Absence makes the heart grow fonder

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Anonymous

#264974 Sun, 10 Sep 06 03:07 PM

why is it not "absence makes the heart grows fonder"?

Anonymous

Clive

#264990 Sun, 10 Sep 06 03:47 PM

Hi,

why is it not "absence makes the heart grows fonder"? Because 'grow' here is the simple or bare infinitive. What we are saying is "absence makes the heart to grow fonder", except we omit the 'to'.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (23,116)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

rvw

#265080 Sun, 10 Sep 06 06:44 PM

I would add a footnote.

Makes means compels. Then: absence compels the heart to grow fonder. The heart is in the objective case, as can be seen if a personal pronoun is substituted: absence compels him to grow fonder. But him is still considered to be the subject of the infinitive phrase him to grow fonder.

Looking at it from a different angle, the core meaning of the sentence is absence makes [compels] the heart. How or in what way does it compel the heart? To grow fonder, which may be thought of as an infinitive phrase modifying makes.

rvw

Joined on Sun, Nov 28 2004

Woodstock, Georgia, USA

Full Member (350)

Nouns, Pronouns

Cool Breeze

#265099 Sun, 10 Sep 06 07:23 PM

Clive has given you the right answer. As an aside, I would like to point out that although make takes a plain/bare infinitive (infinitive without to) in the active voice, in a passive sentence to must be used:

It made me smile.
They were made to do it.

Actually, after a verb in the passive voice, to is never omitted.

Cheers
CB