for someone / to someone

[Kumiko-jk]

Hello,

I'm new here, and this is my first post! :wink:
I have a problem how to use for / to + someone correctly in English sentences.

*******************
A. It's very important for students to study English every day.

B. It's important for doctors to know that what patients need.

C. It's important to me that he reads my novels.

Those sentences are all from dictionaries.
I'd like to know if I can use 'for' with the example C as a replacement.

Could you please tell me how I should choose 'to' and 'for' correctly.... ?
Many thanks in advance.

Kumiko

 

[Casiopea]

Welcome. :hi:

for, Benefactive: the entity that benefits form the action.
to, Goal: the entity towards which the activity is directed.

A. It's very important for students to study English every day.
Students will benefit if they study English.

B. It's important for doctors to know that what patients need.
Doctors will benefit if they know what patients need.

C. It's important to me that he reads my novels.
That he reads my novels is important to me (the goal)

D. It's important for me that he reads my novels.
I will benefit from his reading my novels.

All the best,

 

[blacknomi]

Thanks, Cas.

And :hi: Kumiko-jk! Welcome to UE.

 

[Francois]

B. It's important for doctors to know that what patients need.
Doctors will benefit if they know what patients need.

I would say that the patients will benefit most from their doctor's acuity Furthermore, it's more like a prerequisite than an advantageous extra

FRC

 

[Taka]

It's important for me that he reads my novels.

Then what is the difference between that one and this?:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

I don't think the benefactive-vs-goal theory works here.

 

[Casiopea]

It's important for me that he reads my novels.

Then what is the difference between that one and this?:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

I don't think the benefactive-vs-goal theory works here.

I don't get what you mean. Sorry. :?

 

[Taka]

It's important for me that he reads my novels.

Then what is the difference between that one and this?:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

I don't think the benefactive-vs-goal theory works here.

I don't get what you mean. Sorry. :?

You said:

for, Benefactive: the entity that benefits form the action.
to, Goal: the entity towards which the activity is directed.

then:

It's important for me that he reads my novels.

is about benefits whereas:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

is about a goal.

I don't think those are different in that way. More important, as far as I remember, technically the term "benefactive" doesn't necessarily mean something about benefits. It simply means "movement towards or for someone."

 

[Casiopea]

It's important for me that he reads my novels.

Then what is the difference between that one and this?:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

I don't think the benefactive-vs-goal theory works here.

I don't get what you mean. Sorry. :?

You said:

for, Benefactive: the entity that benefits form the action.
to, Goal: the entity towards which the activity is directed.

then:

It's important for me that he reads my novels.

is about benefits whereas:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

is about a goal.

I don't think those are different in that way.

It would help, I think, if you could provide me with your understanding of the semantics of this sentence:

To me, it's important that he reads my novels.

More important, as far as I remember, technically the term "benefactive" doesn't necessarily mean something about benefits. It simply means "movement towards or for someone."

Sorry, Taka. I sincerely don't get what you mean, especially the part about "benefactive" meaning "movement towards". Would you offer a few sources, specifically sources dealing with thematic roles. :up:

All the best,

 

[Taka]

Sorry, Taka. I sincerely don't get what you mean, especially the part about "benefactive" meaning "movement towards". Would you offer a few sources, specifically sources dealing with thematic roles. :up:

Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefactive

 

[Casiopea]

Sorry, Taka. I sincerely don't get what you mean, especially the part about "benefactive" meaning "movement towards". Would you offer a few sources, specifically sources dealing with thematic roles. :up:

Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefactive

Sorry :?: What am I supposed to do when I get there? :lol: This is your topic, not mine, so please do the leg work. 8)

 

[Taka]

All I would like to say is that it doesn't always have to do with benefits.

 

[Casiopea]

All I would like to say is that it doesn't always have to do with benefits.

All I would like to say is that providing me with a website doesn't help me understand what you, Taka, think. What do you think? What is your interpretation of the sentence in question: To me, .... ? Help.

 

[Taka]

All I would like to say is that it doesn't always have to do with benefits.

All I would like to say is that providing me with a website doesn't help me understand what you, Taka, think. What do you think? What is your interpretation of the sentence in question: To me, .... ? Help.

As you seemed to misunderstand benefactive as something beneficial, I gave you the link.
-------
At least what I'm thinking, at this moment, is that, as I said repeatedly, it doesn't necessarily have to do with benefits.

Well, Englsih is your first language, right? Then, what kind of difference do you feel when you hear "To me it is important..." and "For me it is important..."? Native feel is something I don't have, and I think it really counts.

 

[Taka]

tdol, you are a British, using English every day. What kind of difference do you feel between them?

 

[Tdol]

tdol, you are a British, using English every day. What kind of difference do you feel between them?

A&B are like 'should' and C is like 'matters to'. ;-)

 

[Taka]

tdol, you are a British, using English every day. What kind of difference do you feel between them?

A&B are like 'should' and C is like 'matters to'. ;-)

Not that difference, tdol. I mean the difference between "To me, it is improtant." and "For me, it is important".

 

[Tdol]

It depends on the context. I'd use 'to me' to distinguish myself from the other speakers- if it wasn't important to you or Cas, I'd use it to show the difference in opinion rather thasn 'for me'.;-)

 

[Taka]

It depends on the context. I'd use 'to me' to distinguish myself from the other speakers- if it wasn't important to you or Cas, I'd use it to show the difference in opinion rather thasn 'for me'.;-)

Then, in what kind of situation would you use "For me, it is important"?

 

[Kumiko-jk]

Hi all !!

Hello all, :wink:

First of all, I'd like to say "thank you" for all the posts you put here.
Many thanks for having a discussion about this topic. I've read your posts carefully, with interest.

I really appreciate your explanations, but still I don't understand the differences between to someoneand for someone clearly.

I'm sorry for giving you a touble, but could you please give me more explanations? With some examples? I'm still confused......
(Thanks in advance.)

Hi Casiopea & blacknomi,
Thanks for the welcome messages. :hi:

Casiopea,
Are you at the top of Mt. Fuji!? How's the view from there?
What if it erupts!?...... :roll:

Kumiko

 

[Casiopea]

Re: Hi all !!

You're welcome.

Let's try this again, OK? 8)

In the case of "It's important for me", let's try the template,

In order for us to be better_____, we need to_____.

A. It's very important for students to study English every day.
In order for us to be better students, we need to study every day.

B. It's important for doctors to know what patients need.
In order for us to be better doctors, we need to know what our patients need.

In the case of "It's important to me", the preposition 'to' expresses a specific goal, notably "me". That is, it singles "me" out of the crowd. It's kind of like a pointing finger: it's pointing directly at "me" and no one else. So, let's try the phrase, "It's important to ______alone", like this,

C. It's important to me that he reads my novels.
It's important to "me" alone that he reads my novels.
To me alone, it's important that he reads my novels.

In sum, let's try out the phrases "In order for___to be a better ___" and "It's important to_____alone".

It's important for me that he reads my novels.
In order for me to be a better writer, it's important that he reads my novels. (Odd)

==> This sentence is odd because "me" and "he" are different people. In order to get a 'for' reading, the person benefiting from the action ("me") needs to be the same person who does the action ("me") i.e., it's important for me to do this. For example,

EX: It's important for me to read my novels. (OK)
In order for me to be a better writer, it's important that I read my novels.

It's important to me that he reads my novels.
It's important to "me" alone.

It's important to students to study.
It's important to "students" alone.

All the best,