LIKE AND AS

When we want to talk about two things that are similar or the same we can use like and
as.
To stop you getting confused when you use them remember these rules:
Like
Like is used as a preposition and should be followed by a noun:

"It's hot in this room. It's like an oven!" - Both an oven and this room are hot
"She works in a hotel, like me." - We both work in a hotel.
As
As is used to compare something that is the same as something else, or in the same
condition.
Use a subject and a verb after as.

"As I told you, the meeting started at 3pm."

"It rained all weekend as we thought it would."
http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/like-and-as

We generally use LIKE and AS to make comparisons.

LIKE
The structure of the sentence is usually: VERB + LIKE + NOUN / PRONOUN.

He speaks like a native speaker.

She looks like a supermodel.
AS
The structure of the sentence is usually: AS + SUBJECT + VERB.

Nobody sings as she does.

They went to the party as they were.
It is very common in American English to use LIKE instead of AS. However, it is
generally considered informal to use it in this way.

We play football like champions do.

Another use of AS is to say what the role/function of a person/thing is.

He started work as a carpenter.

She used the tapestry as a decoration in her living room.
LIKE vs. AS
Be careful, in similar sentences that use LIKE and AS, the meanings of each sentence
are very different. For example:

As your boss, I must warn you to be careful. (I am your boss.)

Like your boss, I must warn you to be careful. (I am not your boss, but he/she and I
have similar attitudes.)
AS IF
In English we also use as if to make comparisons. However it has a few distinct
characteristics to its use:

1. The verb after AS IF is always in the past subjunctive, no matter what tense the
sentence is.

2. If the verb BE directly follows AS IF, we use were for all personal pronouns.

He looks as if he knew the answer.

(The verbs LOOKS indicates this sentence is in the present but the verb after AS IF
knew - is in the past subjuntive).

She walks as if she were a supermodel.

(The verb after AS IF be has been changed to were and not was).

He boarded the airplane as if he were a seasoned traveller.

He spends money as if he owned a bank.
http://www.grammar.cl/Notes/Like_vs_As.htm
Like Versus As

Like Versus AsThe root of this like versus as controversy is that traditionally like is a
preposition and as is a conjunction. Nevertheless, people have been using like as if it
were a conjunction (as I did) for at least 100 years, and grammarians have been raging
against that use for just as long. In fact, the Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage
states that probably no single question of usage has created greater controversy in
recent years than the conjunctive use of like.

In 1954, an advertising campaign for Winston cigarettes brought the debate into the
public eye. Winston said their cigarettes tasted good like a cigarette should, and
language lovers were outraged because the ad should have said, their cigarettes tasted
good as a cigarette should.

What Are Prepositions and Conjunctions?

Lets quickly review what a preposition is, and what a conjunction is. According to the
book Woe Is I, a preposition is a word that positions or situates words in relation to
one another. Examples are in, around, and through. A conjunction is, simply, a
connecting word. Common conjunctions are and, but, and or (1).

When to Use Like, When to Use As

The proper way to differentiate between like and as is to use like when no verb follows
(2). For example, Squiggly throws like a raccoon or Aardvark acted just like my brother.
Notice that when I use like, the words that come after are generally simple. A raccoon
and my brother are the objects of the preposition.

If the clause that comes next includes a verb, then you should use as. For example,
Squiggly throws as if he were a raccoon or Aardvark acted just as I would expect my
brother to behave. Notice that when I use as, the words that come after tend to be more
complex.

You generally hear like used in everyday speech, so that helps me remember that like is
the simpler wordor at least it is followed by simpler words. As sounds stuffier and is
followed by a more complex clause that contains a verb.
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/like-versus-as
How to use Like
The word like can be confusing for students since it has many different meanings in
English. Here are five of its common uses:

Five ways to use 'like'

Like = enjoy
I like coffee
To be + like = describe personality/characteristics
What is he like?
Like = the same as
This Coke tastes like Pepsi
Would like = want
I'd like a hamburger please
Look like = appearance
What does he look like?

'Like' Phrases
Before doing the exercise, can you guess what the correct 'like' sentence would be in these
ten examples. Remember, you must use 'like'!
1. A: What ___?
B: It's beautiful in summer and there are a lot of famous beaches.
2. A: What ___?
B: I like English. Its an amazing language.
3. A: ___?
B: Yes please.
4. A: What ___ tomorrow?
B: I think it's going to be rainy and cold unfortunately.
5. A: What ___?
B: Hes tall and a little fat. I think hes handsome.
6. A: What ___?
B: It's very spicy and strong
7. A: I ___
B: Yes you do, you could be twins!
8. A: What ___?
B: She's very friendly and sweet.
9. A: What ___?
B: It was amazing! I want to go back.
10. A: I ___
B: Yes me too. I also like them.

Use the ten sentences above Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Good
luck!

1 - A: What ___? B: It's beautiful in summer and there are a lot of famous
beaches.

would Rio like

does Rio like

is Rio like

2 - A: What ___? B: I like English. It's an amazing language.

does the language look like

language do you like

language would you like

3 - A: ___? B: Yes please.

Would you like some coffee

Do you like coffee

What is coffee like

4. - A: What ___ tomorrow? B: I think its going to be rainy and cold

unfortunately.

will the weather be like

will the weather look like

will the weather like

5. - A: What ___? B: He's tall and a little fat. I think he's handsome.

is your husband like

does your husband look like

would your husband like

6. A: What ___? B: It's very spicy and strong

would you like some curry

is curry like

do you like curry

7. A: I ___. B: Yes you do, you could be twins!

look like my sister

am like my sister

like my sister

8. A: What ___? B: She's very friendly and sweet.

does she look like

does she like

is she like

9. A: What ___? B: It was amazing! I want to go back.

is your holiday like

would you like a holiday

was your holiday like

10. A: I ___. B: Yes me too. I also like them.

like Ferraris

would like a Ferrari

am like a Ferrari

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Comments
Tue, 03/27/2012 - 18:06 Yura

I LIKE this Lesson!!!

Everything is CORRECT!
Thank you for the Lesson!

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Wed, 03/28/2012 - 00:29 tailton

That was amazing! Thanks

That was amazing! Thanks very much.

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Wed, 03/28/2012 - 02:26 raedah

I do not have any mistake

I do not have any mistake this time
thanks alot

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Thu, 03/29/2012 - 08:05 531367

very good
tanks a lot