Like you vs. like you are

Question

A.  I wish to talk to a native speaker like you.B.  I wish to talk to a native speaker like you are.1.  Which of the sentences above is correct?2.  If both are correct, how are they different in meaning?Thanks in advance for your assistance, please.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Only #1 is correct.

Example:
Mary is more intelligent than Jim (is). = Jim is less intelligent than Mary (is).

Mary and Jim are subjects.

I wish to talk to someone like you. = I wish to talk to you.
You is in the object position, not the subject position.

You can change it so that you is in the subject position

I wish to talk to someone who is a native speaker like you (are).

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much for your help here. I really appreciate it.

1. Therefore if it's in the subject position, we either add the 'is/are' or none at all. Please confirm.
2. Do you think adding the 'is' or 'are' at the end in such sentences gives more emphasis on the what the subject is?

AlpheccaStarsMary is more intelligent than Jim (is). = Jim is less intelligent than Mary (is).

3. I'm just a bit confused about this. Isn't it also acceptable to say as follows?
Mary is more intelligent than him = Jim is less intelligent than her.

4. If so, it appears 'Jim' and 'Mary' are in object position in your original sentences. Therefore, adding is would seem incorrect. Please clarify.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Anonymous1. Therefore if it's in the subject position, we either add the 'is/are' or none at all.

Yes, that is the rule.

Anonymous3. I'm just a bit confused about this. Isn't it also acceptable to say as follows?
Mary is more intelligent than him = Jim is less intelligent than her.

These are informal expressions and commonly heard, even though they break the "strict" rules of English grammar. It is not acceptable to add is/are at the end when you use the object case.

Anonymous4. If so, it appears 'Jim' and 'Mary' are in object position in your original sentences. Therefore, adding is would seem incorrect. Please clarify.

John and Mary are in the nominative (subject) case. Nouns in the nominative (subject) case (or adjectives) follow "be." (Be is a linking or copular verb).
The object case is used for nouns that receive the action of a verb. (Dynamic verbs show action.)

John kissed Mary. (Mary is in the object case. In other languages, Mary might have an different ending to indicate the case change. English does not.)

Notice the difference:
These two sentences (a) have the same meaning if you switch the subject and predicate, but not the following two sentences (b)

(a)

John is an English name.
An English name is John.

(b)
The dog bit the man.
The man bit the dog.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much for your clarification. That makes sense to me now.

Just a follow up question:

John is more intelligent than I.
John is more intelligent than I am.

I believe both sentences above are grammatically correct, but is there any difference?
Do you think the second one is more emphatic?
Is one more natural than the other?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousJohn is more intelligent than I.
John is more intelligent than I am.

I believe both sentences above are grammatically correct, but is there any difference?
Do you think the second one is more emphatic?
Is one more natural than the other?

These are strictly correct. There is no real difference in meaning, but in conversations, I would use the second. (than I am.) That's because you
will hear this in informal conversations:

John is more intelligent than me.

If I say John is more intelligent than I, people would think I am being hoity-toity.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks, AlpheccaStars, for explaining the difference.

AlpheccaStarsbut in conversations, I would use the second. (than I am.) That's because you
will hear this in informal conversations:

John is more intelligent than me.

I'm sorry, I just don't clearly get the connection between why you would use "than I am" and "because I will hear 'than me' in informal conversations".
Is the reason to make clear that in such a sentence, "than" should normally be followed by a pronoun in subject position? If not, kindly explain the connection. Thanks.

AlpheccaStarsIf I say John is more intelligent than I, people would think I am being hoity-toity.

I would avoid using 'I' alone, then, so as not to be misunderstood. Thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Sorry, I was not very clear. My order of preference in using these expressions in informal speech is as follows:

1) John is smarter than me. (informal, commonly heard)

2) John is smarter than I am. (grammatically strictly correct, yet not extremely formal. I would use this in writing.)

3) John is smarter than I. (formal)

Anonymous · Answer

AlpheccaStarsSorry, I was not very clear.

No, it was probably me who simply didn't understand completely.

Thanks so much for your explanations. You've been very helpful.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousThanks so much for your explanations. You've been very helpful.

Why be anonymous? Please join our forums. It's completely free, we have no ads or other commercial rubbish, and it takes only a minute to sign up!

A-

s

Anonymous · Answer

AlpheccaStarsWhy be anonymous? Please join our forums.

OK, I will and would be very much happy to do so. Thanks.

Like you vs. like you are

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