Admit, forbid, recommend - ing vs to

Question

1. Please explain me whether "admit" and "forbid" can be used with infinitive (and why?). Please give me a few examples. Thank you very much.

2. Please explain me the following. Murphy's grammar explains that "recommend" can be used with verb+object+to. His example is "I wouldn't recommend anybody to stay in the hotel". Another grammar book says that "some verbs, like consider and recommend, are followed by to-infinitive only when used in the passive or with an OBJECT PRONOUN.". My question is whether I can use a noun in such a structure.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Anonymous1. Please explain me whether "admit" and "forbid" can be used with infinitive (and why?). Please give me a few examples.

I guess you're asking if "admit" and "forbid" can be used as finite verbs followed by some other infinitive, with or without an object pronoun.

You might want to consider them separately, because "admit" is often followed by "to" as a prepositiion.
Please unlock the door and admit me to the back office. She admitted [to] stealing the money.
(These are not infinitives.)

I believe when "forbid" is followed by "to," it's always the infinitive, with the two considerations you have mentioned:
I am forbidden to drink alcohol. (passive voice)
My doctor forbids me to drink alcohol. (object pronoun)

~~My doctor forbids to drink alcohol.~~
My doctor forbids the drinking of alcohol. (okay)

Anonymous2. Please explain me the following. Murphy's grammar explains that "recommend" can be used with verb+object+to. His example is "I wouldn't recommend anybody to stay in the hotel". Another grammar book says that "some verbs, like consider and recommend, are followed by to-infinitive only when used in the passive or with an OBJECT PRONOUN.". My question is whether I can use a noun in such a structure.

I personally would not use "I wouldn't recommend anybody to stay in the hotel". However, I'm always willing to bow to Murphy's Law.

Some people consider alcohol to be poisonous. I recommend straight Bourbon to be washed down with a bit of water.
I'm confident that the first one is okay, but the second one may venture into a grey area.

Perhaps "to be" is not the best example of an infinitive with which to answer your question. It might be interpreted as some other form.

I consider beauty to take precedence over intelligence.??

As an aside, Please explain to me what you just said; and Please explain global warming [to me] are idiomatic.
"Please explain me X." is not.

Admit, forbid, recommend - ing vs to

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