Grammar for ESL Beginners

BEGINNERS GRAMMAR​

like vs as​

By Camilo A Toloza

How and when we use Like?

• We use LIKE to say that something is similar to something or somebody and to give it some kind of emphasis.

​For example:

​• Mathew is like his father

He is similar to them, no exactly the same, but looks like or acts like or behaves like them.​

• This house is big and spacious. This house is like a castle!

It´s not literally or exactly a castle, but it is big, spacious and expensive, it resembles a castle.​

Another examples could be: ​

• Stop behaving like animals!

• She looks like a supermodel

• ​ He speaks like a native speaker

Multiple Choice

According to those examples, which one do you think is the best option to create the grammatical structure to use LIKE in a sentence?

• VERB + LIKE + NOUN&PRONOUN

• ADVERB + LIKE + ADJECTIVE

• LIKE + ADJECTIVE + VERB

How and when we use AS?

​AS

The way; in the same way; in the same condition

​The structure of the sentence is usually:

AS + SUBJECT + VERB.

• Nobody sings as she does.

• Please do it as I showed you.

• As I said before, we need to finish the homework today.​

Some examples are:​

Another use of AS is to say what the role/position/function of a person/thing is.

• He started work as a carpenter.

• She had many plants as decoration in her living room.

• I worked as an English teacher at the school.

Poll

What do you think is the correct word in this sentence:

He works in a bank, ___ his father.

• LIKE

• AS

Open Ended

Please write a short dialogue using the words LIKE or AS in a correct way.

5 lines minimun.