How right is “is itself” or “is”? Writing right is not an easy task. This is evidenced by at least how many people who are interested in the grammar of the complex and rich in synonyms of the Russian language, ask this question. To determine which of the options should be used and in which cases, you need to understand what each of them means. Only then will it be possible to unequivocally answer how it is right - “represents” or “represents”.
"Represents": the only meaning
This expression has a very concrete and obvious meaning: to be, to be something. It can be used, for example, in the following context:
- Speaking of a person, characterizing him. "What is this person like?" “Who is he? Who is he? What is known about him?”
- Describing a phenomenon, giving it an assessment or explaining the essence. "This discovery represents a step forward for all of humanity."
- When asking about something that the questioner is completely unaware of. In this case, the expression will be conveniently and correctly used if the speaker does not know exactly what to ask, and on which side he wants to get a description of the object or phenomenon. Then you can simply say: "What is he like?" And to receive as an answer the most important, in the opinion of a knowledgeable person, qualities or explanations.
Of course, this is not the whole list. “Is it” or “is” is a logical question, but the second option is definitely capacious enough to be enough. The spectrum of using this expression is much wider than it seems, and, in principle, using only it in a given meaning, it is not possible to make a mistake.
"Represents" in the same sense
“Is it” or “is” is a simple answer, because most linguists call these expressions synonymous. In many cases, they are interchangeable. For instance:
- "This game is a competition" - "This game is a competition."
- "What is this person like?" “What is this person like?”
- "In fact, this picture does not constitute anything of value" - "In fact, this picture does not constitute anything of value."
The only difference is that the expression "is" is considered more rude, conversational. However, there is no strict rule that it cannot be used in a journalistic or official text.
Alternative value
The question of whether to use “represents” or “represents” arises especially sharply, if we recall that the first expression has one more meaning. This is what they say about a person who is pretending to be someone, trying to appear to be someone, or simply seems not to be who he is. Compare:
- “He is an intelligent person” - that means he is an intelligent person. “He is an intelligent person” - in fact, he may not be intelligent and only represents a scientist.
- "What is he like?" - the asker is interested in learning more about the subject of the conversation. "What he really is?" - the questioner is outraged by the behavior of a person trying to appear to be someone.
Thus, if in doubt, it is better to use either "represents" or a completely different synonymous expression. If you choose “represents” or “represents”, the first is a more “dangerous” phrase that may be misunderstood.