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I found these lyrics interesting.

If I told you that I miss you, would you tell me that you miss me back?

It is not obvious to me the verb that 'back' is modifying. Is it that the other person "misses me back" or would the other person "tell me something back"? Is this even grammatical? I cannot find anything on the web about "doing something back," as in "in return for something."

Thanks.

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    It's an idiomatic but informal usage. Probably originally used in sentences such as "If you hit me then I'll hit you back."
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 19:27
  • @HotLicks Thanks for the comment. Is is grammatically coherent? I found multiple entries for "to hit back" as a verb, but none for "to tell back."
    – frederick99
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 19:40
  • Like I said it's informal, but would be readily understood by a native (US) English speaker.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 20:30

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I think the author has used his poetic license to rephrase "would you tell me back that you miss me"

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    I see. Do you believe it is correct grammatically? Thanks.
    – frederick99
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 19:41
  • Yes, of course. That you miss me is the direct object of tell back, a phrasal verb like look up which can either take the direct object between the verb and the particle, or keep the verb and particle together with the direct object right afterwards. Very ordinary construction, just a little longer and more awkward than usual.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 19:59
  • @JohnLawler A part of my confusion stems from the fact that I couldn't find entries for these verbs - tell back, miss back, etc - in dictionaries. Could you please provide a reference link?
    – frederick99
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 20:06
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    Well, they often won't be in dictionaries. This is a construction with a number of parts, and the phrasal verb is only part of it. It's more the usage of reciprocal behavior with back. It's common to say "A does X to B, and B does Y back to A", whether it's fighting or gifting. The back implies a reciprocality of action and is not part of a simple verb+particle construction.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 22:49
  • Yes, it is grammatically correct and I consider it an extension of "give it back" because love feels better when reciprocated (or loved back).
    – PoopsAndGiggles
    Commented Dec 11, 2020 at 11:38
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Let's analyze the part tell me that you miss me back

tell is a transitive verb here and like transitive verbs are wont to take objects, it takes me as its direct object. So far so good.

What about that you miss me back? What role does it play?

You tell someone something, right? (A lie, truth, etc.)

That something must be a Noun Clause or a Noun Phrase. Thus, that you miss me back has to be a Noun Clause here because it functions as a mini-sentence within a bigger sentence (that is, it has its own Subject and Predicate and carries meaning).

What about the syntax of the Noun Clause itself? Let's see:

As pointed out earlier, it has its own Subject and Predicate— you and miss me back, respectively.

Finally, concentrate on the bit miss me back . Again, the transitive verb- direct object- modifier combo. Clearly, back here modifies the verb miss as it tells us something about the way in which the singer wants to be loved: he wants his love to be reciprocated. Thus, it serves as an adverb.

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  • Dear downvoter, could you also cite the reason for downvoting my answer? Thanks!
    – user405662
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 19:54
  • Thanks for the detailed answer. So "I miss you back" is a grammatically correct response, right? (I was told otherwise by a friend.) Also if 'back' can modify verbs, won't "tell me smth back" be a correct interpretation as well?
    – frederick99
    Commented Dec 10, 2020 at 20:00

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