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Sitifan Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Admit (to) Ving/noun
1. A quarter of all workers admit to taking time off when they are not ill.
2. A quarter of all workers admit taking time off when they are not ill.
3. No organization has admitted to responsibility for the bombing.
4. No organization has admittedresponsibility for the bombing.
#1 and #4 are quoted from a dictionary. Are #2 and #3 also acceptable?
2. A quarter of all workers admit taking time off when they are not ill.
3. No organization has admitted to responsibility for the bombing.
4. No organization has admittedresponsibility for the bombing.
#1 and #4 are quoted from a dictionary. Are #2 and #3 also acceptable?
Top answer
In my opinion, they're all okay. To me, it seems like "to admit" may be transitive or intransitive. On the other hand, a verb like "agree" is only intransitive, so the "to" is required.
- In my opinion, they're all okay.
- To me, it seems like "to admit" may be transitive or intransitive.
- On the other hand, a verb like "agree" is only intransitive, so the "to" is required.
- I agree to these conditions.
- Bad example.
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3 Answers
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In my opinion, they're all okay.
To me, it seems like "to admit" may be transitive or intransitive.
On the other hand, a verb like "agree" is only intransitive, so the "to" is required.
I agree to these conditions.
Bad example. You could use the infinitive: I agree to work your shift.
Well, you could say, "I agree [that] I was not ill."
To me, it seems like "to admit" may be transitive or intransitive.
On the other hand, a verb like "agree" is only intransitive, so the "to" is required.
I agree to these conditions.
Bad example. You could use the infinitive: I agree to work your shift.
Well, you could say, "I agree [that] I was not ill."
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It looks like the secret is that we admit a state/condition, but we admit to an act. However, the "to" is optional.
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