like his brother

[navi tasan]

What is the difference between:
1-They'll kill him, like his brother.
2-They'll kill him like his brother.

[RonBee]

What is the difference between:
1-They'll kill him, like his brother.
2-They'll kill him like his brother.

The first sentence suggests that they also killed his brother. The second sentence is missing the comma.

:wink:

[navi tasan]

Doesn't the second sentence mean:
They'll kill him in the same manner they killed his brother.

[RonBee]

Doesn't the second sentence mean:
They'll kill him in the same manner they killed his brother.

No, the reader or listener would have to guess that. Instead, say: "They'll kill him the same way they killed his brother." That would make it clear what was meant.

[comicer]

I think navi tasan is right about the 2nd sentence.

They will kill him. He will die in the same way as his brother.

We can omit the relative pronoun (that) for objective nouns in relational clauses.

e.g.
He loves that girl. The girl is my neighbour.
The girl he loves is my neighbour.

[RonBee]

1-They'll kill him, like his brother.
2-They'll kill him like his brother.

The first sentence says that they killed him and that they are going to kill his brother. The second sentence says (possibly) that they will kill him in the same manner that they killed his brother. Neither sentence has a relative clause. In the first sentence, "like" functions as a conjunction. In the second, it functions as an adverb.

8)

[Tdol]

If you had a different verb a third meaning would be possible:
They'll take some, like his brother. = his brother took some. It doesn't make much sense with 'kill', though because you can't kill someone twice, however hard you try.