consider

consider

in the meaning ‘to regard as being’, occurs in three typical constructions, two that are accepted and a third that is disputed: (1) with a noun or adjective complement in apposition to the object: I consider them friends / I consider them friendly, (2) with to be inserted between the object and its complement: I consider them to be friends / I consider them to be friendly, and (3) more controversially, influenced by words such as regard and treat, with consider followed by as: I consider them as friends / I consider them friendly. See further at as ³. Construction (2) is especially common in reflexive use when an adjective (rather than a noun) follows (I consider myself to be well-informed and in passive constructions (medicines that are considered to be safe during pregnancy), and (3) is the least common. Examples:

• The patient…could not be considered as cured —M. Balint, 1968

• The baby was considered to be at high risk —Lancet, 1977

• The village boys considered it a privilege to enjoy a stroll with him in the evenings —M. Das, 1987

• She…does not consider herself a photojournalist in any conventional sense —website, AmE 2004.

Note, however, that as can have a different syntactic function, associated with the object and not with consider, and these uses are acceptable: Cologne Opera and San Francisco Ballet have both inspected the theatre and are considering it as [= in its capacity of]

• a venue —Times, 1980.

See also considering.