I am afraid for you to do/of you to do

Question

1. I am afraid for you to wake my parents.
2. I am desirous for you to pass the exam.

3. I am afraid of you to wake my parents.
4. I am desirous of you to pass the exam.

I'd like to know whether #1 and #2 are right or #3 and #4 are right.

Thank you in advance for your help.

GPY · Accepted Answer

These are all wrong or unnatural. In the first case you probably mean "I am afraid (that) you will wake my parents". I can't think of a way to express the other sentence in natural modern English using the word "desirous". Say it another way, such as "I hope you pass the exam".

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you GPY for your very valuable answer.

1. It is difficult for us to pass the exam.
= 2. The exam is difficult for us to pass.
3. It is easy for me to please her.
= 4. She is easy for me to please.

In such structures we can replace "dummy it" with an object of to-infinitive phrase used as object of a certain adjective, we can use "for sb/sth" the subject of to-infinitive.
So, I'd like to know whether in such structures we can't replace "dummy it" with an object of to-infinitive phrase,
we can't use "for sb/sth" the subject of to-infinitive.

be ready to do
be liable to do
be apt to do
be anxious to do
be desirous to do
be keen to do
be eager to do
be afraid to do
be free to do
be quick to do
be slow to do
be reluctant to

GPY · Answer

park sang joonSo, I'd like to know whether in such structures we can't replace "dummy it" with an object of to-infinitive phrase,we can't use "for sb/sth" the subject of to-infinitive.

I can't properly understand this. Are you asking about transformations like the following?

"The report is ready for you to read" -> "It is ready for you to read the report"

Are you asking whether such transformations work with any of the list of adjectives "ready", "liable", "apt", etc.?

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you GPY for your continuing to answer.

I can't properly understand this. Are you asking about transformations like the following?

"The report is ready for you to read" -> "It is ready for you to read the report"

Are you asking whether such transformations work with any of the list of adjectives "ready", "liable", "apt", etc.?

YES.
I'd like to know adjectives possible to use the structure "Subject + be + for sb/sth + to do."

GPY · Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know adjectives possible to use the structure "Subject + be + for sb/sth + to do."

There is no adjective mentioned in that structure. Are you are asking about the pattern "Subject + be + adj. + for sb/sth + to verb"? There are at least two uses of this pattern:

1. "subject" can logically be made the object of "verb", e.g. "The exam is difficult for us to pass" (-> "pass the exam") or "The report is ready for you to read" (-> "read the report").

2. "verb" is intransitive, e.g. "He is anxious for you to come".

Are you asking about either? Are you including or excluding cases where "subject" is "situational/anticipatory it", e.g. "It is appropriate for me to come"?

If you could clarify the scope and intent of your question, that would be useful.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you GPY for your kindness and continuing to answer.

I think I know the adjectives belong to category one.
These adjectives are easy, hard, difficult, tough, impossible, convenient, dangerous, delight, pleasant, and so on.
Am I right?
So, I'd like to know adjectives belong to category two.

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonI think I know the adjectives belong to category one.These adjectives are easy, hard, difficult, tough, impossible, convenient, dangerous, delight, pleasant, and so on.

Correct. Linguists say that these can undergo "tough-movement".

park sang joonSo, I'd like to know which adjectives belong to category two.

Oof! Who knows? I don't think there's a list.

I have to leave now, but I'll check around and see what I can find for later, or maybe tomorrow.

You might know this already, but take a look at this link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tough_movement

CJ

GPY · Answer

park sang joonSo, I'd like to know adjectives belong to category two.

Not many, I don't think. However, I think the category may have blurry edges, or be in need of more precise definition, since "for" can connect phrases in different ways. For example, is "for" in "A car is necessary for me to get to work" semantically the same as "for" in "He is anxious for you to come"? I would say not since the latter means "He is anxious that you should come" whereas "A car is necessary that I should get to work" doesn't work. Also, you did not say whether you want to include cases like "It is appropriate for me to come".

I am afraid for you to do/of you to do

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