[Grammar] tend (to) an ill person

[Baldrick]

Hello everyone,

When I say I'm looking after an ill person, let's say my ill mother, what would I need to say?

"I tend my ill mother"
or
"I tend to my ill mother"

Are both of these acceptable in this context, because I know that usually "tend to" has an entirely different meaning (e.g. he tends to do that a lot).

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello everyone,

When I say I'm looking after an ill person, let's say my ill mother, what would I need to say?

"I tend my ill mother"
or
"I tend to my ill mother"

Are both of these acceptable in this context, because I know that usually "tend to" has an entirely different meaning (e.g. he tends to do that a lot).

I imagine you will hear "I tend to..." a lot, but the correct use is simply "tend".

I will tend my mother, who is ill.
I have to stay at home to tend my sick mother.

When we use it to mean "take care of" then it's just "tend".

I tend my child.
I tend bar. (I'm a bartender!)
I like to tend my garden.

We use "tend to" when we mean "deal with" or "attend to". I'm so busy at work I have no time to tend to my diary at home!

And of course, you're right that we also use "tend to" to mean that someone has the habit of doing something.

 

[Baldrick]

Thank you, emsr2d2. So, if I understand what you said correctly, would the following sentence be acceptable?

"To ensure his mother's quick recovery, she would only be tended by the most skillful of doctors"