She always talks to me as though she were my sister.
她总是以我妹妹的口气跟我说话。
My father always gave an ear to my problems.
家父常常倾听我的问题。
As far as I could see, it needed only a minor adjustment: a turn of a screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as good as new.