Hello, could you help me please?
Hello, thank you for reading in advance.
Again, I am stuck into prepositions problem.
I am harsh on her - familiar to me
I am harsh to her
I am (doing) harsh at her
(I think for is improper because it is usually used like this, I give a present for her. Am I right?:))
which one is more natural and why? If the answer is not only one, please let me see some examples for each preposition if you don't mind. And the synonym of harsh such as trenchant, mordant and stuff, can be under this rule by which harsh should be used.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and answering my question! Have a good one!
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回答 · 3
2
Hello Amanda, great questions! I will do my best to help you.
First, I have never used the phrase to be "harsh on" something in the way you described. As a native English speaker, it doesn't sound natural to me. I have heard the expression to be "hard on" someone. Some examples of this are:
- Please don't be so hard on him, he is only a child.
- I'm sorry if I was so hard on you.
- The coach was very hard on the players.
I would use the expression, "I am harsh to her." because "to" as a preposition can be used after an adjective. Examples using "to" after an adjective are:
- I cannot bear people being cruel to animals.
- You are so mean to her.
- Please be kind to him.
It would be okay to also say, "I am harsh with her." The rule is "with" is used to indicate feeling. Some examples are:
- I am dissatisfied with the movie.
- I am happy with your answers.
- Are you angry with me?
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