to give to + noun

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Can we use after the verb to give the preposition ’ to’ or is it better off:

e.g.I want to give to my parents a great Christmas present.

Is it correct to use the’ to’ in the passive form?

e.g. The salary has been given to John.

2

“I want to give to my parents a great Christmas present.” – Not natural.*
“I want to give my parents a great Christmas present.” – OK.
“I want to give a great Christmas present to my parents.” – OK.
“I want to give a great Christmas present my parents.” – Wrong.

“The salary has been given to John.” – Grammatically OK. The use of the word “salary” in this exact context seems a little unusual. A more usual example would be “The prize has been given to John”, say.

  • [edited] This structure does not feel natural in conversational sentences about everyday matters, such as this one. However, it is not always forbidden, and can sometimes be used in more formal sentences.
3

Could you tell me which verbs follow this pattern,please?

4

This is not something that one can immediately bring to mind, but I found a list of common examples at learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ … ject-verbs

give
lend
offer
pass
post
read
sell
send
show
promise
tell

5

Thank you so much!