Is the following grammatical?
Should I send the letter to her?
If it is, then how come that send can also be used without to?
Should I send her the letter?
What about the use of send in a sentence like "It sent her mad"?
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3Should I send the letter to her? is grammatically correct.– DrewOct 24, 2014 at 5:07
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You can also change the order of complements: "Should I send her the letter?"– PeterOct 24, 2014 at 5:24
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1 Answer
In some languages, the noun denoting the 'recipient' of something is frequently in the dative case.
In English, the 'recipient' can be shown in two ways:
As an indirect object, usually preceding the direct object: He sent/gave me the letter;
Following the preposition 'to' following the direct object: He sent/gave the letter to me.
Some pronoun/pronoun and pronoun nouns are less commonly used than others.
Acceptable/Common:
I gave John the letter. I gave the letter to John.
I gave him the letter. I gave the letter to him.
I gave it to John.
I gave it to him.
Doubtful/Less Common:
I gave John it.
I gave him it.
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What about a use of send in a sentence like "It sent her mad"?– Andrew Leach ♦Oct 24, 2014 at 7:17
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In that sentence 'her' is not a recipient. 'Send' here has the meaning of 'cause to become'.– tunnyOct 24, 2014 at 7:34