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Terr3 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I don't mean you any harm

Hi!

'I don't mean you any harm', I have to say I can't see the grammar in this, if its correct, can anyone please explain it to me? The verb 'mean' should be followed by the prospect meaning right? 'mean' in here has the same meaning as 'intent', so 'I don't intent you any harm' should also be correct, but shouldn't it be 'I don't intent to do you any harm'? Note: it's a line from a TV show I'm watching.

-Terr
  

Top answer

Hi Terr, It's idiomatic.

— BarbaraPA

  • Hi Terr, It's idiomatic.
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6 Answers
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Hi Terr,

It's idiomatic.
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Terr3 Hi!

'I don't mean you any harm', I have to say I can't see the grammar in this, if its correct, can anyone please explain it to me? The verb 'mean' should be followed by the prospect meaning right? 'mean' in here has the same meaning as 'intent', so 'I don't intent you any harm' should also be correct, but shouldn't it be 'I don't intent to do you any h
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Terr3 Hi!

'I don't mean you any harm', I have to say I can't see the grammar in this ......
Compare:

I don't mean you any harm.

I don't bring you any trouble.

He didn't give me any beverage.

(Well, I hope I haven't just inventeda comparability. Not sure.
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No, you're not inventing things, but the use of the verb mean bitransitively is so unusual that the sentence with any harm is one of only very few possibilities. In other words, it's the same grammatical pattern as He didn't give me any beverage, but has many fewer choices for varying it.

He didn't give me any [.......... thousands of possibilities ...
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CalifJim......

......

When the choices become so limited, we tend just to say that it's an idiom.

Received and learned!

Thank you very much![C]

Maple

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Hi Philip!

I take it as 'I don't intend you any harm' is simply wrong. As a matter of fact, 'mean ... any harm' this is one whole idiom.

Hi CalifJim!

From your given examples, it seems to me that using 'mean' in this grammaric form is limited only followed by several negative behaviors, although I'm not certain if positive ones could involve. Examples:

I don't
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