0
Perfect Stranger Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Vocab: promise to?

Dear Users,

Which one is correct:

I wish I could promise you the world, but I can't even promise that myself.
I wish I could promise you the world, but I can't even promise that to myself.
I wish I could promise to you the world, but I can't even promise that myself.

I wish I could promise to you the world, but I can't even promise that to myself.



Is there a rule behind it?


Thanks

  

Top answer

"promise that to myself" seems clearer, to avoid any confusion with emphatic use of the reflexive pronoun (or you could say "promise myself that"). "promise to you the world" feels like a less usual literary or poetic word order. "promise the world to you" would be the usual order when "to" is included.

— GPY

  • "promise that to myself" seems clearer, to avoid any confusion with emphatic use of the reflexive pronoun (or you could say "promise myself that").
  • "promise to you the world" feels like a less usual literary or poetic word order.
  • "promise the world to you" would be the usual order when "to" is included.
  • " I expect something signficantly easier to fulfill.
  • I'm not sure that delivering oneself the world is any easier than delivering it to someone else, so the overall concept of the sentence does not really work for me.
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.

2 Answers
0
"promise that to myself" seems clearer, to avoid any confusion with emphatic use of the reflexive pronoun (or you could say "promise myself that").

"promise to you the world" feels like a less usual literary or poetic word order. "promise the world to you" would be the usual order when "to" is included.

After "can't even ..." I expect something signficantly easier to fulfill. I'm
0
0
Perfect StrangerIs there a rule behind it?
Two rules actually.

1. Your choice is "promise X to Y" or "promise Y X". The form "promise to Y X" is too rare to be useful.

Give the money to me. / Give me the money. / Give to me the money.

2. The structures must be parallel. "to you" goes with "to myself"; "you" goes
0

Related Questions