Like = 'similar to', 'the same as'. You cannot use
as in this way:
- What a beautiful house! It's like a palace. (not as a palace)
- 'What does Sandra do?' 'She's a teacher, like me.' (not as me)
- Be careful! The floor has been polished. It's like walking on ice. (not as walking)
- It's raining again. I hate weather like this. (not as this)
In these sentences, 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.'
Sometimes
like = for example:
- I enjoy water sports, like surfing, scuba diving and water-skiing.
You can also use
such as (= for example):
- I enjoy water sports, such as surfing, scuba diving and water-skiing.
As = in the same way as, or in the same condition as. We use
as before
subject + verb:
- I didn't move anything. I left everything as it was.
- You should have done it as I showed you.
We also use
like in this way:
- I left everything like it was.
Compare
as and
like:
- You should have done it as I showed you. or ... like I showed you.
- You should have done it like this. (not as this)
Note that we say
as usual /
as always:
- You're late as usual.
- As always, Nick was the first to complain.
Sometimes
as (+
subject +
verb) has other meanings. For example, after
do:
- You can do as you like. (= do what you like)
- They did as they promised. (= They did what they promised.)
We also say
as you know /
as I said /
as she expected /
as I thought etc. :
- As you know, it's Emma's birthday next week. (= you know this already)
- Andy failed his driving test, as he expected. (= he expected this before)
Like is not usual in these expressions, except with
say (
like I said):
- As I said yesterday, I'm sure we can solve the problem. or Like I said yesterday ...
As can also be a preposition, but the meaning is different from like.
Compare:
As a taxi driver, I spend most of my working life in a car.
(I am a taxi driver, that is my job) | Everyone wants me to drive them to places. I'm like a taxi driver.
(I'm not a taxi driver, but I'm like one) |
As (
preposition) = in the position of, in the form of etc. :
- Many years ago I worked as a photographer. (not like a photographer)
- Many words, for example 'work' and 'rain', can be used as verbs or nouns.
- London is fine as a place to visit, but I wouldn't like to live there.
- The news of the tragedy came as a great shock.
