Think About

[zxcvbnma]

I have a question about "think" and "think about". Are they interchangeable?

"In jail, they think freedom often."
"In jail, they think of about freedom often."

Do "think" and "think of about" mean the same?

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forum, zxcvbnma (hope I spelt that right).

They are not interchangeable.

You need of or about in this sentence.

Rover

[zxcvbnma]

So, "think SOMETHING" is not standard English. All of the following are wrong:

"They think sports often."
"They think money often."
"They think politics often."
"They think business often."

[5jj]

Yes.

[zxcvbnma]

"Think" must always be followed by "about" or "of"?

[5jj]

"Think" must always be followed by "about" or "of"?

No. However, in the sense that we are talking about here, we need 'of' or 'about'.

[zxcvbnma]

In response to another person's making a bad decision, one could say:

"What were you thinking?"
"What were you thinking about?"

Is the second one the more correct question?

[5jj]

Is the second one the more correct question?

No, it isn't. Both are possible.

[zxcvbnma]

How are:

"What were you thinking?"
"What were you thinking about?"

different in meaning?

[TheParser]

How are:

"What were you thinking?"
"What were you thinking about?"

different in meaning?

ONLY A NON-TEACHER'S OPINION


Mona: I have lost my job.

Joe: Why?

Mona: I told the boss that she was ugly.

Joe: What were you thinking? (What caused you to do something like that?)

Mona: I was thinking that I was so important to this company that she would never

dare dismiss me.

Joe: You were wrong.

Mona: That's for sure.

***

Tony: I saw you sitting in the library. What were you doing?

Martha: I was just thinking.

Tony: What were you thinking about?

Martha: I was thinking about my decision to marry Jimmy next year. Maybe it was a mistake.