Repeated words...

vroth · Oct 2, 2009

I have two questions, but I need to write the example first because I'm not sure how to phrase them...

"I think of Bob as a mentor and as a friend."
vs.
"I think of Bob as a mentor and a friend."

Okay, that might not be the best example of what I'm talking about, but it's good enough. Are both of those sentences technically correct? Is there any time that repeating the "as" (or equivalent word) is not correct? And what on earth is this called-- is there a name for it? "Repeating a preposition in a list" or something?

Blahhh.

Maryn · Oct 3, 2009

I'd consider them both correct. The one which uses as twice sounds a little more formal, so take that into consideration when giving a character or narrator a phrasing preference.

As to what it's called... Hm. It's either a prepositional phrase with two objects (as a mentor and a friend, similar to for the love of money and power or in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), or two prepositional phrases each using the same preposition (as a mentor and as a friend, or for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, or with style and with flair).

Maryn, hoping this muddied things sufficiently

The Thing · Oct 6, 2009

Could you see Bob as a friend and mentor?

Dawnstorm · Oct 7, 2009

The Thing said:
Could you see Bob as a friend and mentor?

Yep.

Co-ordinated prepositional phrases: I see Bob [[as a mentor][and][as a friend]].

Co-ordinated noun phrases (within a prepositional phrase): I see Bob [as [[a mentor][and][a friend]]].

Co-ordinated nouns (within a noun phrase): I see Bob [as [a [[mentor][and][friend]]]].

Repeated words...

vroth

...yep.

Maryn

At Sea

The Thing

Dawnstorm

punny user title, here