The movie “The Graduate” (1967), which depicts the story of a young person who graduated in the United States during the 1960s, is remembered as a classic coming-of-age film, accompanied by the sweet songs of Simon & Garfunkel, such as ‘Scarborough Fair,’ ‘The Sound Of Silence,’ and ‘Mrs. Robinson,’ popular at the time. A coming-of-age film is an undeniable genre that portrays youth and their concerns, dreams, and growth.
The dilemma of youth is always about finding a balance between enjoying today and investing in tomorrow. The problem is that adults tend to focus on their future, while young people prioritize the romance of today. The following is a conversation between Mr. McGuire, an adult concerned about the future of Benjamin, the protagonist of “The Graduate,” and Benjamin himself.
Mr. McGuire: I just want to say one word to you -just one word.
Ben: Yes sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Ben: Yes I am.
Mr. McGuire: ‘Plastics.’
Ben: Exactly how do you mean?
Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?
Ben: Yes I will. Mr.
McGuire: Shh! Enough said. That’s a deal.
Verbs like “Send” can create expressions like “Just send me a post card” by simply listing two nouns after the verb, indicating ‘to send ~ to someone.’ However, there might be occasions where one wants to emphasize ‘what’ over ‘who,’ perhaps due to a greater interest in the object (what) than the person (who). The issue arises when the object (direct object) is placed before, as merely listing the nouns cannot convey the meaning of ‘to’ (to someone).
S + V + (who + what) O
S + V + (what + who) X
For example, saying “Send a post card me!” would incorrectly imply “Send me to the post card.” Therefore, when ‘what’ comes before ‘who,’ a preposition must be used to perform the same role as the Korean particle ‘~에게’ (to).
Continuing with the example, instead of “Send a post card me!” it should be corrected to “Send a post card to me” by using the preposition ‘to.’ In fact, some verbs can only be used in such expressions. These include verbs that imply speaking or conveying, like “say.”
Verbs such as explain, announce, suggest, propose, prove, describe, confess, introduce, hope, demand, say, insist, speak, talk.
Such verbs can be used with prepositions to form sentences.
S + V + (what + <전치사+who>)
Tony Montana: Okay Sosa; You wanna play games? Okay, I play with you; come on. Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend! SCARFACE: 1983)>
Joseph Donnelly: I tried to prove myself to you, But I know nothing of Books, or Alphabets, or Sun, or Moon, or… All I know is Joseph Loves Shannon. <Far and Away (1992)>
While the expression ‘to someone’ is commonly conveyed using ‘to,’ some verbs have their own preferred prepositions.
Maria: How on Earth did you get up here?
Leisel: It’s how we always get in here to play tricks on the governess. <The Sound of Music, 1965>
As seen in the example above, verbs with a strong negative connotation such as bestow, confer, impose, inflict, play, which imply ‘to impose something on someone,’ use ‘on’ instead of ‘to.’ Additionally, verbs that mean ‘to demand something from someone,’ like ask, beg, demand, desire, inquire, require, use ‘of.’ Verbs implying ‘to do something for the sake of someone,’ such as buy, make, get, order, prefer the preposition ‘for.’
Conversely, verbs like envy, forgive, pardon, spare, grudge, save emphasize the person (who) over the object (what). It’s about forgiving a person, not the crime; envying a person, not their success. With such verbs, the object (what) cannot precede the person (who). For instance, “I envy your youth to you” is incorrect. It illustrates that the expression ‘something to someone’ cannot be used in this context.
Wizard: I envy you your youth. Go out and get laid. Get drunk, you know, do anything. <Taxi Driver – 1976>
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