I thought the picture was able to/could be taken as the source.

[kadioguy]

a. I thought the picture was able to be taken as the source.
b. I thought the picture could be taken as the source.

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...al-sales-meeting-tomorrow.296506/post-1854311
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Why is (a) not correct?

 

[Tarheel]

Well, a picture doesn't have the ability to do anything.

 

[kadioguy]

Perhaps this?
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/be-expressions-be-able-to-be-due-to

Past achievement: could or was/were able to?​

We usually use was/were able to, not could to talk about past achievements in affirmative clauses. This is because they are facts, rather than possibilities:

Only one person was able to beat the record.

Not: Only one person could beat the record.

We use couldn’t or, more formally, wasn’t/weren’t able to in negative clauses:

We weren’t able to finish the marathon in under four hours. (or We couldn’t finish the marathon …)

 

[5jj]

Perhaps this?

I see nothing there about a picture being able to do anything.

 

[kadioguy]

a. I thought the picture was able to be taken as the source.
b. I thought the picture could be taken as the source.

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...al-sales-meeting-tomorrow.296506/post-1854311
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Why is (a) not correct?

c. I thought the picture could be seen as the source.

Why does "seen" not work here?

 

[bhaisahab]

I would accept 'seen' in c.

 

[emsr2d2]

The reason I crossed out "seen" when you used it that way in your previous thread is that I thought you meant "I thought you could see the picture ... and it was the source".
I didn't take "I thought the picture could be seen as XXX" to mean "I thought the picture could be considered to be XXX".

 

[Barque]

Why is (a) not correct?

I don't think it's incorrect. It may not be the most obvious choice however, as there are less wordy options.

 

[5jj]

Well, a picture doesn't have the ability to do anything.

I agree.

I thought the picture was able to be taken as the source is wrong in my opinion.