What's wrong with "Welcome Mr... to ... University"

[registered]

There is a sign, and it reads:"Warmly Welcome Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, to Zhejiang University"
Our foreign teacher said it should be "Zhejiang University warmly welcomes Mr. Kofi Annan, ..."
But I looked up this word "welcome" in Merriam-Webster dictionary (an electronic one), and I found this example:"She welcomed the students into her home." and the example "We welcome you to the show."
I think the structures of these sentences are the same: welcome SB. to SP.
Why is the sentence I mentioned in the title wrong? Thanks!

 

[BobK]

It's 'wrong' because the 'warmly' is dangling.

But I don't like 'Zheijiang University welcomes...' anyway, as inanimate organizations don't do things. But I accept that it is a conventional usage, and wouldn't 'correct' your teacher.

Personally, though, I'd just say 'A warm welcome to ...', with no verb.

b

 

[anhnha]

It's 'wrong' because the 'warmly' is dangling.

Please explain it more?
In the sentence "Warmly" is an adverb, "Welcome" has to be a verb, imperative. To me it looks like an instruction but can't figure out why it is wrong.

 

[5jj]

"Welcome" has to be a verb, imperative. To me it looks like an instruction but can't figure out why it is wrong.

If it were a verb, it would not be followed by 'to'. In any case, the sign is meant to be saying that the visitor is welcome, not that everybody must welcome him.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you add the word "We" at the start (and then don't capitalise "warmly" or "welcome"), it makes more sense.

I prefer "XXX University welcomes Kofi Annan ...". Whilst I agree that a university can't physically welcome anything, it really means that all the people at the university welcome him.

 

[registered]

It's 'wrong' because the 'warmly' is dangling.

But I don't like 'Zheijiang University welcomes...' anyway, as inanimate organizations don't do things. But I accept that it is a conventional usage, and wouldn't 'correct' your teacher.

Personally, though, I'd just say 'A warm welcome to ...', with no verb.

b

If I use "A warm welcome to **university", where should I put "Kofi Annan"?

 

[5jj]

"A warm welcome to **university, Kofi Annan"

 

[konungursvia]

It is wrong because you want an interjection "Welcome!" and not an imperative, which makes the message appear to be an order from the Communist Party to the unwilling student body.

 

[registered]

If it were a verb, it would not be followed by 'to'. In any case, the sign is meant to be saying that the visitor is welcome, not that everybody must welcome him.

But I looked up "welcome" in Merriam-Webster dictionary (on line), and I found these examples:
1."She welcomed the students into her home."
2. "We welcome you to the show."
Here, I think "welcome" is a verb, and it's followed by "to"

 

[5jj]

But I looked up "welcome" in Merriam-Webster dictionary (on line), and I found these examples:
1."She welcomed the students into her home."
2. "We welcome you to the show."
Here, I think "welcome" is a verb, and it's followed by "to"

'Welcome is not followed by 'to' It is followed by a direct object noun or pronoun.

 

[registered]

'Welcome is not followed by 'to' It is followed by a direct object noun or pronoun.

Ok, I'am sorry, I didn't say it clearly.
My question is: Is "Welcome sb. to sp. " wrong?

 

[registered]

"A warm welcome to **university, Kofi Annan"

This is a sign showing the staff and students' warm welcome, and the expression should be formal.
Is "A warm welcome to ** university, Kofi Annan" a conversational sentence?

 

[registered]

It's 'wrong' because the 'warmly' is dangling.

But I don't like 'Zheijiang University welcomes...' anyway, as inanimate organizations don't do things. But I accept that it is a conventional usage, and wouldn't 'correct' your teacher.

Personally, though, I'd just say 'A warm welcome to ...', with no verb.

b

So, shall I say it this way: "A warm welcome to ** University, Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations"?

 

[5jj]

So, shall I say it this way: "A warm welcome to ** University, Kofi Annan, [STRIKE]Secretary General of the United Nations[/STRIKE]"?

I expect he knows what his job is.

 

[konungursvia]

People have already told you it is wrong.

 

[registered]

Thanks

 

[registered]

People have already told you it is wrong.

I don't think they say it is wrong, but they said it sounded like an order.
If I put "We" before "welcome", does it make sense?

 

[emsr2d2]

We said "Welcome Kofi Annan to XXX University" sounded like an order being made to the students and staff of the university.
"Welcome to XXX University, Kofi Annan" does not sound like an order.