Mnemon
Member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2021
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Persian
- Home Country
- Iran
- Current Location
- Iran
From the movie A Monster Calls.Mom- I wish you could have known him.
Child- Who?
Mom- Grandpa.
Child- Even Grandma softened up around him.
Here's the definition of the phrasal verb soften up,
Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 © A&C Black Publishers Ltd 2007.soften up [transitive]~ to make someone more likely to do what you want by being nice to them
Example: His strategy was to soften them up with compliments.
As it can be seen, it's a transitive verb. The question is why it's being used like an intransitive one?
Does it work for you if I say,
Even Grandma was softened up around him.
?
Thanks.