I think they mean the same but i also think that one is grammatically wrong
She wanted to be treated like her brother
She wants to have been treated like her brother
Is any of the options wrong? Do they mean the same?
-
1Both are fine. They are very similar in meaning, and we sometimes might interchange them, but the first is something that happened, and the second is about her current state of mind. In the second, she wishes the past was different. – Justin Stafford Nov 23 '20 at 5:44
-
1We can't change the past, so in the second, she likely wants something else - perhaps an apology from whoever treated her unfairly. – Justin Stafford Nov 23 '20 at 5:46
-
Note though that the second, while correct grammar, is not very natural sounding. I don't think most people would choose that particular phrasing. Unless something like this: "I gave her an allowance. What does she want?" "She wants to have been treated like her brother." In this case the second speaker would use that word choice and phrasing as an echo of the first speaker's question. – MarielS Nov 23 '20 at 5:47
