passive verbs with two objects

[aysaa]

Hi,

For the vebs 'explain, suggest and recommend'.

-I was explained the question.

-I was suggested a meeting place.

-I was recommended a book on jewellery.

In my opinion, they are all wrong because we can't say 'recommend someone something' or 'explain someone something' or 'suggest someone something'. They only work if we are the direct object. For example, I was recommended for the job'. Or we must use a structure such as 'the question was explained to me'.

Thanks.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hi,

For the vebs 'explain, suggest and recommend'.

-I was explained the question.

-I was suggested a meeting place.

-I was recommended a book on jewellery.

In my opinion, they are all wrong because we can't say 'recommend someone something' or 'explain someone something' or 'suggest someone something'. They only work if we are the direct object. For example, I was recommended for the job'. Or we must use a structure such as 'the question was explained to me'.

Thanks.

I agree with you.

 

[5jj]

I was recommended a book doesn't sound too unnatural to me.

Somebody gave a book to me - I was given a book.
Somebody recommended a book to me - I was recommended a book.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I was recommended a book doesn't sound too unnatural to me.

Somebody gave a book to me - I was given a book.
Somebody recommended a book to me - I was recommended a book.

I thought that might be the case. I don't use that construction for "recommend", but I think I have heard it, possibly from a BrE speaker.

 

[konungursvia]

One could write:

It was suggested that a certain room be agreed as a meeting place.

 

[aysaa]

I was recommended a book doesn't sound too unnatural to me.

Somebody gave a book to me - I was given a book.
Somebody recommended a book to me - I was recommended a book.

But we can write 'someone explained the question to me', too. If so, why can't we just say 'I was explained the question'?

 

[5jj]

The short, and rather unsatisfactory, answer is 'because we can't'. Learners just have to learn which patterns work with individual verbs and which don't.