Comparing things · CEFR B2 · Confident
like or as? — English comparatives and superlatives
Like takes a noun and means similar to. As takes a clause, or names a real role somebody actually has.
The shape
like + noun · as + clause · as a + role
Compare without mixing up two very close words.
In Hindi
like के बाद संज्ञा आती है और मतलब है "जैसा"। as के बाद वाक्य आता है, या असली भूमिका।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
He works like a teacher, at the government school. | He works as a teacher at the government school. "Like" would mean he is not one — his real job takes "as". |
Questions people ask
- What is the like or as? used for?
- Like takes a noun and means similar to. As takes a clause, or names a real role somebody actually has. In practice: compare without mixing up two very close words.
- How do you form the like or as??
- like + noun · as + clause · as a + role.
- What is the most common mistake with the like or as??
- Saying “He works like a teacher, at the government school.” instead of “He works as a teacher at the government school.”. "Like" would mean he is not one — his real job takes "as".
Where like or as? fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
like or as? is a CEFR B2 structure — the confident band — and it belongs to comparing things. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
Practise the like or as? →