when I was your age

[tree123]

“Mother, don’t pamper him,” he called after her. “Michael, when I was your age I took medicine without a murmur. I said ‘Thank you, kind parents, for giving me bottles to make me well.’

Source: Peter Pan by Barrie

Is it wrong to say 'when I was at your age'?

 

[tedmc]

No, but it is more natural without the preposition.

 

[Phaedrus]

Source: Peter Pan by Barrie

Is it wrong to say 'when I was at your age'?

If I had to add a preposition to that "when"-clause, I would choose "of": "when I was of your age."

(Compare: "He met someone his own age." = "He met someone of his own age.")

With "at," we would do away with the "when"-clause altogether and just use "at your age" instead.

"When I was at your age" doesn't work for me. I wouldn't say something like "when I was at fifteen" (ugh!), either.

 

[kadioguy]

Is it wrong to say 'when I was at your age'?

Please see:

Practical English Usage 3rd ed.

32 age

1 use of be

We most often talk about people's ages with be + number

He is thirty. (NOT He has thirty.)

or be + number + years old (more formal: ... of age).

He is thirty years old / of age. (NOT ... thirty years.)

We ask How old are you?, not normally What is your age?

2 be + ... age

Note the structure be + ... age (without a preposition).

When I was your age I was working. (NOT When I was at your age ... )

The two boys are the same age. She's the same age as me.

3 prepositions

In other structures, at is common before age.

He could read at the age of three. (NOT ... in the age ... )

At your age I already had a job.

 

[emsr2d2]

We use "At the age of ..." and "At your age ..." etc, but they are not shortened forms of "When I was at the age of ..." and "When I was at your age ...". They are more like shortened forms of "At the time that I was [number] ..." and "At the time that I was the same age you are now ...".