I need a person to look after / to be looked after.

Question

1. I need a person to look after.2. I need a person to be looked after. 3. I need a book to read. 4. I need a book to be read. Does the sentence 1 mean I need a person who looks after somebody? Can the sentence 1 not mean that I need a person who is looked after? Are the sentence 3 and 4 interchangeable?

GPY · Accepted Answer

1. I need a person to look after.
Means that you want to look after (care for) someone.

2. I need a person to be looked after.
This would mean that you want someone else to look after "a person", but "a person" seems vague here. "I need her / my friend / my mother / etc. to be looked after" would be more likely.

3. I need a book to read.
Means that you want to read a book.

4. I need a book to be read.
It means that you require other people to read "a book", but, again, "a book" seems vague. For example, "I need this book to be read" would be more likely.

I need a person to look after / to be looked after.

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