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how is it to choose "to someone" or "for someone"?
there are two sentences I've seen in an English book:
1.The sound would be very choppy,mechanical and unemotional to an American.
2.Your speech would be very confusing for your listener.
....
I wonder why use "to" in first sentence, but "for" in second one when both are following with "someone"?
I really want to know what's the correct and usual way to use "to" and "for" when there following with a "someone".
thanks a lot for help, I'm now waiting for your opinion. thanks again.
1.The sound would be very choppy,mechanical and unemotional to an American.
2.Your speech would be very confusing for your listener.
....
I wonder why use "to" in first sentence, but "for" in second one when both are following with "someone"?
I really want to know what's the correct and usual way to use "to" and "for" when there following with a "someone".
thanks a lot for help, I'm now waiting for your opinion. thanks again.
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Think of it like this:
"To" and "for" are very close prepositions. However, "for" implies a direct desire to give the subject, while "to" implies a reaction to the subject.
Since the first sentence says "the sound", nobody is there to necessarily want to give it. Thus, the only thing in question is how the American would react. They would find it choppy, mechanical, and unemotional; thus, it would be those things TO them.
In the second, YOU are the giver. It's "Your speech", not "the speech". Because you are giving YOUR speech to YOUR listener, it would be very confusing FOR them. However, if you were to write "The speech" instead of "Your speech", then the sentence would be written "The speech would be very confusing to the listener" instead.
So basically, if your subject and direct object are possessive (i.e. if the article is "your"/"his"/"her"/"its"/"my"), then go with "for". If the subject and direct object are not possessive (i.e. if the article is "a"/"the"/etc.), then go with "to".
"To" and "for" are very close prepositions. However, "for" implies a direct desire to give the subject, while "to" implies a reaction to the subject.
Since the first sentence says "the sound", nobody is there to necessarily want to give it. Thus, the only thing in question is how the American would react. They would find it choppy, mechanical, and unemotional; thus, it would be those things TO them.
In the second, YOU are the giver. It's "Your speech", not "the speech". Because you are giving YOUR speech to YOUR listener, it would be very confusing FOR them. However, if you were to write "The speech" instead of "Your speech", then the sentence would be written "The speech would be very confusing to the listener" instead.
So basically, if your subject and direct object are possessive (i.e. if the article is "your"/"his"/"her"/"its"/"my"), then go with "for". If the subject and direct object are not possessive (i.e. if the article is "a"/"the"/etc.), then go with "to".
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