Offer + O + to inf

Question

Hello,I'd like to ask about ' sentence pattern including verb offer'.They  offered   me   to  do  the  job. (?)  orI  was  offered  to  do  the  job.  (?)I think the two sentences are not  grammatical :     1.  offer + Object   = OK     2.  offer + IO + DO  = OK     3.  offer + O + to infinitive  = X or ?Can  anyone  help me?Good day!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

I'm not sure which of these two meanings you are asking about.
Do you understand the difference?

1. They offered the job to Tom.
2. They offered Tom to Fred, to do the job (that Fred needed help with).

Both of your sentences sound to me like you are trying to express meaning #2. Is that true?

Clive

TasmanTiger · Answer

I'm asking about how to use 'offer'.

I was offered to do the job.

= They offered me to do the job.

Do you think this sentence is correct, relating to usage of 'offer'?

Am I understood?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Your sentences are correct grammar.
I was trying to find out if you knew their correct meaning.

You're welcome.
Clive

TasmanTiger · Answer

They / offered / me / the job. OK

= S / V / IO /DO

They / offered /me / to do the job. (?)

=S / V / IO / DO

In this sentence, 'to do the job' is placed as 'Direct Object'.

Is it possible?

I think 'to do' should be deleted in order to cerrect grammatically.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

They / offered / me / the job. OK

= S / V / IO /DO

They / offered /me / to do the job. (?)

=S / V / IO / DO

In this sentence, 'to do the job' is placed as 'Direct Object'.

Is it possible?

I think 'to do' should be deleted in order to cerrect grammatically.This sentence is correct as written. The problem is that you do not understand the meaning of this sentence. You think you do, but you don't. That's why I tried to discuss it with you.

Clive

TasmanTiger · Answer

Oh, I understand what you mean.

The problem is that you do not understand the meaning of this sentence. You think you do, but you don't.

Can you be a little more specific?

CalifJim · Answer

TasmanTigerI'd like to ask about ' sentence pattern including verb offer'.

These are the uses of offer that are commonly in use.

1. offer to do something (for someone)

Karen offered to bring lunch.
James offered to fix the fence for them.

These don't work in the passive, i.e., you can't have

*We were offered to bring lunch by Karen.
*They were offered to fix the fence by James.

2a. offer something to someone
2b. offer someone something

Pete offered a ride to Paul.
Pete offered Paul a ride.

Steve offered a piece of candy to his brother.
Steve offered his brother a piece of candy.

These are OK in the passive, i.e., you can have

Paul was offered a ride (by Pete).
A ride was offered to Paul (by Pete).

Steve's brother was offered a piece of candy.
A piece of candy was offered to Steve's brother.

___________

From the discussion above, I take it that "They offered me to do the job" has some unambiguous meaning, but I don't know what it is. Maybe my brain isn't working well tonight.

CJ

Edit: OK. I just saw Clive's last reply. They made an offer of my time and effort. In other words I would end up doing the job. Like "I offered my daughter to the neighbors to paint their kitchen".

Clive · Answer

Hi,
I wrote this.

I'm not sure which of these two meanings you are asking about.
Do you understand the difference?

1. They offered the job to Tom.
2. They offered Tom to Fred, to do the job (that Fred needed help with).
--------------------

They offered me the job.
This is meaning #1. eg I went to an interview. They gave me the job.

They offered me to do the job.
This is correct, but only in a scenario llike this.
The boss of Dept. A came to my bosses in Dept. B.
He sauid , "I need someone to do a very imprtant job for a week.
My bosses said 'You can borrow Clive for a week'.
They offered me.
They offered me to do the job.
They offered me in order to do the job.
They offered me to the boss of dept. 2 in order to do the job.

Do you understand?
This is not the meaning you intended.
Clive

Khoff · Answer

Clive is saying that "They offered me to do the job" is a correct sentence, but that it does not mean what you probably think it means. It does not mean "They made an offer to me. They offered to do the job (for me)."

"They offered me to do the job" means that one group of people offered the speaker to someone else so that the speaker would do the job for them.
Imagine this scene:
The neighbors wanted help painting their house. My parents were both busy, so they offered me to do the job. (They said to the neighbors, "Our son will do the job for you.")
They (subject) offered me (direct object) (to them = implied indirect object) to do the job (reason).

CalifJim · Answer

khoff"They offered me to do the job" means that one group of people offered the speaker to someone else so that the speaker would do the job for them.

I finally figured that out! But I'm not totally convinced it's grammatical. Is it really grammatical?

In any case it's a stressed direct object pronoun and an infinitive of purpose.

They offered ME ---- to do the job.

The ones I'm familiar with all have unstressed indirect object pronouns representing the recipient of the offer and never an infinitive.

They offered me a suggestion.

-- unless there's an infinitive of purpose tacked on at the end.

They offered the kid a piece of candy to shut him up.

CJ

Edit: No. It's even more complicated than that. One infinitive tells what the person whose services are being offered is going to do; another infinitive (optional) tells why the subject made the offer.

The captain offered his daughter [to marry the Indian chief] (to preserve the peace).
The manager offered his best secretary [to prepare the manuscript for the company president] ( to make himself look good ).
The teacher offered a student [to collect the money for the tickets] (to save himself the trouble).

That first infinitive bothers me.

Offer + O + to inf

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