Hello everyone,
Is there any difference between the following sentences?
They considered him a fool.
They considered him to be a fool.
Similar structure:
His lawyers proved him innocent.
His lawyers proved him to be innocent.
I couldn't find any diffrence.
Thanks in advance.
Is there any difference between the following sentences?
They considered him a fool.
They considered him to be a fool.
Similar structure:
His lawyers proved him innocent.
His lawyers proved him to be innocent.
I couldn't find any diffrence.
Thanks in advance.
Hi,
Is there any difference between the following sentences?
They considered him a fool.
They considered him to be a fool.
There's often no difference intended. However, here are some comments.
They considered him to be a fool. This refers to the time of 'considering'. eg Look, there's Tom. He's a fool.
They considered him to have been a fool. eg When Tom did that last year, he was a fool. Now he thinks more carefully, so he's not a fool now.
They considered him a fool. This has a less clear focus, without context. But it probably refers to the time of 'considering', like #1 above.
Best wishes, Clive
Is there any difference between the following sentences?
They considered him a fool.
They considered him to be a fool.
There's often no difference intended. However, here are some comments.
They considered him to be a fool. This refers to the time of 'considering'. eg Look, there's Tom. He's a fool.
They considered him to have been a fool. eg When Tom did that last year, he was a fool. Now he thinks more carefully, so he's not a fool now.
They considered him a fool. This has a less clear focus, without context. But it probably refers to the time of 'considering', like #1 above.
Best wishes, Clive
Comments
NP V NP NP | NP V NP AP
NP V NP to be NP | NP V NP to be AP
NP V NP as NP | NP V NP as AP
The same verb can often take more than one of these patterns with no change of meaning. But exactly which pattern(s) each verb can take is a matter of considerable confusion at times! (Reminder: * = ungrammatical; ?= borderline grammatical; possibly ungrammatical.)
consider him a fool | consider him crazy
consider him to be a fool | consider him to be crazy
?consider him as a fool | ?consider him as crazy
prove him an innocent man | prove him innocent
prove him to be an innocent man | prove him to be innocent
*prove him as an innocent man | *prove him as innocent
appointed/named him secretary | *appointed/named him secretarial
appointed/named him to be secretary | *appointed/named him to be secretarial
appointed/named him as secretary | *appointed/named him as secretarial
*knew him an honest man | *knew him honest
knew him to be an honest man | knew him to be honest
*knew him as an honest man | *knew him as honest
*describe/treat him a friend | *describe/treat him foolish
*describe/treat him to be a friend | *describe/treat him to be foolish
describe/treat him as a friend | describe/treat him as foolish
proclaim him a hero | ?proclaim him heroic
proclaim him to be a hero | ?proclaim him to be heroic
*proclaim him as a hero | *proclaim him as heroic
CJ