First, note:
1. Employees thanked the salary increase.
2. Employees thanked the bosses for the salary increase.
Why was the preposition and article “ao” used in the second clause and not in the first?
See that in the first one, employees show gratitude for something that was done (salary increase) in which they benefited. In the second sentence, employees are grateful to someone (bosses) for some reason (salary increase).
The difference is in the regency of the verb “to thank”, which changes according to the verbal transitivity.
The verb to thank can be:
1. Indirect transitive, when followed by the preposition “a” and meaning to be grateful to someone with or without specifying the reason.
The) I thank The God the blessings poured out and not simply: I thank God...
B) He thanked the guests.
ç) He thanked them for their attention.
2. The verb will be direct and indirect transitive when thanking person and thing at the same time: The girl thanked the teacher for the grade.
Use “him” to refer to the person and “o, a, os, as” for thing: Received the medal, then thanked the coach.
The coach helped the athlete win the tournament. So she thanked him for his commitment.
3. Direct transitive when expressing gratitude for something (action, object):
The) He thanked you for the invitation.
B) The politician thanks the votes.
ç) The girl thanked her for the gift she received.
IMPORTANT:
never say: thank you O doctor fur service or The girl thanked The teacher for the grade received, for two reasons: First, because in this case the preposition “a” should be used, as the thanks are given to a person (as explained above). Second, why don't you thank someone per something, therefore, do not use fur or for the.
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By Sabrina Vilarinho
Graduated in Letters
Brazil School Team
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Verbal Doubts - Grammar - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
DUARTE, Vânia Maria do Nascimento. "Thank or thank? "; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/agradecer-ou-agradecer-a.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
