The confusion in using ‘like or as’ is caused by a lack of understanding of the words’ roles. In English, words ‘like and as’, are commonly interchanged and used synonymously. These two words are often confused. However, they are not similar in their meanings, as we use the word ‘like‘ to mean something we enjoy or prefer to do, or for someone you admire. Use ‘like’ to state that someone is very similar to another. On the other hand, the word ‘as‘ is used to refer to the occupation or character of a person. ‘As’ is used to describe the function of a person or object.
Apart from these meanings, ‘like and as’ can also refer to ‘in the same way’ which often confuses people with respect to their usage in sentences. Let’s look at the example to understand their difference: Like your father, he wants you to succeed in your life. ‘As’ can also be used as a conjunction. ‘Like’, can be used as a Noun, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, and Conjunction.
Difference between Like and As
LIKE
- The word ‘like’ is used to mean ‘similar to’ or ‘the same as’. It can also be used to give some examples. A preposition is a word that positions nouns in relation to one another, i.e. the when, where, and how regarding the noun’s role in a sentence: in the house, at home, like him, etc.
- ‘Like’ is a term that we can use to denote some similarity in quality or characteristic or the way something is done. It can also be used to give examples or to indicate that we admire something.
- The word like is used in the sentences for someone or something that we enjoy, admire, or feel positive about. It also indicates similarity, i.e. when someone or something resembles another, we use the word like in the sentence. Either it is used as a preposition, and followed by a noun/pronoun, or it is used as a conjunction, where a clause comes after it.
- If the word ‘like’ is followed by a noun, it reflects something similar to or the same way as. While making comparisons, ‘like’ is followed by a noun phrase.
- Examples: Nick dances like Michael Jackson. Talking to you is like talking to a 3-year-old baby.
AS
- The word ‘as’ is used in sentences to highlight the job, appearance, or function. It can also be used to mean ‘in the same way.’ “As” is a conjunction. A conjunction is a more simple connecting word— it can connect everything from full sentences to individual words and does not itself define the relationship between the two items it connects.
- ‘As’ is used to refer to ‘in the same manner’. It also describes the function, character, or job of a person. It also reflects comparison in the way something takes place.
- Basically, ‘as’ is used to make a comparison, to indicate the extent or degree of an object or an individual. It may also refer to an individual’s function, job, or qualities. Moreover, ‘as’ can also be used in the context of ‘in the same way that’.
- The word, ‘as’ is succeeded by a noun, it means ‘in the role of’. While making comparisons, ‘as’ precedes the clause in the case of comparison between two entities.
- Examples: As I told you, I would be moving to Delhi, this week. She has been working as a cinematographer.
