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I wonder how to use “as”? I saw the third sentence below in an article.
- I found him as injured.
- Couples shouldn't go to bed as angry at each other.
- Although most regard him as authoritarian, no one questions him.
What is the difference between these sentences? I wonder why we can say “regard as authoritarian” but can’t say “find him as injured” or “go to bed as angry”? If I use “as” with different verbs in this way would it make the sentence meaningless?
Only the third sentence is idiomatic and correct. as is used with verbs of perception and judgement, to mean something like "I perceive the object in this way" or "I judge the object to be this way." "Most regard him as authoritarian" means "most people think that he is authoritarian".
So you can see how "Couples shouldn't go to bed as angry at each other" doesn't make sense - who is doing the perceiving here? This is just an imperative statement.
In "I found him as injured," found isn't really a verb that has to do with perception or judgement. He was injured or he wasn't; this is not a matter of judgement.
