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Marian Nedelcu Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

Reveal

Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

We asked them to reveal us teir secrets?
  

Top answer

Not correct. You cannot reveal people. You can only reveal things.

— Karansardana

  • Not correct.
  • You cannot reveal people.
  • You can only reveal things.
  • We asked them to reveal their secrets to us.
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8 Answers
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Not correct. You cannot reveal people. You can only reveal things. We asked them to reveal their secrets to us.
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But how can I say when I want to reveal something to someone?
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Marian NedelcuBut how can I say when I want to reveal something to someone?
You reveal it to them.
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Just as he said: You reveal something to someone.
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But why can not I exchange the place of direct and indirect object?

I reveal them this thing.
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Some verbs work that way. Some don't.

You can say that you wrote a letter to your sister or that you wrote your sister a letter.
You can say that you recommended a book to your friend, but not that you recommended your friend a letter.
You can say you revealed the secret to them, but not that you revealed them the secret.

You will usually be safe if you put the direct ob
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Marian NedelcuBut why can not I exchange the place of direct and indirect object?I reveal them this thing.
"Reveal" doesn't work that way. You can show them something, and you can give them something, but you can't reveal them it, expose them it, or unveil them it. The word immediately following the verb sometimes takes the force of the verb according to its s
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Marian NedelcuBut why can not I exchange the place of direct and indirect object?I reveal them this thing.
Reveal is not in the class of verbs (ditransitive verbs) which take two objects.
With this verb, you have to use the prepositional phrase with "to."

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