'like I am' vs 'as I were'

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Offroad

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Feb 9, 2008
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Brazilian Portuguese
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Brazil
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Brazil
Dear teachers

Do these sentences read well?

Don't talk to me like I am a child!
Don't talk to me as I were/was a child!

To me, the first one is fine, the second isn't.

Thanks
 
Dear teachers

Do these sentences read well?

Don't talk to me like I am a child!
Don't talk to me as I were/was a child!

To me, the first one is fine, the second isn't.

Thanks

Neither of them work for me. I'd say "...as if I were a child".
 
Neither of them work for me. I'd say "...as if I were a child".
Your suggestion is just perfect. But I do wonder what is wrong with the first sentence!
 
An American would say the first is fine, and so is "as if I were a child" (as suggested), and so is "as though I were a child." (I too prefer bhai's suggestion, though.)
 
How about saying?

Don't talk with me as if I were a child. talk with me
Don't talk me as if I were a child. talk me
 
How about saying?

Don't talk with me as if I were a child. Talk with me This is incomplete. "Talk with me as one adult to another," or something like that, is needed.

Don't talk me as if I were a child. talk me -- No, you can talk TO me or talk WITH me, but not just "talk me."

In this sentence, "talk to" is more natural than "talk with."
 
How about saying?

Don't talk with me as if I were a child. [STRIKE] talk with me[/STRIKE] (makes no sense on its own)
[STRIKE]Don't talk me as if I were a child. talk me[/STRIKE] Whole line is wrong because "Talk me" is not correct in English.

Some people will say "talk with me" but that suggests a conversation. "Talk to me" suggests more of a one-way monologue-style type of speaking.
 
In this sentence, "talk to" is more natural than "talk with."

Maybe this is a BrE thing, but talk with me sounds wrong to me here.
 
I'm not quite ready to say it's wrong. I'll amend my statement to say that "talk to sounds MUCH more natural."
 
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