[Grammar] Usage of the word "to"

stitusandrews · May 25, 2010

Hello All,

Today's question!

1. Explain me the problem. :cross:

2. Explain to me the problem.:tick:

1. Send me an email.

2. send an email to me.

This highlighted statements above is what I have issues with. Are they both correct?

If "explain me" is grammatically incorrect "send me" should also me incorrect.

If not, please explain, how?

Thank you for your help in advance!

Titus Andrews

2006 · May 26, 2010

stitusandrews said:
Hello All,

Today's question!

1. Explain me the problem. :cross:

2. Explain to me the problem. :tick: No, it is :cross:.

3. Explain the problem to me. :tick:

1. Send me an email. :tick:

2. Send an email to me. :tick:

This highlighted statements above is what I have issues with. Are they both correct? yes

If "explain me" is grammatically incorrect "send me" should also me incorrect. no
If not, please explain, how?
You can 'send me something, but you cannot 'explain me something'. You can only 'explain something to me'.

It's just due to the meaning of "explain me". "explain me" means something like 'describe and analyze the way I am/act/think'.
Titus Andrews

2006

TheParser · May 26, 2010

2006 said:
2006

I think that many speakers here in the United States say something like:

Would you please explain TO ME what the problem is?

Is this "bad" English?

Thank you.

stitusandrews · May 26, 2010

What if i implement the same rule with "send me" as it was done for "explain me"

Okay, to make it clear, please tell me gramatically, what "send" and "explain" means?

Parser, I have nothing against saying "would you please explain to me"

That is perfect!

donkeyB · May 26, 2010

Is the word 'to' both preposition and adverb?
almost times you speak 'to' with no stress, but you have to speak it with a slight stress when 'to' goes before a personal pronoun?

Please explain me

Software Outsourcing Company

stitusandrews · May 26, 2010

Yes to is a preposistion and an adverb depending upon the context.

Correction: Please explain TO me.

"To" as preposistion:

1. (used for expressing motion or direction toward a point, person, place, or thing approached and reached, as opposed to from): They came to the house.
2. (used for expressing direction or motion or direction toward something) in the direction of; toward: from north to south.

3. (used for expressing limit of movement or extension): He grew to six feet.

adverb toward a point, person, place, or thing, implied or understood.

toward a contact point or closed position: Pull the door to.

toward a matter, action, or work: We turned to with a will.

into a state of consciousness; out of unconsciousness: after he came to.

2006 · May 26, 2010

TheParser said:
I think that many speakers here in the United States say something like:

Would you please explain TO ME what the problem is?

Is this "bad" English? No, it's not bad English. (except for a question mark at the end of a nonquestion)
But I think "Explain to me the problem." is bad English.

Thank you.

2006

bertietheblue · May 26, 2010

I don't get it. Where's the non-question question mark?

bertietheblue · May 26, 2010

Is it the 'would' request? (Please say yes.)

2006 · May 27, 2010

bertietheblue said:
Is it the 'would' request? (Please say yes.)

yes

bertietheblue · May 27, 2010

2006 said:
yes

So, you're saying it's bad English to put a question mark here? I'm off to London now for a few days. Would someone please take this up whilst I'm gone:

question mark
full-stop
either, or - a grey area of the language?

2006 · May 27, 2010

bertietheblue said:
So, you're saying it's bad English to put a question mark here? I'm off to London now for a few days. Would someone please take this up whilst I'm gone:

question mark
full-stop
either, or - a grey area of the language?

If there were no "please", you could say it's a grey area. With "please" it is clearly a request, not a question!

Raymott · May 27, 2010

bertietheblue said:
I'm off to London now for a few days. Would someone please take this up whilst I'm gone:

Are you going to London? Are you asking someone to take up the argument? Or is this an example from which you've left off the quotation marks?

In any case, I can't see why a request can't be a question. They usually are, and so they should have a question mark.

2006 · May 27, 2010

Raymott said:
Are you going to London? Are you asking someone to take up the argument? Or is this an example from which you've left off the quotation marks?

In any case, I can't see why a request can't be a question. They usually are, and so they should have a question mark.

Are you saying that 'Please help me.' is a question?
'Please help me?' You have to be kidding! :roll:

The three questions in your post are questions.

Raymott · May 28, 2010

2006 said:
Are you saying that 'Please help me.' is a question?
'Please help me?' You have to be kidding!

If I had said that "Please help me" was a question, I would not have been kidding, but I would have been wrong. However, I didn't say that. :roll:
What I was implying was that "Would you please help me?" is both a request and a question, and requires a question mark.

I was also postulating that most requests are framed in the form of a question, so that "Please help me" (an imperative) is normally framed as "Would you please help me?" (a question) - though I'm less certain about the universal applicability of this point.

[Grammar] Usage of the word "to"

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