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Pa18 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

to be or not to be?

I think he is honest.

I think him to be honest?

So does 'is' and 'to be' function in the same capactiy? Apart for the he and him, does the sentences have the same meaning?

Thanks, I getting really confused with trying to figure out what 'to be' and how to explain to my kid about it!
  

Top answer

Hi, I think he is honest. I think him to be honest? So does 'is' and 'to be' function in the same capactiy?

— Clive

  • Hi, I think he is honest.
  • I think him to be honest?
  • So does 'is' and 'to be' function in the same capactiy?
  • They are different grammar structures.
  • In #1, '(that) he is honest' is a subordinate clause .
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2 Answers
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Hi,

I think he is honest.

I think him to be honest?

So does 'is' and 'to be' function in the same capactiy? They are different grammar structures.

In #1, '(that) he is honest' is a subordinate clause.

In #2, the structure is object + infinitive. This i
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think is not normally used with the predicative complement like that. Only I think he is honest is idiomatic.

Recall that * means 'ungrammatical'.

I think he is honest.
*I think him to be honest.

However, you can use believe with both patterns.

I believe he is honest.
I believe him to be honest.

co
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