The (Lingering) Like or As Page:
True Story: There used to be a Winston Cigarette commercial that had the slogan, "Winstons taste good like a cigarette should."
In
addition to trying to con us into thinking cigarettes could taste
anything better than the bottom of an ashtray at a tobacco growers
convention, that slogan caused English teachers all over America to
grind their teeth every time it was aired.
After
a while the Winston people relented and substituted the slogan with
something equally fallacious, but at least grammatically correct.
It was too late, of course, as English teachers no longer had any teeth left to grind.
Good: I am spelling these words as I should. (Yesssss!)
Bad: I am spelling these words like I should. (Yuck!)
In Standard English, "like" may be used as a preposition.
Jeremy looks like a sick toad.
"like a sick toad" is a prepositional phrase.
It is not at all like Jeremy to have so many zits.
"like Jeremy" is a prepositional phrase.
Another place in Standard English for "like" is as an adjective when it means "equal" or "similar" or, well, "like"
This is like that.
OK to use "like" because "This is similar to that" is the meaning.
But do not use "like" as a conjuntion to connect two clauses. That's a job for "as" or "as if".
Johnson drove his BMW as if it were a Buick.
"as if" connects the two clauses "Johnson drove his BMW" and "it were a Buick."
I
know that in some forms of Non-Standard-English it would be perfectly
acceptable to say, "Johnson drove his BMW like it was a Buick."
But, remember your audience; we're talking good grades and big raises here!
We
also need to recognize that "like" may be used as a kind of indicator
in some nonstandard dialects: "I mean, like yeah, man!" or "Like, let's
do it, baby!"
Again, remember your audience.
If your writing is formal, then follow the conventions of Standard English.
Fun
thing: Light up a Winston if you must, and translate some piece of
good, Standard English writing into a Valley Girl/street talkin'/hip
makin' slang epic. Use "like" and "as" like they ought to be used in
less formal gatherings.
And,
finally, check a piece of writing you are currently developing for
places where you used "like" or "as". Did you use them correctly in
Standard English? In slang?
To return to Step Two, click here.
