syntax - Not so much as [something] as [something else]


Consider the sentence:



"She sees him not so much as her uncle as her friend."



Is this sentence correct? I feel something is missing, or perhaps I am disturbed by the extra 'as'. Compare with:



"He is not so much her friend as (he is) her uncle."



What do you suggest?



Answer



‘She sees him not so much as her uncle as her friend’ is a perfectly normal English sentence. So, too, is ‘He is not so much her friend as her uncle’. If you want to insert he is between as and her uncle, you can, but it's not necessary.


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