly [usually] followed by a noun or pronoun.

(b) In a few idiomatic expressions an adverb/adjective is used as a noun-equivalent:

(i) I can see it from here. (adverb)
(ii) We work in vain. (adjective)

(3) Thus, maybe we can say that "lost" in "for lost" is an adjective being used as

a noun-equivalent in an idiomatic expression.