Page 246 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
117 like and as

A Like = similar to, the same as:
What a beautiful house! It’s like a palace. (not as a palace)
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)
‘What’s that noise?’ ‘It sounds like a baby crying.’ (not as a baby crying)
In these examples, like is a preposition. So it is followed by a noun (like a palace), a pronoun
(like this) or -ing (like walking).
Sometimes like = for example. You can also use such as:
I enjoy water sports, like surfing, scuba diving and water-skiing. or
I enjoy water sports, such as surfing …

B As = in the same way as, in the same condition as.
We use as with subject (S) + verb (V): S + V
I didn’t move anything. I left everything as it was. as it was
You should have done it as I showed you. as I showed
We also use like in this way (+ subject + verb):
I left everything like it was.
Compare as and like. You can say:
You should have done it as I showed you. or … like I showed you.
but You should have done it like this. (not as this)
We say as usual / as always:
You’re late as usual.
As always, Nick was the first to complain.
We say the same as … :
Your phone is the same as mine. (not the same like)

C 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 …

D As can also be a preposition (as + noun), but the meaning is different from like.
Compare:

As a taxi driver, I spend most of Everyone in the family wants me to drive
my working life in a car. them to places. I’m like a taxi driver.
(I am a taxi driver, it’s my job.) (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. (I was 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.

234 as … as ➜ Unit 107 as (= at the same time as / because) ➜ Unit 116 as if ➜ Unit 118