like, as

   Problems often arise in choosing between like and as. Here are two examples, both from the New York Times and both wrong: "Advertising agencies may appear as [make it like] homespun enterprises to the American public"; "On the surface it looks like [as if] all of the parties are preparing for serious bargaining."

   On the face of it, the rule is simple: as and as if are always followed by a verb; like never is. Therefore you would say, "He plays tennis like an expert" (no verb after like), but "He plays tennis as if his life depended on it" (verb depended).

   Although that is the rule, you may wish to suspend it at times. Except in the most formal writing, sentences like the one you are now reading and the two that follow should not be considered objectionable: "She looks just like her mother used to"; "He cant dance like he used to."There is also one apparent inconsistency in the rule, in that like may be used when it comes between feel and an -ing verb: "He felt like walking"; "I feel like going abroad this year."

   A separate problem with like is that it often leads writers to make false comparisons, as here: "Like the Prime Minister, his opposition to increased public spending is fierce" (Daily Telegraph). The writer has inadvertently likened "Prime Minister" to "opposition." In order to liken person to person, the sentence needs to be recast: "Like the Prime Minister, he is fiercely opposed to increased public spending," or words to that effect.