student asking question

What's the difference between "consider" and" think about"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

In this context, "consider" and "think about" have very similar meanings. To "consider" means to deliberate over or think about something seriously. To "think about" something means to spend time reflecting over or imagining it. Generally, "think" is more straightforward and used in casual conversation, whereas "consider" gives off a bit of a more formal feeling and is used more often in writing than "think." In this context, however, the author has used "consider" and "think about" as synonyms and to add style to his speech. He has used these verbs to create emphasis, and this is a good example of parallel structure.

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