“Like” and “as” are often confused in English. Both can be used to make comparisons or to talk about similarities. It is very common in American English to use “like” instead of “as”, however this is generally considered very informal. The following is an explanation of the various uses of these two words.
Like
1. “Like” is a preposition which means “similar to” or “the same as”. “As” cannot be used in this way. As a preposition, “like” is followed by a noun or pronoun.
verb + “like” + noun/pronoun
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She dances like a professional.
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Like me, my friend John loves the cinema.
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Michael speaks English like a native.
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2. We also use “like” to say that something is typical of someone.
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It’s so like Ben to be late.
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It’s just like Helen to laugh in uncomfortable situations.
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3. We use “like” with the verb “look” to indicate that two people or things resemble or are very similar in appearance to one another.
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It looks like it is going to rain.
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He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks.
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4. “Like” can also be used to present examples.
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I play many sports like football, basketball and tennis.
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There are many things we can do to protect the environment, like recycling or using renewable energy sources.
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Some people, like my friend Carol, don’t like to travel.
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As
1. “As” means “in the same way as” or “in the same condition as”. As opposed to “like”, “as” is followed by a subject and a verb.
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She worked hard on the project, as she always does.
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Nobody paints as Picasso did.
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2. “As” is used in comparatives of inferiority and equality. [*See the lesson on comparatives and superlatives for more information.]
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John can run as fast as Peter.
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My dad doesn’t have as much energy as he used to have.
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3. As with “like”, we can use “such as” to present examples.
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I play many sports, such as football, basketball and tennis.
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There are many things we can do to protect the environment, such as recycling or using renewable energy sources.
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Some people, such as my friend Carol, don’t like to travel.
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4. When it is used as a preposition, “as” means the profession or role of something or someone.
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She started working as a teacher 5 years ago.
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We used to live here, but now we are using the apartment as a painting studio.
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“As” can be used as a conjunction or a preposition.
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Note: Keep in mind that the use of one over the other can change the meaning of the sentence.
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As your teacher, I suggest you study more.(Meaning: I am your teacher)
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Like your teacher, I suggest you study more.(Meaning: I agree with your teacher, we have a similar opinion)
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5. “As” is used in certain expressions.
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As you know, this is not the first time your son has been a problem in class.
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As expected, Ben was late for class again today.
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As I said, I hope this is the last time you are late.
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Here is the report, as requested.
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“Like” y “as” a menudo se confunden en inglés. Ambas se pueden utilizar para hacer comparaciones o hablar de similitudes. Es muy común en inglés americano utilizar “like” en lugar de “as”. Sin embargo, es generalmente considerado informal utilizarla en esta forma. La siguiente es una explicación de los diversos usos de estas dos palabras.
Like (Como)
1. “Like” es una preposición que significa “parecido a” o “lo mismo de”. No se puede utilizar "as*" de este modo. Como una preposición, “like” está seguida por un sustantivo o un pronombre.
verbo + “like” + sustantivo/pronombre
Ejemplos:
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She dances like a professional.(Baila como una profesional.)
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Like me, my friend John loves the cinema.(Como yo, a mi amigo John le encanta el cine.)
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Michael speaks English like a native.(Michael habla inglés como un nativo.)
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2. También, se utiliza “like” para decir que algo es típico de alguien.
Ejemplos:
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It’s so like Ben to be late.(Es tan típico de Ben llegar tarde.)
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It’s just like Helen to laugh in uncomfortable situations.(Es tan típico de Helen reír en situaciones incómodas.)
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3. Cuando se utiliza “like” con el verbo “look” significa “parecer” o “parecerse”.
Ejemplos:
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I look like my mother.(Me parezco a mi madre.)
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It looks like it is going to rain.(Parece que va a llover.)
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He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks.(Él parece como que no haya dormido en semanas.)
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4. También utilizamos “like” para presentar ejemplos.
Ejemplos:
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I play many sports like football, basketball and tennis.(Juego muchos deportes como fútbol, baloncesto y tenis.)
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There are many things we can do to protect the environment, like recycling or using renewable energy sources.(Hay muchas cosas que podemos hacer para proteger el medio ambiente, como reciclar o utilizar fuentes de energía renovables.)
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Some people, like my friend Carol, don’t like to travel.(A algunas personas, como mi amiga Carol, no les gusta viajar.)
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As (Como)
1. “As” significa “en la misma manera” o “en la misma condición de”. A diferencia de “like”, “as” está seguido por un sujeto y un verbo.
“as” + sujeto + verbo
Ejemplos:
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She worked hard on the project, as she always does.(Trabajó duramente en el proyecto, como lo hace siempre.)
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Nobody paints as Picasso did.(Nadie pinta como Picasso lo hizo.)
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2. Se utiliza *"as" en frases comparativas de inferioridad e igualdad*. Ver la lección de los comparativos y superlativos para más información.
Ejemplos:
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John can run as fast as Peter.(John puede correr tan rápido como Peter.)
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My dad doesn’t have as much energy as he used to have.(Mi padre no tiene tanta energía como solía tener.)
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3. Al igual que “like”, se usa “such as” para presentar ejemplos.
Ejemplos:
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I play many sports, such as football, basketball and tennis.(Juego a muchos deportes como el fútbol, baloncesto y tenis.)
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There are many things we can do to protect the environment, such as recycling or using renewable energy sources.(Hay muchas cosas que podemos hacer para proteger el medio ambiente, como reciclar o utilizar fuentes de energía renovables.)
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Some people, such as my friend Carol, don’t like to travel.(Algunas personas, como a mi amiga Carol, no les gusta viajar.)
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4. Cuando es una preposición, “as” significa el papel o profesión de algo o alguien.
Ejemplos:
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She started working as a teacher 5 years ago.(Empezó a trabajar como profesora hace 5 años.)
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We used to live here, but now we are using the apartment as a painting studio.(Vivíamos aquí antes, pero ahora estamos utilizando el piso como un estudio de pintura.)
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“As” can be used as a conjunction or a preposition.(“Como” puede ser usado como una conjunción o una preposición.)
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Nota: Ten cuidado, el uso de uno u otro puede cambiar el sentido.
Ejemplos:
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As your teacher, I suggest you study more.(Significa: Soy tu profesor.)
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Like your teacher, I suggest you study more.(Significa: Estoy de acuerdo con tu profesor.)
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5. Se utiliza “as” en algunas expresiones.
Ejemplos:
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As you know, this is not the first time your son has been a problem in class.(Como ya sabe, esta no es la primera vez que su hijo ha sido un problema en clase.)
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As expected, Ben was late for class again today.(Como se esperaba, Ben llegó tarde a clase de nuevo hoy.)
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As I said, I hope this is the last time you are late.(Como ya he dicho, espero que esta sea la última vez que llegas tarde.)
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Here is the report, as requested.(Aquí está el informe, como solicitó.)
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