[General] "Suit" and "Match"

[ngoc_lan]

Hi, I'd like to ask you about "Suit" and "Match".
These shoes won't __________ your trousers.
Which word is suitable for this sentence?
And I'd like to know if "suit" and "match" go with preposition(s) or not? If they do, what are the prepositions and what do they mean?
Thanks a lot
ngoc_lan

 

[emsr2d2]

Clothes and shoes usually suit a person (ie they look good on that person) but two pieces of clothing would be said to match each other (or not).

 

[ngoc_lan]

Does "suit" go with any prepositions?

 

[Barb_D]

Not usually. It's a transitive verb so the object comes right after it without a preposition.

 

[ngoc_lan]

The teacher in my school said that "suit" often goes with the prep. "to", that's "suit to...". Is it right?

 

[5jj]

The teacher in my school said that "suit" often goes with the prep. "to", that's "suit to...". Is it right?

See post #4.

 

[emsr2d2]

In some constructions, a "to" might appear but not in the construction we were talking about.

That dress suits you (not "suits to you").
The clothes suit the girl (not "suit to the girl").

Here are a couple of constructions where "to" is appropriate:

The staff are well suited to the company.
The mature trees are well suited to the formal garden.

 

[ngoc_lan]

Here are a couple of constructions where "to" is appropriate:

The staff are well suited to the company.
The mature trees are well suited to the formal garden.

Are there any differences if we omit "to" in these sentences?
The staff are well suited to the company.
The staff are well suited the company.

The mature trees are well suited to the formal garden.
The mature trees are well suited the formal garden.

Should I use "suit to" when writing/speaking?

 

[Raymott]

Are there any differences if we omit "to" in these sentences?
The staff are well suited to the company.
The staff are well suited the company.

The mature trees are well suited to the formal garden.
The mature trees are well suited the formal garden.

Should I use "suit to" when writing/speaking?

You can't omit "to" from those sentences, either in writing or speaking.
That is, you can't write/say "<Subject> is/are well suited <object>"; but you will have noticed that that is an entirely different sentence from "<Subject> suits/doesn't suit <object>".

They are different constructions.
"A likes B" - Right; "A is liked B" - Wrong; "A is liked by B" - Right.
"A suits B" - Right; "A is suited B" - Wrong; "A is suited to B" - Right.

 

[emsr2d2]

Are there any differences if we omit "to" in these sentences?
The staff are well suited to the company. :tick:
The staff are well suited the company. X

The mature trees are well suited to the formal garden. :tick:
The mature trees are well suited the formal garden. X

Should I use "suit to" when writing/speaking?

The simple answer to your question is "Yes, the difference is that if you omit "to" the sentence is incorrect."

The staff are well suited to the company.
The staff suit the company.

The mature trees are well suited to the formal garden.
The mature trees suit the formal garden.

It doesn't matter whether you use "suited to" or "suit" when writing/speaking but you need to make sure you use the "to" when it's appropriate and omit it when it's not, as I have shown above.

 

[ngoc_lan]

I understand now. Thank you!