ShmoopTube

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Like versus As, a la Shmoop.

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Ah, high school.

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It's like you're in the Ninth Circle of Hell...

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...or should you say, "It's as if you're in the Ninth Circle of Hell"?

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If you don't want your English teacher to turn into the devil...

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...you need to know how to use "like" and "as" correctly.

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Here's the rule...

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...use "like" when you need a preposition...

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...and "as" when you need a conjunction.

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A preposition creates a relationship between words...

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...and isn't followed by a verb.

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"Like" is an example of a preposition. "In", "around", and "through"

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are also prepositions. A conjunction connects words, clauses, or phrases...

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...and can be followed by very complicated phrases that include verbs.

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"As" is an example of a conjunction. "And", "but", and "or" are also conjunctions.

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You're probably desperately wishing for some examples. Your wish is granted.

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You could say, "The bathroom smelled like uh... something bad"...

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...or, "The bathroom smelled as if someone had uhhh..... we can't say that at Shmoop."

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You could say, "That baby looks like my pug"...

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...or, "It's as though that baby had pugs for parents."

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You could say, "My cousin acts like a toddler"...

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...or, "My cousin acts as I would expect a toddler to behave."

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See how this works? The preposition "like" is followed by a word or two...

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...and never by a verb.

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The conjunction "as" can be followed by complicated phrases...

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...that include verbs. And now that you know how to use "like"

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and "as" correctly, maybe it won't be as if you were in the Ninth Circle of Hell.

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Maybe high school will seem more like Limbo...

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