Phrasal verb
appeal to sb
Definition
phrasal verb. to be attractive or interesting to you.
phrasal verb. to be attractive, pleasing, or interesting to a specific person or group; functions as an intransitive verb followed by a prepositional object.
Examples
“The idea of working from home appeals to me.”
“The new marketing campaign is designed to appeal to younger customers who care about the environment.”
“While the minimalist aesthetic might appeal to modern architects, it often feels cold and uninviting to the general public.”
Examples
simple
“The idea of working from home appeals to me.”
contextual
“The new marketing campaign is designed to appeal to younger customers who care about the environment.”
complex
“While the minimalist aesthetic might appeal to modern architects, it often feels cold and uninviting to the general public.”
Usage
The subject is the thing that is attractive, and the object is the person who likes it.
Teaching tip
Contrast this with 'like' or 'enjoy' where the person is the subject; 'appeal to' reverses the logical roles of the person and the thing.
Pitfall
I appeal to this music.
This music appeals to me.
The thing you like must be the subject of the sentence, not the person.
Phrasal verb
Particles
to
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
appeal + to + object