Teacher Discussion Forums

This comes another forum:

I like that inn because they treat their guests like friends
I like that inn because they treat their guests as friends

The person asked whether as is possible in this case, I thought "no" at first but then someone else said:

Both are correct. "as friends" in this case, to me, has a sense of more closeness, intimacy, authenticity.

What do you say?

José

Personally, they both sound possible, but "like" sounds more natural to me, and "as" a little more formal. Neither implies more closeness. Would be interested to see what everyone else thinks.

I agree with both Lorikeet and the poster on the other forum that both constructions are possible and correct. If I read the first poster correctly, what I think he (or she) means is that when this speaker says, "...as friends", the implication seems to be that the inn actually makes real friends of its guests. But there is a slight difference of meaning with, "...like friends." In this case, the implication is that although the inn treats its guests very well indeed--the same as it would treat friends--there is no suggestion that the guests actually are or become friends. Rather, that they are similar to friends. That is why some people think that "...as friends" seems more intimate or less formal.

Larry Latham

Thank you people, this has cleared a lot for me.

José