as a teenager

Status
Not open for further replies.

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
This "as a teenager" has the meaning of "When he was a teenager". Then how do you say "as the title or qualification of a teenager"? Same thing?

73) You may be surprised to learn that one of the most remarkable early ballet dancers was Louis XIV of France....In 1653, as a teenager, he appeared in Le Ballet de la Nuit....
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
This "as a teenager" has the meaning of "When he was a teenager". Then how do you say "as the title or qualification of a teenager"? Same thing?

73) You may be surprised to learn that one of the most remarkable early ballet dancers was Louis XIV of France....In 1653, as a teenager, he appeared in Le Ballet de la Nuit....

I have no idea what "as the title or qualification of a teenager" means. Teenagers don't have titles or qualifications generally. A child born into the aristocracy might have an inherited title from birth. Any child might get some kind of qualification during their teenage years. I really don't know what you're trying to say. Can you put "as the title or qualification of a teenager" into a sentence so that we can see what you're trying to do.
 

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
99 adults participated in the marathon. The 11-year-old boy participated as a teenager.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
99 adults participated in the marathon. The 11-year-old boy participated as a teenager.

You seem to have answered your own question.
 

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Do you think this equation works?

The 11-year-old boy participated "as a teenager." =? The 11-year-old boy participated "when he is a teenager."
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Do you think this equation works?

The 11-year-old boy participated "as a teenager." =? The 11-year-old boy participated "when he is a teenager."
No. He participated in the teenager category/class.
 

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Why can't you interprete this as the example I gave you in the same way? Do you see my confusion?

....In 1653, as a teenager, he appeared in Le Ballet de la
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Why can't you interprete this as the example I gave you in the same way? Do you see my confusion?

....In 1653, as a teenager, he appeared in Le Ballet de la Nuit
This can mean only that he was a teenager. 'He appeared as a teenager in le Ballet de la Nuit' could mean that he played the part of a teenager.

'The 11-year-old boy participated as a teenager.' This could mean that the boy who was eleven at the time we are talking about participated later, when he was a teenager.


'99 adults participated in the marathon. The 11-year-old boy participated as a teenager.' This almost certainly means that the eleven-year-old partcipated in the teenager class/category.

As I have said before, a combination of context, co-text and common sense usually makes apparently ambiguous meaning clear.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
If the eleven-year-old competed in a class only open to teenagers then he either lied about his age or he isn't eleven.
If the eleven-year-old competed in the teenage class with the competition's permission then I wouldn't say he competed "as a teenager".

The original example "In 1653, as a teenager ..." means he actually was a teenager. You can't put "as a teenager" into any sentence and make it mean that the person was viewed as a teenager but wasn't one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top