ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: I love you more than money

New2grammar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:09:49 GMT

Thanks, MH, Clive, CB and Tanit.

Tanit, the thread really helps. I just need to get the hang of it. Still doesn't come naturally to me.

Re: I love you more than money

Tanit — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:39:17 GMT

Hi N2G,

I came across this thread, and Clive's post about ambiguity in sentence no.1 made me think of another discussion about sentences like "I love her more than you". (I thought you might be interested in it. If you're not, please skip this post )

Re: I love you more than money

Cool Breeze — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:16:56 GMT

New2grammar
1 I love you more than anyone (loves you)

2 I love you more than money (loves you? This is wrong, IMO but it's commonly said. It should be I love your more than I love money)

Can anyone explain what the second doesn't follow the first construction?

Hi N2G

English is a language of fixed phrases and, theoretically at least, often inexact. One reason for this is a lack of inflections and grammatical forms. Anyone has only two forms, the other being anyone's. If there were an object form, it would be used in the first sentence if anyone were meant to be an object. The same applies to money in the second sentence. Money has no object form. Even though English is inherently ambiguous, English speakers want to understand one another correctly and true misunderstandings rarely occur.

Re: I love you more than money

Clive — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:57:55 GMT

Hi,

1 I love you more than anyone.

2 I love you more than money.

In terms of meaning, only #1 seems ambiguous to me.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: I love you more than money

Marius Hancu — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:03:04 GMT

> I love you more than money (loves you?

No, it means more than I love money

seems natural to me in this sense.

Re: I love you more than money

Marius Hancu — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:39:03 GMT

2: first time I hear it, strange, but then it's also said by Bob Dylan, it seems, so it must be used:-)

--------

Some of the lines are laudatory to the point of triteness ("I love you more than
ever, more than time and more than love"), and "I love you more than money" ..

The Bob Dylan Albums: A Critical Study - Page 114

by Anthony Varesi - Music - 2002

------------

I love you more than money

New2grammar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:19:59 GMT

1 I love you more than anyone (loves you)

2 I love you more than money (loves you? This is wrong, IMO but it's commonly said. It should be I love your more than I love money)

Can anyone explain what the second doesn't follow the first construction?

Thanks!