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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

To vs for

What books can you recommend to/for me?

What shoes can you recommend for/to me?

Are both to and for acceptable
  

Top answer

Both sound all right to my ear. A British guide to prepositions only offers to , though. CB

— Cool Breeze

  • Both sound all right to my ear.
  • A British guide to prepositions only offers to , though.
  • CB
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10 Answers
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Both sound all right to my ear. A British guide to prepositions only offers to, though.

CB
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Here, the preposition 'to' nicely collocates with the pronoun 'me'. 'For' is better to be used when recommending someone for a post, job, etc.: We recommend him for this job.
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AnonymousWhat books can you recommend to/for me?

What shoes can you recommend for/to me?

Are both to and for acceptable?
Both are acceptable, but let me add a comment. The indirect object to me / for me is very frequently omitted with the verb recommend. The following is enough:
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AnonymousWhat books can you recommend to/for me?

What shoes can you recommend for/to me?

Are both to and for acceptable

What books/shoes can you recommend to me? - sounds to me like a plain question in which I'm expecting the other person to recommend something based on their own preference.

What books/shoes can you recommend
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If you don't mind my interrupting, is the preposition necessary at all?

"What books can you recommend me?"

Anton
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Ant_222is the preposition necessary at all?
Yes. I believe you have to have a preposition. recommend me implies recommend me (my services, my talent) to someone else.

I heard there's a new position opening next month in management. I would appreciate it if you would recommend me.

CJ
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CalifJimI believe you have to have a preposition.
I was sure this case was the same as with "to give" and the position of the direct and indirect objects:

«Can you give me this book?» — «Can you give this book to me?», and:
«What book could you give me?»

With «What books can you reco
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Ant_222Now that my understanding is lost, could you tell me if this question is covered by grammar books and what the subject is called?
See

Beth Levin (English Verb Classes and Alternations) puts recommend in the Group 2 listed in that post.

(It's a good book; I'd recommend it.)

CJ
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CalifJimSee Re: Ditransitive Verb (Sentence formation)
This answers my question Emotion: smile

I wo
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Ant_222I wonder why even "learner's" dictionaries do not provide this information
Well, you can't put everything in onebook! How would all the other writers make a living?
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