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Question

Here are some verbs with my guesses on their prepositions. Could someone please verify?

kick him in his face

punch him in his face

stab him in his back

shot him in his back

bite him on his ear

lick him on his ear

touch him on his nose

Note: I'm aware that the common usage prefers not to use prepositions, for example, punch his face, lick his ear.

Thanks in advance!

Whl626 · Accepted Answer

Yeah, bite his ear sounds more straighforward <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Yankee · Answer

New2grammarHere are some verbs with my guesses on their prepositions. Could someone please verify?

kick him in the face

punch him in the face

stab him in the back

shot him in the back

bite him on the ear

lick him on the ear

touch him on the nose

Note: I'm aware that the common usage prefers not to use prepositions, for example, punch his face, lick his ear.

Thanks in advance!

Your prepositions are fine.

However, in combination with 'him' (as in your phrases), we'd usually use 'the' rather than the possessive adjective 'his'.

New2grammar · Answer

Amy, I believe native speakers would say "punch them in the face", "kick them in the ***" with face and *** in singular. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!

Yankee · Answer

Hi N2G

That would depend on how many of something were hit. Obviously, a person has only one face, one nose, one mouth, one gut, etc., so it is only possible to strike one of those on any single person.

However, it is possible to use the plural when referring to a part of the body that we have more than one of, when two or more of those parts were hit/affected:

The teacher boxed the boy's ears. (i.e. both ears)
The attacker kicked him repeatedly in the legs. (i.e. the attacker kicked both of his legs)
The mugger got sprayed in the eyes with pepper spray. (i.e. both eyes)

New2grammar · Answer

Let say I saw John punched two burglars in the face, each getting punched at least once. Is it correct to say, "John punched them in the face" or only the plural faces is correct?

Yankee · Answer

I'd stick with the singular, N2G:  John punched two burglars in the face. (i.e. John punched each of the two burglars in the face.)

Kooyeen · Answer

Humm, interesting...
He punched them in the face (not "faces").
I think it is idiomatic that way, more or less like:
Put a period at the end of those sentences (you don't say "at the ends", right?)

New2grammar · Answer

I agree with you, Kooyeen.

What do you think about the following:

1. The end of those sentences is a period.

2. There are periods at the end of those sentences.

3. The ends of those sentences are periods.

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