She seems a nurse.

Question

Hi! Is it true that in England "She seems a nurse" is considered correct, but in US it should be changed into "She seems to be a nurse"?

Khoff · Accepted Answer

I don't know how it is in England, but in the U.S. "She seems a nurse" seems very odd, and "She seems to be a nurse" is fine. (With adjectives, the "to be" is optional -- "she seems tired" or "she seems to be tired.")

Pructus · Answer

Thanks, khoff ~~~

I see...

Google also doesn't show many in "She seems a nurse".

KateJS · Answer

pructusHi!

Is it true that in England "She seems a nurse" is considered correct, Absolutely not.

but in US it should be changed into "She seems to be a nurse"? Gramatically correct in the UK too, but I struggle to imagine a context where this would be the most appropriate phrase. 'Seems' is more usually followed by an adjectival phrase .

You might want to consider:-

"She appears to be a nurse" (I can see she's wearing a nurse's uniform and doing nurse-like things)

"I gather that she's a nurse" (She, or someone else, told me that she is)

"I assume she's a nurse" (She works in a hospital and seems to have nurse-type knowledge)

Pructus · Answer

Thanks KateJS....

I see...

Appear, assume, and gather are better choice of words...

Kooyeen · Answer

Is it a problem with the structure "to seem something" or is it more of a problem of context?
My dictionary gives this as an example: It seems a foolish decision now.
Is the structure "to seem something" used?

To avoid this problem, I've personally been using other expressions: to look like something/ to seem like something/to seem to be something.

Clive · Answer

Hi Guys,

She seems a nurse - sounds odd to me.

She seems a nice woman - sounds fine to me. Perhaps it works better with what you might term personal characteristics?

Clive

Kooyeen · Answer

Ah, see... it's much more complicated than I thought, lol. I suspected it was so though. That's why I think I'll keep using "seem like" and avoid unnecessary trouble. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/4.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/4.gif' alt='Emotion: stick out tongue'/>

CalifJim · Answer

ClivePerhaps it works better with what you might term personal characteristics?

That rings true. You typically need an adjectival construction with the noun, not just the bare noun. And the adjectival construction is almost always the crux of the matter -- the thing that seems. It isn't that she seems a nurse, but that, for example, she seems a nice nurse, she seems an incompetent nurse, she seems an honest nurse, etc. If it is a bare noun, the noun often suggests something about the person's character. Note "nut job" and "mental mess" below.

Examples gleaned from Google searches:

He seems a wiser and greater man than his brother.
She seems a dreadfully incompetent journalist.
He seems a good hearted guy.
She seems a lovely person.
She seems a real person to me.
He seems a man for whom life is easy.
She seems a nut job.
He seems a promising guy but I don't really know anything about him.
He seems a rare unbiased newsreader.
Tony Blair - he seems a sensible guy.
From reading his autobiography, he seems a humble man, grounded despite his tremendous success.
She seems a charming lady and takes her job very seriously.
He seems a genuinely good person, humble and self-effacing, but he seems a strange candidate for conservative admiration.
He seems a jovial fellow.
He seems a trustworthy guy.
She seems a very intelligent woman.
He seems a very likeable person.
He seems a decent sort.
He seems a man divided against himself.
He seems a very dangerous guy.
He seems a pretty willing listener.
She seems a cheerful girl.
She seems a sensible person.
She seems a mental mess.
At the start of the film, she seems a dishrag in the making.

Some more interesting ones:

She seems a reincarnation of Erma Bombeck.
She seems a perfect fit for Billy.
He seems a shadow of his former self now.
He seems a perfect choice for the Senate.
He seems a good choice.
He seems a good candidate.
He seems a forerunner of the great Christian Apologists.
In certain respects he seems a forerunner of Jimmy Carter.
Whether she can dance or not, she seems a clear frontrunner.

CJ

Pructus · Answer

Thanks a lot, Clive and CalifJim!!!

I guess the explanation given by you two, has settled and wrapped up this issue.

She seems a nurse.

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