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Paul Evdokimov Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

recommend/suggest + obj + 'that clause'

Hi there,

I'm a bit stunned by the following paragraph on reporting statements from Advanced grammar in use by Martin Hewings:

'After some verbs we can use a 'that-clause' with or without a personal object before the 'that-clause'... If we do include an object, we put a preposition before it.'

The author puts a list of verbs which comply with this rule, 'recommend' and 'suggest' being some of them... (Have a look at the screenshot attached).

I can infer from the foregoing that the following sentences are perfectly grammatical:

(Direct speech: 'I strongly recommend anyone interested to give it a try.') ->He strongly recommended TO anyone interested that they gave it a try.

(Direct speech: 'I suggest that we wait a day or two.') -> He suggested TO us that we waited a day or two.



???
  

Top answer

They are fine. He strongly recommended TO anyone interested that they gave it a try. He suggested TO us that we wait a day or two.

— AlpheccaStars

  • They are fine.
  • He strongly recommended TO anyone interested that they gave it a try.
  • He suggested TO us that we wait a day or two.
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18 Answers
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They are fine.

He strongly recommended TO anyone interested that they gave it a try.
He suggested TO us that we wait a day or two.
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Paul Evdokimov 'I strongly recommend anyone interested to give it a try.'
The pattern "recommend someone to do something" is not good English in my opinion.
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AlpheccaStarsHe suggested TO us that we wait a day or two.
Many speakers of BrE would use 'waited'.
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GPYThe pattern "recommend someone to do something" is not good English in my opinion.
GPY, Oxford dictionaries think otherwise...
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AlpheccaStarsThey are fine.
What about all this fuss about NOT using object pronouns after suggest???

Is it preposition or indirect speech that overturn the general rule?
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Paul EvdokimovGPY, Oxford dictionaries think otherwise...
I find that quite surprising. In the Learners' Dictionary, too, they give the example "We'd recommend you to book your flight early." (http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/engl
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Paul EvdokimovWhat about all this fuss about NOT using object pronouns after suggest???
There is no fuss We just don't use an object pronoun (or noun) after 'suggest'.
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GPYPerhaps some other people could comment on this?
I don't use the construction myself, but it seems to be becoming more acceptable. The ever-reliable Michael Swan (Practical English Usage, 2005.258 ) includes recommend in his list of verbs followed by object + infinitive, He does not include suggest in his list.
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"us" and "we" are coreferential in He suggested to us that we wait a day or two. That in mind, I don't see any reason to add "to us" in that sentence except possibly for emphasis. The question for me involves the possibility, if any, of suggestions to someone not part of the suggestion. ?I suggested to Mary that Tom take a day off. Can "suggest" really work that way?

CJ
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I think it can work. If I am concerned about Tom for some reason, I might say to Mary, his wife:

Have you thought about getting Tom to take a day of?
Why don't you persuade Tom to take a day off?
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