go this alone.

[kingston_123]

Admiral phoned to Dirk Pitt who is with Al and they both on they way to close the factory which is responisble for toxins. General Kazim is a obstacle for the Dirk Pitt and Al.

Dirk Pitt: I can't ask you boys to go this alone.
Admiral: Well, that's the great part, sir.
Dirk Pitt: You know you never have to.

Is word "this" really needed in "go this alone"?

Source: Sahara 2005

 

[Raymott]

I doubt whether it's "really needed". It's hard to tell, not knowing the broader context.

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/go+it+alone

 

[emsr2d2]

Admiral phoned [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] Dirk Pitt who is with Al. [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] They are both on [STRIKE]they[/STRIKE] the way to close the factory which is responsible for toxins. General Kazim is an obstacle for [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] Dirk Pitt and Al.

Dirk Pitt: I can't ask you boys to go this alone.
Admiral: Well, that's the great part, sir.
Dirk Pitt: You know you never have to.

Is the word "this" really needed in "go this alone"?

Source: Sahara 2005

"To go it alone" is a set phrase. This seems to use the phrase but has replaced "it" with "this".

 

[kingston_123]

Admiral phoned Dirk Pitt who is with Al. They are both on the way to close the factory which is responsible for toxins. General Kazim is an obstacle for Dirk Pitt and Al.

Does "they" indicate "Dirk Pitt and Al"?

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, and we would normally say:

The admiral phoned Dirk Pitt....

Unless, of course, "Admiral" is the person's name.

 

[kingston_123]

Actually Admiral and Al are different persons. Did you understand my question?

 

[Tarheel]

Yes. "They" indicates Dirk Pitt and Al. And it is perfectly clear that the admiral and Al are different people. The context makes that clear.

 

[Tdol]

This site suggests it should be do this alone, which makes more sense to me:

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012205/quotes

 

[emsr2d2]

The issue still remains that we don't call people "Admiral" in this kind of context unless that really is his first name not his title. If his name is, for example, John Cook, and he's an admiral, then he's "Admiral Cook".
To refer to him in your opening sentence, you can say:

The admiral phoned Dirk Pitt ...
Admiral Cook phoned Dirk Pitt ...

You can't say "Admiral phoned Dirk Pitt ...".

However, in the lines of dialogue, it's OK to just write "Admiral" because it's better to save space on a script or a play.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is word "this" really needed in "go this alone"?

Source: Sahara 2005

Yes. It's a variation of the verb phrase "go it alone."

Without "this" or "it," the phrase would just mean that he's going somewhere by myself. By adding "this," it means that he'll take on the entire task by himself. It's not just about going to a location.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes. It's a variation of the verb phrase "go it alone."

Without "this" or "it," the phrase would just mean that he's going somewhere by himself. By adding "this," it means that he'll take on the entire task by himself. It's not just about going to a location.