Learn English – Verb + Preposition (how to learn)

prepositionsverbs

I have been learning English recently, but I have problems with learning English verbs and prepositions. I know how some verbs work.

  1. I let you do it
  2. I allow you to do it
  3. I said to you a week ago
  4. I told you a week ago

However, I want to improve my oral skills and verbs are most important for it. Please, give me some advise. How can I learn about "verb + preposition" combinations?

Best Answer

There are many different phenomena in the sentences you list.
Most of them don't really have much to do with prepositions in general, but with specific constructions.

  1. I let you do it is a complex sentence with an unmarked infinitive complement.

  2. I allow you to do it is a complex sentence with a marked infinitive complement.

  3. I said X to you a week ago is a simple sentence with a direct object X and an indirect object you. The verb say does not allow the Dative Alternation.

  4. I told you X a week ago is the same structure, with the same objects.
    But the verb tell does allow the Dative Alternation, and this is the alternate version.
    The unalternated version, I told X to you a week ago, is also correct.

The "mark" in both cases 1 and 2 is the infinitive complementizer to.
This is not a preposition and does not behave like one.
For one thing, certain verbs (like let) allow one to delete to before infinitive complements,
while most verbs, like allow, require a to to mark infinitives.

In cases 3 and 4, the to is part of a bitransitive (transfer) verb -- one that has two objects.
The indirect object in such a sentence can usually be marked with to, if it follows the direct object.
However, if it precedes the direct object (the Dative Alternation), then to is not allowed.

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