As I understand it, personal pronouns are often used in English, but this phrase doesn't contain a pronoun "my", i.e. "... but my love." Why is it so? Will it be the excess word in this sentence?
I can’t give you anything but love.
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1If you give love to someone, it has to be your own (unless you are passing on a message from a third party, as in the idiom "Give him my love"). We can, for example, sign a letter "All my love", but we don't have to use the personal pronoun to specify that the love is ours.– Kate BuntingCommented Sep 4, 2021 at 13:00
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@KateBunting Any reason your comment isn't an answer instead of a comment?– ReadinCommented Sep 5, 2021 at 2:35
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1 Answer
If you give love to someone, it is by definition yours (unless you are passing on an affectionate message from a third party, who has asked you to "Give him/her my love").
We sometimes use the personal pronoun (for example, signing a letter "All my love, [name]"), but it isn't necessary.
answered Sep 5, 2021 at 7:10
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Compare 'I can't give you anything but money'. It's probably my money, but it just might be someone else's.– SydneyCommented Sep 5, 2021 at 12:20