0

Which sentence is correct?

I have read the books that you had introduced me.

I have read the books that you had introduced to me.

Mohsen
  • 125
  • 2
    I would say "introduced me to". – nnnnnn Jan 17 '20 at 08:06
  • 1
    introduced to me and introduced me to have different shades of meaning, but introduced me to is more common/idiomatic. – Mike Graham Jan 17 '20 at 08:18
  • 2
    @MikeGraham But for those of us old enough still to avoid ending prepositions (split infinitives etc), "the books to which you've introduced me". – WS2 Jan 17 '20 at 09:01
  • Unless you are old enough to live in ancient Rome, I fail to see why you would go with Latinate rules which have never been part of real English grammar. Or, to quote the old witticism, "This is the sort of tedious nonsense up with which I will not put!" – Mike Graham Jan 17 '20 at 09:32
  • @MikeGraham They were the rules I was taught at school, sixty plus years ago - not quite ancient Rome, but it may seem like it. Apart from that, a hanging preposition always seems like ending a sentence mid-flow to me, as though the speaker has run out of breath. – WS2 Jan 17 '20 at 09:37
  • @MikeGraham Shakespeare also used double comparatives and other devices not normally available to writers. He also wrote in a sixteenth-century idiom. You will find many examples elsewhere, including in the AV bible. By all means if one is composing poetry, then avail oneself freely of poetic licence. And fiction writing does open up possibilities. I am only saying how I personally prefer to write modern English prose, which happens to accord with what I was taught. – WS2 Jan 17 '20 at 13:03

1 Answers1

1

Your first sentence is incorrect but your second sentence is absolutely fine :)

Regarding the comments on your question,

... that you had introduced me to

is more idiomatic when speaking. It does, however, mean that you are ending a sentence with a preposition. I would say that it's best to avoid doing that when writing in a more formal context.

LnZ
  • 189
  • 2
    I'm a little troubled by the first sentence. It sort of sounds as if the books have offered me a handshake in response. "Friends you've introduced to me" is fine. I think I would go for "books to which you've introduced me" - or else avoid "introduced" altogether, and say something like "the books you've recommended". – WS2 Jan 17 '20 at 09:09
  • 1
    Agreed. I would probably also go with "the books you recommended". – LnZ Jan 17 '20 at 09:19
  • 1
    But "introduced to me" and "introduced me to" don't mean the same thing. The difference doesn't really matter when introducing people to other people, but I think it does matter when introducing someone to a thing. – nnnnnn Jan 17 '20 at 09:57
  • Please look at the Help Center to familiarise yourself with what is considered to constitute a good answer. Supporting references, linked and attributed, are vastly preferred. Also, the level of English competence required on ELU indicates that this question would fit better on our sister site, ELL. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 17 '20 at 15:28