Two pronouns in a row

Question

Why would 'She gave her them' be incorrect apart from the fact that it sounds awkward? Is there any reason why 'She gave them to her' must be the correct form?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

It's not incorrect.

Clive

Cool Breeze · Answer

AnonymousWhy would 'She gave her them' be incorrect apart from the fact that it sounds awkward?

In this case what is "correct" and what is "incorrect" is simply determined by native speakers' usage. Since they avoid placing an indirect object (or anything else, for that matter) between a verb and its object especially when the object is very short, grammarians generally consider your sentence incorrect. This sentence is identical in word order but demonstrates the same thing even more clearly:

She gave all her dozens of friends it.

The longer the object is, the more permissible it is to put something between the verb and the object: I heard there the language of my childhood.

CB

Two pronouns in a row

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