Blog
Confusing words: Like
- agosto 26, 2013
- Posted by: Joel
- Category: Confusing Words Grammar
No hay comentarios
Like has two main uses, which can sometimes easily be confused.
The first one students often learn is the verb, used to describe something we enjoy or find pleasing:
I like reading books by Chaucer and Shakespeare.
I would like to travel the world.
I never used to like coffee, but now I love it!
- The other usage is as a preposition or adverb, to say that one thing is somehow similar to another:
Jeff is very much like his father: tall, thin, and clever.
That car looks just like mine—wait a minute, it is mine! Stop! Thief!
When I worked at that bank, I worked like a dog.
- This verb can be followed by either the gerund or the infinitive:
Valerie likes swimming.
Valerie likes to swim.
- However, when the verb is in the conditional, only the infinitive is possible:
Valerie would like to swim, but the pool is closed.
- Some possible confusion can arise in questions such as:
What is he like?
What does he look like?
What does he like?
What would he like?
In the first two sentences, the preposition is being used; in the last two, it’s the verb.
.
Image courtesy of tungphoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net