Why is ‘with’ necessary in the sentence ‘Ken was fun to play baseball with two months ago’?

In the sentence ‘Ken was fun to play baseball with two months ago,’ the word ‘with’ is essential because it indicates the companion or the person with whom the action is performed. The phrase ‘fun to play baseball with’ describes the enjoyable experience shared between the speaker and Ken while playing baseball. ‘With’ helps clarify the relationship between the subject (Ken) and the activity (playing baseball).

Understanding the Use of ‘With’

‘With’ is often used in English to show accompaniment or association between two things or people. In this case, it connects ‘Ken’ and the action ‘play baseball.’ Without ‘with,’ the sentence would lose the intended meaning of Ken being the person the speaker played baseball with.

In general, when we describe an activity that involves another person or object, ‘with’ is commonly used to specify who or what is involved. For example, ‘I went to the park with my friend’ or ‘She danced with joy.’ Similarly, ‘Ken was fun to play baseball with’ uses ‘with’ to highlight the shared experience between the speaker and Ken.

Examples of ‘With’ in Similar Sentences

Let’s explore some additional examples where ‘with’ is used in similar contexts:

• ‘I had a great time playing video games with my brother.’
• ‘He was excited to work with the team on the project.’
• ‘She enjoyed eating dinner with her family.’

In each of these cases, ‘with’ is used to describe the people who were involved in the activities, helping the sentence convey clear meaning about who participated in the action.

Why ‘With’ Is Important in This Context

In the original sentence, ‘Ken was fun to play baseball with two months ago,’ omitting ‘with’ would make the sentence grammatically incomplete and unclear. The phrase ‘fun to play baseball’ would seem like an incomplete thought, as it wouldn’t specify who was involved in the activity. By including ‘with,’ we understand that Ken was the person involved in the enjoyable baseball experience.

Conclusion

‘With’ plays a crucial role in making the sentence grammatically correct and clear. It highlights the relationship between the speaker and Ken during the baseball game. Without ‘with,’ the sentence would lose its intended meaning and the clarity of who was involved in the action.