Was named, named, called?

Marcin · Post by **Marcin** » Tue May 23, 2023 9:16 am

Hi, I am wondering what is the difference between the following sentences?

1) The person, whose name was Ben, lived in that house.
2) The person, called Ben, lived in that house.
3) The person, named Ben, lived in that house.
4) The person, who was named Ben, lived in that house.

Do sentences 1 and 2 tell us that people used name Ben for the person?
Do sentences 3 and 4 tell us that the person was given the name Ben? (people are given names when they are born)

Thanks!

Firefoxjo · Post by **Firefoxjo** » Tue May 30, 2023 4:34 am

Basically they all mean the same thing, though the most idiomatic is probably 1.

kailoba · Post by **kailoba** » Thu Nov 02, 2023 9:49 am

Certainly! I'd be happy to explain the differences between the sentences you provided.

The person, whose name was Ben, lived in that house.
In this sentence, the phrase "whose name was Ben" indicates that the person already had the name Ben. It suggests that Ben was the person's actual name, and it provides additional information about the person living in the house.

The person, called Ben, lived in that house.
In this sentence, the phrase "called Ben" implies that Ben is a name that people use to refer to the person. It suggests that Ben is not necessarily the person's legal or given name, but rather a name that others commonly use to address or identify the person.

The person, named Ben, lived in that house.
Similar to sentence 2, the phrase "named Ben" indicates that Ben is the name by which the person is known. It implies that Ben is the person's given or legal name, not just a nickname or a commonly used name.

The person, who was named Ben, lived in that house.
In this sentence, the relative clause "who was named Ben" provides additional information about the person. It clarifies that the person's name is Ben, emphasizing that it is the chosen or given name of the person.

Regarding your question, sentences 1 and 2 do suggest that people used the name Ben for the person, but they do not explicitly indicate whether Ben is the person's given or legal name. On the other hand, sentences 3 and 4 imply that the person was given the name Ben, suggesting that it is their actual or legal name.

BrianStapleton · Post by **BrianStapleton** » Tue Nov 07, 2023 6:43 pm

kailoba wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2023 9:49 am Certainly! I'd be happy to explain the differences between the sentences you provided.

The person, whose name was Ben, lived in that house.
In this sentence, the phrase "whose name was Ben" indicates that the person already had the name Ben. It suggests that Ben was the person's actual name, and it provides additional information about the person living in the house.

The person, called Ben, lived in that house.
In this sentence, the phrase "called Ben" implies that Ben is a name that people use to refer to the person. It suggests that Ben is not necessarily the person's legal or given name, but rather a name that others commonly use to address or identify the person.

The person, named Ben, lived in that house.
Similar to sentence 2, the phrase "named Ben" indicates that Ben is the name by which the person is known. It implies that Ben is the person's given or legal name, not just a nickname or a commonly used name.

The person, who was named Ben, lived in that house.
In this sentence, the relative clause "who was named Ben" provides additional information about the person. It clarifies that the person's name is Ben, emphasizing that it is the chosen or given name of the person.

Regarding your question, sentences 1 and 2 do suggest that people used the name Ben for the person, but they do not explicitly indicate whether Ben is the person's given or legal name. On the other hand, sentences 3 and 4 imply that the person was given the name Ben, suggesting that it is their actual or legal name.

This is correct by my quick read.

You could always change up the wording just a little bit to clarify. For example, The person, who went by Ben...
This almost certainly means Ben is not his legal name but it is the name commonly used to refer to him.
The person, formerly known as Ben...
This makes it clear Ben is his old name...
The person, calling himself Ben...
That would imply he's using a fake name or is suspected of it.

There are so many ways to do this each with slight differences in meaning.

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