like a child/as a child

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navi tasan

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Is there a difference between:
1-He talked to me like a child.
and:
2-He talked to me as a child.

Is there a difference between:
3-He treated me like a child.
and:
4-He treated me as a child.

I think the ones with 'as' imply that I really was a child and he treated me/talked to me as such (in my capacity as a child, so to speak).

Gratefully,
Navi.
 

Roman55

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I am not a teacher.

I find 1. ambiguous. Did he talk to you as if you were a child or as if he was?

In 2. it could be that he talked to you when you were a child.

Although the same comments could be made about 3. and 4. the meaning seems clearer.
 

Matthew Wai

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I find 1. ambiguous. Did he talk to you as if you were a child or as if he was?
If the speaker was like a child, should it be 'He talked to me, who was like a child'?

Not a teacher.
 

bhaisahab

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If the speaker was like a child, should it be 'He talked to me, who was like a child'?

Not a teacher.

No, but "He talked to me as if I were a child" is possible.
 

khanhhung2512

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If the speaker was like a child, should it be 'He talked to me, who was like a child'?
NOT A TEACHER
Doesn't your sentence imply that the listener, or 'me', was childish by nature?
 

Matthew Wai

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I actually meant so, sorry for changing the original sentence's meaning.

Not a teacher.
 
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