served him to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "served him to" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to describe the act of serving someone something, but it lacks clarity and context. Example: "The waiter served him to the table, where he could enjoy his meal."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

His reason for abandoning it was fear that his eyesight was failing; yet his eyes, although they troubled him, served him to the end of his life.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Procne takes revenge by killing the son whom she has with Tereus and serving him to his father for dinner.

The New Yorker

Or perhaps it serves him to regard himself in the third person, as a character for whom he can script any line — and any reality.

The New Yorker

Ovid tells us that Zeus cast his son Tantalus into the underworld for killing Pelops, Tantalus' son, and serving him to the gods as a main course.

Forbes

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German comedian under investigation by prosecutors for mocking Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday of "filleting" him and serving him to a despot for tea in his first public comments since the row broke.

Huffington Post

He calls us to serve Him.

WikiHow

By novel's end, Savitri has returned home to her husband, to serve him as before.

The New Yorker

I had to get a private investigator in the end, and they were trying to serve him with a restraining order, but they couldn't find him to actually serve him the paperwork.

Vice

To reverence God as our maker, striving to serve Him in all things.

WikiHow

Each person had the right to decide what God was and how best to serve him.

The New Yorker

The priest declined to serve him Communion.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "served him to". Instead, use the simpler and more grammatically correct "served him" or rephrase to clarify the intended meaning, such as "served it to him" if referring to food or drink.

Common error

A common mistake is adding the preposition "to" unnecessarily after "served". The verb "serve" often directly takes an object (e.g., "served him dinner"). Adding "to" can create an awkward or ungrammatical sentence. So always ask yourself if the sentence is correct and means what you want to express if you remove the "to".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "served him to" functions as a verb phrase where "served" is the verb, "him" is the indirect object, and "to" is a preposition that does not correctly connect to the rest of the sentence. As Ludwig highlights, the construction is generally considered incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "served him to" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig indicates that it doesn't convey a clear meaning in written English. A more accurate and common alternative is "served him", or a rephrased sentence. While sources like The Guardian and The New Yorker may use it, the construction remains awkward and should be avoided in formal writing. It is better to use alternative phrases such as "provided to him" or "delivered to him" for increased clarity. Because of the grammatical error the use of "served him to" is rare.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

served him

Omits the preposition "to", resulting in a more grammatically standard construction for indicating service or assistance.

provided to him

Replaces the verb "served" with "provided", emphasizing the act of giving something.

delivered to him

Focuses on the action of bringing something to the person.

offered to him

Emphasizes the act of presenting something for acceptance or rejection.

presented to him

Highlights a formal introduction or offering.

gave him

A simpler construction using the verb "give" to denote providing something.

supplied him with

Indicates the act of furnishing or equipping someone with something needed.

catered to him

Highlights satisfying someone's needs or desires.

waited on him

Implies providing attentive service.

attended to him

Suggests taking care of his needs or concerns.

FAQs

What does "served him to" mean?

The phrase "served him to" is generally considered grammatically incorrect or awkward. It's more common and correct to say "served him" or rephrase the sentence for clarity. For example, instead of "served him the food to", you would say "served him the food".

Is "served him to" grammatically correct?

No, "served him to" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. A more acceptable construction would be "served him", or a rephrased version such as "served it to him".

What are some alternatives to "served him to"?

Instead of "served him to", you can use phrases like "served him", "provided him with", or "delivered it to him" depending on the intended meaning.

How can I use "serve" correctly in a sentence?

To use "serve" correctly, ensure the direct object clearly follows the verb. For example, "The waiter served him dinner" is correct. Avoid adding unnecessary prepositions like "to" after "serve" when it directly precedes the object. Alternatively, you can say "The waiter served the dinner to him" if you want to emphasize what was served.