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JungKim Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

The book is difficult for you to understand (it).

Here's a sentence: It is difficult for you to understand the book.
Its meaning is obvious, so I don't think I need to provide a context.

In order to convey basically the same idea but use the book as the subject this time, I have the following sentence:
The book is difficult for you to understand.

Now, is it possible to add "it" referring to "the book" at the end as follows?
The book is difficult for you to understand it.
  

Top answer

JungKim The book is difficult for you to understand it. No. " The book is difficult to understand.

— AlpheccaStars

  • JungKim The book is difficult for you to understand it.
  • No.
  • " The book is difficult to understand.
  • (Subject = book, complement = difficult to understand) If you switch the complement and subject: To understand the book is difficult.
  • (Subject = "to understand the book", complement = "difficult") Note that "it" has no place in the transposed sentence.
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8 Answers
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JungKimThe book is difficult for you to understand it.
No. It is wrong to add "it."
The book is difficult to understand. (Subject = book, complement = difficult to understand)
If you switch the complement and subject:
To understand the book is difficult. (Subject = "to understand the book", complement = "difficult")
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JungKimNow, is it possible to add "it" referring to "the book" at the end as follows?The book is difficult for you to understand it.
No, it is simply not acceptable.
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Thanks.
What if I add "too"?
The book is too difficult for you to understand.
The book is too difficult for you to understand it.
Is it still ungrammatical to add "it" at the end?
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JungKimIs it still ungrammatical to add "it" at the end?
What do you think? Is this a good sentence?
To understand it the book is too difficult.
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JungKimThe book is too difficult for you to understand it.Is it still ungrammatical to add "it" at the end?
Interesting. Not the best English but that does sound like a common informal utterance when you add 'too'.
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Mister MicawberInteresting. Not the best English but that does sound like a common informal utterance when you add 'too'.
Thanks. But if you take out 'for you', does it still work even in an informal setting?
The book is too difficult to understand.
The book is too difficult to understand it.
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JungKim But if you take out 'for you', does it still work even in an informal setting?The book is too difficult to understand.The book is too difficult to understand it.
Now 'it' sounds bad again. How curious!
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Mister MicawberNow 'it' sounds bad again. How curious!
Thanks for confirming that.
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