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[navi tasan]

Are these sentences correct:

1-The dog growled at me like at a cat.
2-The dog growled at me, like at a cat.

3-The dog growled at me like a cat.
4-The dog growled at me, like a cat.


I think 3 and 4 sound a bit as if the dog was growling like a cat. Maybe, since the context makes things clear, these sentences are not incorrect.

I think 1 expresses the manner in which the dog growled. Sentence 2 simply says that it growled at me and that is what it would do when facing a cat.

 

[Jay Louise]

Are these sentences correct:

1-The dog growled at me like at a cat.
2-The dog growled at me, like at a cat.

3-The dog growled at me like a cat.
4-The dog growled at me, like a cat.


I think 3 and 4 sound a bit as if the dog was growling like a cat. Maybe, since the context makes things clear, these sentences are not incorrect.

I think 1 expresses the manner in which the dog growled. Sentence 2 simply says that it growled at me and that is what it would do when facing a cat.

(Not a teacher)

To me 3 and 4 are saying that the dog growled at me in the same way a cat would growl at me.

The first 2 sentences are saying that the dog growled at me as if it thought I was a cat.

 

[billmcd]

Are these sentences correct:

1-The dog growled at me like at a cat.
2-The dog growled at me, like at a cat.

3-The dog growled at me like a cat.
4-The dog growled at me, like a cat.


I think 3 and 4 sound a bit as if the dog was growling like a cat. Maybe, since the context makes things clear, these sentences are not incorrect.

I think 1 expresses the manner in which the dog growled. Sentence 2 simply says that it growled at me and that is what it would do when facing a cat.

My inference for these sentences would be:

1-The dog growled at me like at a cat. (The dog growled at me as it would growl at a cat.)

2-The dog growled at me, like at a cat. (Same as 1)

3-The dog growled at me like a cat. (The dog growled at me like a cat would growl.)

4-The dog growled at me, like a cat. (Same as 3; don't need the comma)