Can anyone help me distinguish between "as" and "like"?
@evergreentree (51)
Vietnam
July 6, 2011 10:38am CST
English grammar really makes me headache. One of the issue I got confused even I read some of grammar book is to distinguish between "as" and "like". Can anyone help me how to distinguish when we use "as" and when we use "like" in the sentence.
I read some books writing the usage of "as" and "like":
Like + Phrase and As + Clause
Eg1: He climbs a tree like a monkey
Eg2: Please do it as taxi driver.
But I got confused what is the difference between Eg1 and 2?
Furthermore, thanks in advance if anyone help me explain the right answer for this following question:
90% of the respondents said that they would undertake the research and development projects as planned in order to strengthen productivity
Why we use "planned" after as instead of "plans"? Thanks a lot
3 responses
@Humanicon (328)
• India
6 Jul 11
There is a lot of difference between first and second example.in ex 1 the person is doing it but in ex 2 the person is advised to do it.so the difference here is performing and being asked to perform.
The another differnce is that like =doing exactly the same way and as = posing to be another person.Take the ex 2 here the taxi driver is absent and the some other person is supposed act as a taxi driver and ride the taxi.so it is like repacing or substituting the taxi driver and the new driver has to suppose himself to be a taxi driver.
As another example take this ex 3:he is riding like a taxi driver.
Ex 4:he is riding as a taxi driver.
In ex 3 this person is riding his own car but very rashly ,in a way a taxi driver rides.thus like is used here.
In ex 4 this person is riding a taxi but is not a taxi driver.thus as is used here.
Hope this explains you.
1 person likes this
@sanjay91422 (2725)
• India
6 Jul 11
I think it should make sense when we see the uses of the two words in some sentences. I will write here some sentences here.
"Please send me the money, as soon as possible." - Here "as" works as a time constraint.
"Go that way, as I have told you."- Here "as" works as a reminder.
Note: I used "as" in both the explanations of the sentences. You can not replace the "as" with the "like" here.
I think "as" makes a sense of definition, but "like" works as some kind of example of something.
@rameshchow (4426)
• India
6 Jul 11
It is really very interesting doubt. Which is related to English grammar. If we get perfection in spoken English we can know what words we have to use in the grammatical way. This is for non English speaking community people those who are to belongs to the countries like US, UK, Australia....
You can know from this site;;;http://www.urch.com/forums/toefl-grammar/38850-difference-between-as-like.html
