In comparisons, as is followed by a clause (that is a subject and a finite verb); like
is followed by a noun or pronoun.
as we do, like us
Look at these examples:
He works hard, as I do/his father does.
He works hard, like me/his father.
As I was saying before you came in, we need
someone like you to help us.
as an engineer, like a monkey.
Compare these sentences:
He works as an engineer. (That is his job)
He was brilliant as Othello. (in the part of
Othello)
He can climb like a monkey. (comparison: he’s
not a monkey)
I’m doing this as an experiment. (It is an
experiment)
I’ve built this like a real railway. (comparison: it
isn’t a real railway)
As refers to a person’s role in
life or profession, or a part
he/she takes in a play, film etc.
Like is used for comparison.
known as, treated as etc.
A number of verbs are commonly followed by
as (see list below). If we use like after any of
them, we are making a comparison, as in
exercise B.
Compare these sentences:
He treats his students as friends.(He is
friendly towards them)
He treats his students like animals. (He
treats them as if they were)
Common verbs of this type include: accept,
behave, characterise, class, count, describe,
define, express, interpret, know (usually be
known), look on, recognise, regard, see,
think of, treat, use.
A. Complete the following sentences with as or like:
1. The new law, ____________ I said, is ____________ the one in
France. ____________ the French, we must have a law of this
kind — ____________ every civilised country has, in fact.
2. ____________ you’ve already heard, we have opened several
new branches, ____________ our rivals, and we’ve noticed an
increase in business, ____________ they have done.
____________ them, however, we may lose money at first in some
of them.
3. I’m in favor of negotiation, ____________ you. But I’m not
prepared to give way to pressure,____________ you are. We can’t
afford to give the workers the idea that we will do anything to keep
the peace, ____________ Chamberlain at Munich, or
____________ the previous manager did when he gave way the
last time.
B. Complete these sentences with as or like:
1. She could run ____________ a deer.
You can’t expect to make a living ____________ an athlete.
2. He hopes to have a career ____________ a film director.
He’s very fussy about photography. He behaves ____________
a film director when he takes a picture of the family on the beach.
3. In my long career ____________ an actor, I’ve always wanted
to appear ____________ Hamlet, but I’ve never wanted to be
____________ him in real life.
4. Of course my new novel is written ____________ a novel, but
there are some chapters written entirely in dialogue,
____________ a play.
5. I had him ____________ my teacher at school for many years,
but he was so kind that he was more a father to me.
C. Complete the following sentences with a pronoun
(him, it, etc.) and as or like:
1. He is regarded ____________ the greatest actor of his
generation.
2. You have no right to treat people ____________ slaves.
3. They look on ____________ their king, but the government
have never officially recognised__________ such, and I have
never thought of ____________ a satisfactory ruler.
4. The country describes itself ____________ democratic, and the
newspapers here class____________ socialist, but I don’t see how
you can define a country ____________ if no one has the freedom
to express himself ____________ an individual.
5. I expect you to behave ____________ an adult, not
____________ a spoilt child.