Special usage of "rate"

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Please look at the passage below which I took from Voa news:
‘‘But the poll also noted an increase in the number of voters who rate Obama as I, INEXPERIENCED,UNETHICAL and DISHONEST. Clinton fared worse, however, when rated on her likeability, honesty and ethics.’’
I wonder why they use adjective directly brhind AS because when looked word RATE up in the dictionary,it doesn’t have tha usage.
Plesase explain it for me.

2

Hi Duc

That is this usage:
dictionary.cambridge.org/define. … &dict=CALD

Assuming that the word ‘I’ in your text is a typo, you can look at the sentence as meaning this:
“… voters who rate Obama as (someone who is) inexperienced, unethical and dishonest.”

Does that clear things up for you?
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3

Oh sorry Amy,it’s really a typo.Thank you very much for helping me :smiley:

4

But here it :’’…rate Obama as inexperience,unethical…’’ , ‘‘inexperience’’ and ‘‘ethical’’ is adjectives and not nouns as in dictionary

5

So when do use this special usage of ‘‘rate’’ ?

6

It’s still the same usage, Duc. Using an adjective simply means that the adjective applies to the person/thing being rated.

This is an example from Cambridge:

  • That rates as the worst film I’ve ever seen.

Theoretically, you could reword that sentence this way:

  • That rates as (being) the worst film I’ve ever seen.

And you could reword your sentence this way:

  • “… voters who rate Obama as (being) inexperienced, unethical and dishonest.”
    .
7

It is like the usage of ‘‘strike’’ as in ‘‘It struck me as unnatural.’’

8

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I’d say that’s a good comparison, Duc.
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