Grammar Patrol: Forbidden Fruit

[ellenkushner]

What is with this forbade from? Isn't it forbade to?

I hear/see it all the time now - on NPR, in a recent (excellent) story in the NYTimes, even on Neil Gaiman's blog! It's (mis?)used most often in the past tense: "They forbade them from landing on the beach." Isn't it "They they forbade them to land..."? Move it to the imperative and it becomes clearer: surely it's "I forbid you to open that door!" - not "I forbid you from opening that door!"

Is this a language elision, a regionalism, or what?

Comments

[calimac.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, -everybody- has -that- problem. It's best not to try to proof your own work until it's sat so long you forgot you wrote it.