Timeline for Can the verb "gain" take two complements?
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| Aug 13, 2021 at 19:26 | comment | added | Edwin Ashworth | It's rather more complex (as usual). I'm trying to find a restriction on DOs with two-object verbs. 'Take' can be ditransitive but not I'd say not benefactive ('Take him a drink, would you?' but 'Take a mac for me, would you?') | |
| Sep 17, 2015 at 13:11 | comment | added | 2016pass | wow guys i really appreciate your explanation. I understand it clearly! Since I've usually learned grammar not by natural communication but by memorizing rules, i did not know gain can be used like that. I learned a lot from you | |
| Sep 17, 2015 at 12:45 | comment | added | RegDwigнt | Here is an in-depth explanation. The term is Dative Alternation, and the executive summary is: X can gain Y Z, because Y will wind up owning Z by virtue of X's gaining it. If that were not the case, it would indeed be ungrammatical. | |
| Sep 17, 2015 at 12:39 | comment | added | tchrist♦ | @2016pass Then you may be looking at this wrong, because one can apply datives of interest to many and perhaps most transitive verbs to indicate the person benefiting from the action. Sing me a song, build me a house, call me a taxi, play me a new one, write me a letter. | |
| Sep 17, 2015 at 12:29 | history | answered | tchrist♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |