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Vladv Posted 5 years ago
Grammar

Verbs with two objects

A textbook says that with these verbs the indirect object (usually a person) stands at the end. ( I explained the decision to him) admit, announce, demonstrate,
explain, introduce, mention, point out,
prove, report, say, suggest, propose. Recently I was reading a book and realised that the verb to reveal works in the same pattern ( he revealed his truth to them, he revealed them his truth.) Are there any other verbs not mentioned in the list that can fit into the list?

  

Top answer

Vladv Vladv A textbook says that with these verbs the indirect object (usually a person) stands at the end. ( I explained the decision to him) admit, announce, demonstrate, explain, introduce, mention, point out, prove, report, say, suggest, propose. There are many exceptions to that.

— Rover_KE

  • Vladv Vladv A textbook says that with these verbs the indirect object (usually a person) stands at the end.
  • ( I explained the decision to him) admit, announce, demonstrate, explain, introduce, mention, point out, prove, report, say, suggest, propose.
  • There are many exceptions to that.
  • For example, it's perfectly OK to say 'I admitted to him that I'd lied', 'I mentioned to her that she'd forgotten my birthday', 'I can prove to you that you're wrong' etc.
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4 Answers
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Vladv
VladvA textbook says that with these verbs the indirect object (usually a person) stands at the end. ( I explained the decision to him) admit, announce, demonstrate, explain, introduce, mention, point out, prove, report, say, suggest, propose.

There are many exceptions to that. For example, it's perfectly OK to say 'I admitted

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I can always detect a non-native speaker if they use ditransitive verbs in an odd fashion.

For example: Explain me please. rather than "Explain it to me please."

Use a corpus or dictionary for examples of natural usage.

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VladvA textbook says that with these verbs the indirect object (usually a person) stands at the end. ( I explained the decision to him)

"indirect object" usually refers to e.g. "him" in "I gave him a book". I can't find many (or even any) definitions of "indirect object" that extend it to your pattern with "to ~".

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Vladv,

You need to get yourself a copy of Beth Levin's English Verb Classes and Alternations: A Preliminary Investigation (The University of Chicago Press).

From your posts it seems to me that you are trying to rewrite her book.

Here's what she lists for Non-Alternating Ditransitive Verbs (to Only):

(Primarily Latinate verbs) a

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