[General] I think him kind. vs. I think he is kind.

[forinfo]

Hello,

I was studying a chapter in a grammar book.
The chapter was about the structure S+V+O+C giving the following sentence
as one of its examples.

ex) I think him kind.

I think this comes from "I think him to be kind."
If you take out "to be", then you get the example sentence.
(Please correct me if I'm mistaken.)

But I started to wonder if "I think him kind" is often used in daily conversation.
I think people would usually just say "I think he's kind," and "I think him kind"
would perhaps be used much more in writing.

Would you give me some comments on this?

 

[Glizdka]

Perhaps this ngram will be of use. It looks almost as if "I think him" had been replaced by "I think he's". Personally, I've never seen it outside of literature, but I'm not a native speaker nor am I a teacher.

 

[Phaedrus]

ex) I think him kind.

I think this comes from "I think him to be kind."
If you take out "to be", then you get the example sentence.
(Please correct me if I'm mistaken.)

But I started to wonder if "I think him kind" is often used in daily conversation.

It isn't often used in the U.S. in daily conversation. Indeed, I don't think I've ever heard someone say "I think him [adjective]" in conversation.

"I think him to be [adjective]" is perhaps even more rare. Interestingly, however, the passive correlate is quite common:

He is thought to be kind.

 

[tedmc]

I think the simplest is the best:

I think he is kind.

I have not hear of I think him... in a sentence.