understanding the grammar of "XをYに"


> 兄さんをエサにホムンクルスを引っ張り出します

Is there an implied verb after に, or not? Is this sentence more along the
lines of the situation when you have two verbs connected with the ～て form, or
is it more along the lines of "兄さんをエサに" being an element of the verb 引っ張り出す in
the same way that ホムンクルスを is?

Could you replace に with として here? If so, how would it compare with the
sentence using に? If not, why not?

I know I asked a lot of questions; just address whichever ones make the most
sense.

![niisan wo esa ni](https://i.stack.imgur.com/naHcg.png)




You are on the right track about the missing verb. The missing verb can be して.
But you do not need to change the particle. Just add the missing verb:
`兄さんをエサにして`. Using `と` here is unnatural. I think `として` can be used as "as
if", implying that it is not actually it. In `兄さんをエサにして...を引っ張り出す`, the
brother is actually treated as bait, so `に` should be used. In `兄さんをエサとして扱う`
or `兄さんをエサとみなす`, there is implication that the brother is not actually bait,
so `と` is used.




You are on the right track about the missing verb. The missing verb can be して.
But you do not need to change the particle. Just add the missing verb:
`兄さんをエサにして`. Using `と` here is unnatural. I think `として` can be used as "as
if", implying that it is not actually it. In `兄さんをエサにして...を引っ張り出す`, the
brother is actually treated as bait, so `に` should be used. In `兄さんをエサとして扱う`
or `兄さんをエサとみなす`, there is implication that the brother is not actually bait,
so `と` is used.

