0
Azargramma Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Sentence: too...for...to

For sentence structure too+adj+for sb.+ to V...
Can I exchange the positions of "for sb." and "to V"?

This tea is too hot for me to drink.

Can I change the positions and make it become

This tea is too hot to drink for me.

Thank you.
  

Top answer

This tea is too hot for me to drink. -- this word order is natural This tea is too hot to drink for me. -- this is a sentence that seems to work better in speech, when the intonation makes it clearer that "drink for me" is not a phrase.

— GPY

  • This tea is too hot for me to drink.
  • -- this word order is natural This tea is too hot to drink for me.
  • -- this is a sentence that seems to work better in speech, when the intonation makes it clearer that "drink for me" is not a phrase.
  • When written down, it could possibly benefit from some punctuation, but it is not the easiest sentence to punctuate.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

6 Answers
0
This tea is too hot for me to drink. -- this word order is natural

This tea is too hot to drink for me. -- this is a sentence that seems to work better in speech, when the intonation makes it clearer that "drink for me" is not a phrase. When written down, it could possibly benefit from some punctuation, but it is not the easiest sentence to punctuate.
0
0
Thank you, GPY.

Are they both correct grammatically in writing?
0
0
BTW, do they mean the same thing?
0
0
azargrammaCan I change the positions and make it become This tea is too hot to drink for me.
In my opinion this is not at all a good idea. I recommend against it.

The grammatical structure is a FOR ... TO ... clause, not a TO ... FOR ... clause. The word "for" introduces this type of non-finite clause.

In a finite clause the subject comes
0
0
Can I use too adj for everyone to verb
Or too adj for no one to verb?
0
0
AnonymousCan I use too adj for everyone to verb Or too adj for no one to verb?
Do you mean that no one can do it? in that case you need "too adj for anyone to verb".
0

Related Questions