rob someone of something
Advanced Chunks – Category 7

Meaning

to take something valuable away from someone by force; figuratively, to deprive

Primary Function

expresses loss or deprivation

Communicative Purpose

to highlight unfair removal of something essential

Pattern

rob ; of

Core Structure

rob ; of

Função primária

expresses loss or deprivation

Propósito comunicativo

to highlight unfair removal of something essential

Situações de gatilho

crime reports, complaints, emotional descriptions

Contextos

legal, everyday conversation, metaphorical expressions

Padrão

rob ; of

Estrutura central

rob ; of

Slots de substituição

person; money, chance, peace, sleep, childhood

Colocados típicos

  • cruelly
  • practically
  • effectively
  • feel robbed of

Substituições comuns

  • deprive of
  • strip of

Erros comuns

using *rob someone from; using direct object for stolen item: *rob his money (incorrect)

Similar / contraste

steal from (object is the thing stolen); deprive of (formal)

Interferências

many languages use verb ‘rob’ with direct object as the item, which is wrong in English

Família do chunk

  • deprive of
  • strip of
  • bereave of
  • cheat out of

Nuance

'rob of' conveys a strong sense of injustice and often used metaphorically (e.g., 'rob of sleep')

Efeito pragmático

creates powerful emotional impact; should be used carefully to avoid overstatement

Dica de memória

The war robbed them of their childhood.

Nota

This chunk is semi-fixed and can be used both literally and metaphorically. The fixed structure 'rob someone of something' is essential, but the objects can vary widely.

Upgrade path

use ‘deprive of’ in formal argumentation

Frequência: MediumFormulaicidade: Semi-fixedTipo de construção: Colligation (verb + object + preposition + noun)Prioridade de aquisição: UnknownPrioridade de output: BothTag de espaçamento: Short-term

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