tyrp
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2011
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Ukraine
- Current Location
- Ukraine
Hello everyone,
Having received the answer to my previous question about the 'chisel-weasel' thing, I'm back with another one ;-). This problem deals with grammar.
Several grammar manuals (incl. "Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency") claim that it's incorrect to make passive constructions with the indirect object as a subject if there're verbs like 'suggest, explain, announce, repeat, describe etc' as the predicate (those which take indirect objects with the prep 'to').
So, according to this rule, the only way of passivising the sentence like:
The teacher explained a new rule to his students.
will be
A new rule was explained to the students (by the teacher).
However, to my ear the sentence
The students were explained a new rule.
doesn't sound that bad.
Nor does the sentence:
We were suggested a new idea.
(though I'm not dead sure with this one).
Could you please help me there? I'll be especially grateful to native speakers)
Thanks in advance for your attention and help!
PS: Which of them sounds better :
A new idea was suggested TO us
or
A new idea was suggested FOR us?
Having received the answer to my previous question about the 'chisel-weasel' thing, I'm back with another one ;-). This problem deals with grammar.
Several grammar manuals (incl. "Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency") claim that it's incorrect to make passive constructions with the indirect object as a subject if there're verbs like 'suggest, explain, announce, repeat, describe etc' as the predicate (those which take indirect objects with the prep 'to').
So, according to this rule, the only way of passivising the sentence like:
The teacher explained a new rule to his students.
will be
A new rule was explained to the students (by the teacher).
However, to my ear the sentence
The students were explained a new rule.
doesn't sound that bad.
Nor does the sentence:
We were suggested a new idea.
(though I'm not dead sure with this one).
Could you please help me there? I'll be especially grateful to native speakers)
Thanks in advance for your attention and help!
PS: Which of them sounds better :
A new idea was suggested TO us
or
A new idea was suggested FOR us?