mean for him to do
 【问】 “The photographer thought he was supposed to arrive after the guests.”
 “But I meant____early. ”
 A. for his coming B. him coming
 C. for him to come D. he would come(TOEFL，75. 2)
 给的正确答案为C(for him to come)。但是我查了许多语法书和词典，只查到mean sb.to do sth.，而没有查到mean for sb. to do sth.。试题是否有误?
 【答】 mean sb. to do sth.是一种标准句型。例如：
 1. I meant a doctor to examine him.=I meant him to be examined by a doctor. (CGEL)
 我曾打算叫医生给他检查身体。
 2. I didn’t mean you to read the letter. (ACD)
 我并没有打算叫你读那封信。
 3. I thought you meant me to come with you. (Maugham)
 我原以为你打算叫我跟你一起去的。
 4. Those flowers were meant for you;I meant you to have them. (LDAE)
 这些花是给你的;我的意思是让你要这些花。
 mean for sb. to do sth.这一结构只见于美国英语：
 1. I didn’t mean for you to tell him.
 我并没有打算叫你把这件事告诉他。
 2. “There’s no evidence at all that she really meant for him to have the property. ”(Lip-man，Point of Law).
 “并没有证据来证明她真的打算叫他拥有这份财产。”
 3. “I never meant for you to know how I got the money. I was going to tell you I’d won thesweepstakes. ”(Lacy，Cone).
 “我从来没有想让你知道我是怎样弄到钱的。我打算告诉你我赢了赛马的总赌金。”但是，有的语言学家(例如Right Words at Right Time的作者们)指出，mean for sb. to do sth.的用法是不标准的。甚至连Longman Dictionary of American English和Oxford AmericanDictionary也没有收入这一用法。
 看来，托福的出题者们采用尚未被普遍认为标准的语言格式mean for sb. to do sth.作为考核项目，似乎是违背了他们只承认标准的正式英语的原则。
 (本条曾在《大学英语》1996年第7期上发表过)