This is a question from a mid-term exam of a middle school in Korea and I had to explain to a student, and the question was like this. The answer was 2, but the example's "as a beautiful woman" sounded awkward to me.
I think like in the following.
ex."as a beautiful woman" - as means "like" as a preposition.
1.The old man is as wise as an owl. - the seocnd as means "similar to" as an adverb.
2.Many students thought him as an intelligent teacher - as means "title or function"
But the thing is is 2 the only correct answer?
Hmm, you don't have the answer yet? Have you read the replies so far? Yes, 2 is the only correct answer.
She appeared to me as a beautiful woman. It seemed to me that she was a beautiful woman. She seemed to be a beautiful woman.
1)The old man is as wise as an owl. This doesn't say that the man seemed to be an owl, or even that he seemed to be as wise as an owl. It says he was as wise as an owl.
2)Many students thought him as an intelligent teacher. It seemed to many students that he was an intelligent teacher. He seemed to be an intelligent teacher.
1) is a comparative. "as X as Y".
0) and 2) are not.
If we categorize the three in terms of word class, ex and 2 will fall into prepostions, while 2 falls into adverbs, but there shoud be some semantic difference between ex and 2 as "like" and "qualification". What do you think?
Yes, you are right, but that's not as important a distinction as the one that appears obvious to the rest of us. Besides, 'as' in the 0 and 2 mean something like "in the form of". She didn't appear like a beautiful woman (she appeared to be one); he didn't appear like an intelligent teacher (he appeared to be one) On the other hand, the old man was wise like an owl.
'As an owl' modifies an adjective; 'as a beautiful woman' and 'as an intelligent teacher' do not.
I have to choose the correct answer and explain why it is.
*Many students thought him as an intelligent teacher - Doesn't "thought him" make sense? Does only "thought of him" make sense? This was in the question, not from me.
Yes. If you've transcribed it correctly, it doesn't make sense anyway.