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Nightedge Jul 21st, 2015 12:51 pm

save me from
 
-Spread the word, save your teacher from (is from optional?)emails.

In dictionaries I don't find example sentences using from; but is my sentence wrong?

susan53 Jul 24th, 2015 08:50 am

Re: save me from
 
To save something and to save someone/something from someone/something are two different constructions and involve two different meanings of the verb save.

To save something means to keep or retain something - eg

She's trying to save money
She saved the file on her computer

To save someone/something from someone/something
, on the other hand, means to protect or rescue someone/something from someone/something :

The phone rang and saved me from needing to reply immediately.
They raised enough money to save the house from demolition but not to renovate it.
A man was saved from drowning in Eyemouth harbour on Saturday.


In your sentence, presumably the teachers have been bombarded with unnecessary and time-consuming emails when the information required is readily available on the internet or something - so it would be the second meaning (protect/rescue) and from is obligatory. The text would read something like :

Full information on XXX is available at http//:etcetc. Spread the word, and save your teacher from emails asking about things you can find on the school website.

You'd need a different context for the first meaning (keep/retain). Eg :

Do you have any non-confidential emails from friends that you could forward to a group of our teachers who are researching the language used in informal messages? If you do and could send them to us, we'd be very grateful. Spread the word - save your teacher emails!

I doubt if that is what is intended in your extract but it is possible. As always, knowing the context of a sentence is essential in order to make definitive statements about language.

Nightedge Jul 24th, 2015 12:22 pm

Re: save me from
 
Excellent answer. Thank you.


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