what is in it for you

[navi tasan]

Edit​

Are these sentences correct:
1) What is in it for you backing me against John?
2) What is in it for you, backing me against John?

3) What is in it for your backing me against John?
4) What is in it for you to back me against John?



What do they mean?

How would you parse the correct ones?

Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[bhaisahab]

1) and 3) are incorrect.
2) and 4) are OK and they have the same meaning. I much prefer 2).
What do you think they mean?

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you very much, Bhaisahab,

I think they mean what advantage do you get from backing me against John.

But I can't parse the sentences.

Are the sentences acceptable in 'formal' English?P

robably we have a dummy 'it':
a) What is in backing me against John for you.

b) What is in to back me against John for you.

'b' sounds outlandish to me.
I think 'a' works.

Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Thank you very much, Bhaisahab,

I think they mean what advantage do you get from backing me against John. Yes.

But I can't parse the sentences.

Are the sentences acceptable in 'formal' English? They're all informal - except that we would never say "What is." We'd say "What's."

Probably we have a dummy 'it': What's a dummy it?

a) What is in backing me against John for you. No. That's meaningless.

b) What is in to back me against John for you. That's meaningless, too.

'b' sounds outlandish to me. B is the best. It's grammatical and natural.

I think 'a' works. No.

Gratefully,
Navi.

Bhai is exactly right.

The core question is: What's in it for you?

To elaborate, you're adding "backing John against me," to make sure that it's clear what "it" refers to. (Pronouns always refer to something.)

Since the phrase "backing John against me" is just an add-on, a comma goes before it.

Does that make sense?

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you very much, Charlie,Yes. I was on the wrong track. What you have written makes perfect sense. Everything is clear now.Gratefully,Navi.