To put it very simply -- "as" is used as a type of comparative, for example: "Today is not as hot as yesterday." (same as "Today is cooler than yesterday") "I don't like writing as much as I like reading." (same as "I like writing less than I like reading") "Like" is used to show similarities, for example: "His car is very fast, like my car." "The weather here is cold, not like in Australia (where it is hot)" I hope this helps? :)

Making comparisons with 'as' and 'like' can cause problems for both learners and native speakers because although they are interchangeable in everyday speech, there is a grammar rule which CAN be demanded in formal writing. The rule for comparisons is that 'like' is a preposition and 'as' is a conjunction which means 'as' should be followed by another clause (with a verb), whereas 'like' is followed by a noun phrase. Therefore: Tom swims as if he were a shark NOT Tom swims like if he were a shark and NOT Tom swims like he is a shark (because in both these cases, 'like' is functioning as a conjunction), but take out the verb 'were' or 'is' and Tom swims like a shark is correct. The opposite is also true: We cannot write: Tom swims as a shark. However, 'as' (preposition) can go before a noun phrase in as/as expressions: Tom swims as fast as a shark. Hope this helps, Alberto.

Both as and like are used to make comparisons in the same way. It would depend on the context as to which is more appropriate. As is usually not used on its own... Eg. He swam like a fish in the sea. He swam as if he was a fish in the sea. He swam as well as a fish in the sea. He swam in the sea like a fish He swam in the sea as if he were a fish. Like is more commonly used. As would be used a lot in poetry or literature. As is useful for making subtle differentiations in how something is similar to something else. As can also be used to show differences. Eg. They were as different as possible. Your cat is as different to mine as your mother looks like my mother.

"Like" can be a preposition that means "similar to." It's used before a noun or pronoun. Examples: > I look like my mother. > He has dark hair like me. > He swims like a fish. > I work like a horse. You can't use "as" in any of these sentences. "As" can also be used before a noun or pronoun, but not to talk about similarity. We use "as + noun/pronoun" to say what job or role a person or thing has. For example: "He works as a policeman." It's important to not mix up "as" and "like." If you say "I work as a horse" instead of "I work like a horse," it means that your job is to do what a horse does. :) "As" can be used as a conjunction before a clause (with a subject and a verb). It means "in the same way that." Examples: > I eat Korean food with metal chopsticks, as they do in Korea. > Nobody understands him as I do. > He want to Harvard, as his parents had before him. You can use "like" instead of "as" in the sentences above. It would not change the meaning. The difference is that "as" is more formal than "like." Also, some people think that only "as" should be used before a clause, and "like" should be used only before a noun or pronoun not followed by a verb. My advice is to use "as" before a clause whenever you take an English exam or write an essay, but use whatever you like when speaking to your friends, etc. :)