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Mr. Tom Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Pull surprises at someone
Hi
Would you say that both sentences sound equally correct and natural?
Would you say that both sentences sound equally correct and natural?
1) He likes to pull surprises at me.
2) He likes to pull surprises on me.
Thanks,
Tom
Top answer
Hi Tom Your first sentence sounds unnatural to me. Your second sentence sounds OK. The sentence suggests to me that the surprises you refer to are probably unpleasant or undesired.
- Hi Tom Your first sentence sounds unnatural to me.
- Your second sentence sounds OK.
- The sentence suggests to me that the surprises you refer to are probably unpleasant or undesired.
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4 Answers
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Hi Tom
Your first sentence sounds unnatural to me.
Your second sentence sounds OK. The sentence suggests to me that the surprises you refer to are probably unpleasant or undesired.
Your first sentence sounds unnatural to me.
Your second sentence sounds OK. The sentence suggests to me that the surprises you refer to are probably unpleasant or undesired.
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My opinion is that "pull" and "surprises" just don't go together. Use of the preposition sounds strange to.
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Mr. Tom1) He likes to pull surprises at me.Neither one sounds natural.
2) He likes to pull surprises on me.
Maybe you mean "He likes to play jokes on me." or "He likes to surprise me."
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I would agree that "pull a surprise on someone" is not a typical collocation itself, but I really see no reason to dismiss that wording completely. After all, the expression "pull (something) on someone" is not at all unusual.
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