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Ansonguy Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Comment on or about someone

I always have trouble with prepositions. I am going to make up two similar sentences below.

(1) comment as a noun

(ex) Mary always makes negative comments on or about John.

(2) comment as a verb

(ex) Mary always comments on or about John negatively.

Some of my friends and I think that it should be "on". My other friends say that it should be "about" because "on" works only with "on something". In my opinion, "on" sounds better with the word "comment".

Please help us. Thanks a lot.

  

Top answer

ansonguy 1) comment as a noun(ex) Mary always makes negative comments on or about John. about ansonguy (2) comment as a verb(ex) Mary always comments on or about John negatively. about We comment on situations, actions, conditions, statements.

— Mister Micawber

  • ansonguy 1) comment as a noun(ex) Mary always makes negative comments on or about John.
  • about ansonguy (2) comment as a verb(ex) Mary always comments on or about John negatively.
  • about We comment on situations, actions, conditions, statements.
  • '
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3 Answers
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ansonguy1) comment as a noun(ex) Mary always makes negative comments on or about John.

about

ansonguy(2) comment as a verb(ex) Mary always comments on or about John negatively.

about

We comment on situations, actions, conditions, statements. In (2), you could 'comment on J

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I agree with your other friends. We don't naturally say 'on' with a person.

We don't say

eg Mary always makes comments on John.

eg) Mary always comments on John.

But note that we do say

eg Mary always makes comments on John's behaviour / intelligence / mistakes.

eg) Mary always comments on John's behaviour / intelligence / mistakes.


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