關於片語動詞裡up的用法，建議一定要去讀 Lindner (1981) 的博論 A lexico-semantic analysis of English verb-particle constructions with OUT and UP。這篇是非常有名的論文，裡頭有用語意學的方式分類並解釋片語動詞的up用法。你提到的give up，Lindner把它解釋成completive-up，也就是說，這裡的up是表「完全」的意思。至於為何up可以表示「完全」，是因為這是從另外一個「goal-up」延伸出來，而這個goal-up的原理，Lindner用Trajector (TR)和Landmark (LM)兩個概念去講，是她這篇論文最津津樂道的部份，非常值得一看。整篇論文並不會寫得太艱澀，如果太抽象，簡單來說可以這樣聯想give up：因為是「把一個原本自己的東西『完全給出去了』」，所以才表示「放棄」。
確實是這樣，雖然大部份情況都可通用，但有些時候表達的意義其實有不少差別。 讀書那時英文老師舉出了一個經典的例子。 money is important to me這說法代表你很重視金錢，但是你其實並沒有很逼切的需求。 而money is important for me則是你很拮据，或者有急需金錢去付的帳。
Both are correct, but they have different meanings. “This is important to me” means that something has personal significance or value to you. “This is important for me” means that something is necessary for you to achieve a goal or objective
There are too many ways to construct sentences for this rule to really work universally. For example "This is a car to me" (I think this thing looks like a car) vs. "This is a car for me" (I want to have this car) "This shirt looks too big to me" (I think this shirt is designed too big) vs. "This looks too big for me" (I think this shirt is too big to fit me) I think it would be better to interpret "to me" as an indication of motion, emphasizing that the subject is an arms-length concept being brought -to- my attention. Whereas "for me" indicates possession and emphasizes that the subject is intended -for- some particular intention that I have.
This is important to/for me 的分別可以看以下例句： Being polite is important to me 聽到上句，理解會是說話者覺得有禮是一件重要的事情，我會感覺這是他評價他人的主要標準。 Being polite is important for me 聽到上句，理解也是說話者覺得有禮是一件重要的事情，但我會覺得他的意思是有禮在他的工作和事業是重要的要素。
我的理解： 介詞的功能是將前述狀態「介紹給」其後的名詞(動名詞)，即令他們產生關聯； 其中， to 偏「主觀」上的關聯，for 偏「客觀」上的關聯。 另外，for 與 fore 有關(呈獻面前貌)；to 與 do 有關(甚至有發音也一樣)。 於是，to 為助詞時指動作的發生(如不定詞)， to 為介詞時相當於 toward(s) 的通俗用字。 註：雖然沒聽過有人將不定詞的to視為助詞，但我真覺得它就是助詞 do 的變形； do 動詞可替代前述動作，可在問句中輔助動作，因此以 to 來引導動作的發生也很合理。 由於 to 既是介詞也是助詞，這讓 to 有別於其它介詞只能接(動)名詞， 於是，to 既能關聯名詞也能關聯動作，關聯名詞時如同其它介詞； 關聯動作時，接原形動詞(即不定詞)，著重於動作「是否發生」； 接動名詞時，則表示該動作處於「客觀、主動或進行中」狀態。
介詞的 to 有指向性，for 是擺在眼前。 以 look to (for) 為例： look to 就是盯著某個目標， 建物 look to (東南西北)，指建物朝向； 亦可表示盯著某人某物，表示得多留意， He's regularly looked to for advice. (被動式) 呈現畫面：他頻頻被一堆人盯著他討要建議。 上例的 to 可以省略，不過就失去「盯著看」的意象了。 這讓我聯想到，中文的「走去，走過，走過去」， 是否類似於英文的「walk to, walk over, walk over to」？ 似乎就差別在一些無關緊要的動作交待罷了！
@@jobo0115 walk to (有指目的地性). 例如: You can walk to school in ten minutes. walk over (一般來說使用 walk across) 例如: You can walk across the bridge (or street). 小心使用 walk over 千萬別說: I can walk over you (him or her). 有指不尊重性. walk over to (有指經過小空間性). 例如: Could you please walk over to Mike and hand him this book?
想請問一下，google搜數學術語「a basis to V」或「a basis for V」得到的結果都很多（翻譯過來都是「空間V的一個基底」例如三度空間的基底就是xyz三個）。這兩者可有語感上的差異？改搜「a basis for the space」也還有，「a basis to the space」就少得多。何以有此差別？
As a frequent English user, preposition is still quite a confusing part to me! You see, English is not some scientific subjects namely Physics, Math... so there is not always a fixed logic behind a certain applications... or combinations for that matter, so there are many exceptions to those grammatical stuffs, hence the only way to get better at it is to USE IT MORE, SPEAK MORE especially! And I am still working on my English on daily basis! Cheers!
