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Like and as A Like = 'similar to', 'the same as'. Note that you cannot use as in this way: - What a beautiful house! It's like a palace. - What does Sandra do? She's a teacher, like me. - Be careful! The floor has been polished. It's like walking on ice. - It's raining again. I hate weather like this. In these sentences above, like is a preposition. So it is followed by a noun (like a palace), a pronoun (like me / like this), or -ing (like walking). You can also say 'like (somebody/something) doing something': - What's that noise? - It sounds like a baby crying. B Sometimes like = 'for example': - Some sports, like (such as) motor racing, can be dangerous. C We use as (not 'like') before a subject + verb: - I didn't move anything. I left everything as I found it. - They did as they promised (= They did what they promised) Compare like and as in these sentences: - You should have done it like this. (like + pronoun) - You should have done it as I showed you. (as + subject + verb) We also say as you know / as I said / as she expected / as I thought etc.: - As you know, it's Tom's birthday next week. (= you know this already) - Jane failed her driving test, as she expected. (=she expected this before) Note that we say as usual / as always: - You're late as usual. D As can also be a preposition but the meaning is different from like. Compare: as Brenda Casey is the manager of a company. As the manager, she has to make many important decisions.('As the manager' = in her position as the manager) During the war this hotel was used as a hospital. (so it really was a hospital) like Mary Stone is the assistant manager. Like the manager (Brenda Casey), she also has to make important decisions. ('Like the manager' = similar to the manager) Everyone is ill at home. Our house is like a hospital. (it isn't really a hospital) As (preposition) = 'in the position of', 'in the form of' etc.: - A few years ago I worked as a bus driver. (not 'like a bus driver') - We've got a garage but we haven't got a car, so we use the garage as a workshop. - Many English words (for example, 'work' and 'rain') can be used as verbs or nouns. - London is all right as a place to visit, but I wouldn't like to live there. - The news of her death came as a great shock. We say regard...as: - I regard her as my best friend exercises home From English grammar in use by Raymond Murphy |
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