The same kind of Question about two sentences. 1a. She had been fiercely protective towards him as a teenager. 1b. She had fiercely protected him as a teenager. Question: Are both grammatically correct and making the same sense? Could both be changed into such the noun phrase as : Her fierce protection of him as a teenager? 2a. He was extremely protective of his role as advisor. 2b. He extremely proteced his role as advisor. Question: Are both grammatically correct and making the same sense? Could both be changed into such the noun phrase as : His extreme protection of his role as advisor?