[Grammar] get the city to be destroyed

[KJOU]

The fire got the city to be destroyed


Does it make sense to use " to be" here?

 

[Rover_KE]

No.

The fire destroyed the city.
The city was destroyed by fire.

 

[KJOU]

Thanks. Could you tell me if it is wrong to use " got + object + to be pp"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Sure. A drama teacher, after successfully instructing a student to act sad, could say "I got Henry to be miserable".

 

[KJOU]

What about "Don’t get the children to be too excited." ?

Is it ok to use "to be" ?

 

[emsr2d2]

What about "Don’t get the children to be too excited"? (Don't use a full stop and a question mark.)

Is it ok to use "to be"?

No. That doesn't work. I almost wish I hadn't come up with a possible context because I think I've made you believe that there are lots of uses for it. It took me over five minutes to come up with my possible use. I think you should forget that construction and consider it at least unnatural. In most contexts, it would be wrong.

Don't put a space before a question mark.