Searching the internet to know whether it's grammatically correct to use "boast" with a gerund as its direct object, I just came across this sentence in a book
For one thing, not many towns can boast having a volcano in their backyard. SOURCE
I've googled the writer's name and found out that she is an English native speaker and It doesn't seem like she made a mistake, because I found some sentences in which "boast" is used in the same way as well by other English writers.
So, my question is...
Is it really grammatically correct to use "boast" in that way? Should there be added a preposition such as "of or about"?
I'd think "boast" or "boast of or about" are all correct to use there but the meanings are totally different like
- For one thing, not many towns can boast having a volcano in their backyard
"having a volcano in their backyard" can represents, as a whole, the symbol of not many towns' pride.
- For one thing, not many towns can boast of or about having a volcano in their backyard
"having a volcano in their backyard" can be talked of or about proudly by not many towns.