Hi,
This is a great and specific question about the characteristics of the verb “attribute.”
With this verb, collocations (the words that can be used with the target word) are important. “Attribute” is almost always followed by the preposition “to.”
In your examples, we cannot use only A and B to create 3 sentences with the same meaning.
Instead, we will need more variables, and we will need to use both passive and active sentence structures.
Here are some new patterns for you to think about:
W = he
X = his skills
Y = many years of study
Z = people/they
1. W attribute(s) X to Y
Example: He attributes his skills to many years of study.
– This sentence is in active voice.
Meaning: Many years of study caused him to have skills.
2. X is attributed to Y
Example: His skills are attributed to many years of study.
– This sentence is in passive voice.
Meaning: Many years of study caused him to have skills.
3. Z attribute(s) X to Y
Example: They attribute his skills to many years of study.
– This sentence is in active voice.
Meaning: Many years of study caused him to have skills.
I hope this helps!
For more colocation examples, you might want to check the Corpus of Contemporary American English: https://corpus.byu.edu/coca/
Best,
Amy
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