At and without at usage

[English80s]

What is the difference between punch somebody and punch at somebody? Also what is the difference between grasp somebody and grasp at somebody?

 

[emsr2d2]

Please give us complete sentences to consider. First, give us a sentence with "punch somebody" and then another with "punch at somebody". Ideally, provide sentences that you've actually found from a reliable source, preferably written by a native speaker. Once that's dealt with, you can start asking us about "grasp" and "grasp at".

 

[English80s]

He punched me in the face.
He punched at me and missed.

 

[emsr2d2]

He punched me in the face. :tick:
He punched at me and missed. :cross:

The second should be "He swung at me but missed".

 

[probus]

As a small addition to emsr2d2's reply "punch at" really doesn't exist in English. Many verbs can take at, for example,

swing at,
swear at,
lunge at,
look at,
lash out at,

But not punch.

 

[Tdol]

You could also throw a punch at someone and miss.

 

[emsr2d2]

Please give us complete sentences to consider. First, give us a sentence with "punch somebody" and then another with "punch at somebody". Ideally, provide sentences that you've actually found from a reliable source, preferably written by a native speaker.

He punched me in the face.
He punched at me and missed.

Where did you find those two example sentences? I asked you to use real examples, written by native speakers. If you took those two sentences from somewhere else, you need to tell us the source(s) and author(s).

 

[English80s]

I got the word "punched at" from old man and the sea by Ernest Hemingway. I don't remember the page number because I read it long back.

 

[5jj]

The skiff was still shaking with the destruction the other shark was doing to the fish and the old man let go the sheet so that the skiff would swing broadside and bring the shark out from under. When he saw the shark he leaned over the side and punched at him. He hit only meat and the hide was set hard and he barely got the knife in.

 

[English80s]

The skiff was still shaking with the destruction the other shark was doing to the fish and the old man let go the sheet so that the skiff would swing broadside and bring the shark out from under. When he saw the shark he leaned over the side and punched at him. He hit only meat and the hide was set hard and he barely got the knife in.

This is the one I think so.

 

[probus]

Okay English80s, Hemingway used punched at. Nevertheless I'd advise you as a learner not to do so.

 

[jutfrank]

Transitively, punch something means that contact was made. The 'something' is the recipient of the action.

Intransitively and followed by at, punch at something does not necessarily mean that contact was made. In fact, it's likely to mean that contact was not made. The preposition at tells us that the punching motion was directed towards the 'something'.