Monday, July 7, 2008

"Like" and "As"

Levels of Distractibility: Who cares? = *. Some people will be distracted from your meaning: = **. Many people will be distracted from your meaning: = ***.

Question: What is the difference between "like" and "as"?

Answer: "Like" is a preposition followed by an object: "It was just like him to do that."

"As" is a conjunction followed by a subject and verb: "As I Said...." "Tell it as it is...." "Tell it like it is" has become so much a part of the language that the correct usage does not sound right. However, the misuse of the two words does jar in other contexts, i.e., "Like I was saying....."

Rating of Distractibility: (***). And then there is the teen who prefaces every other word with "like": "Like, she's like not a like very good like person." UGH! As " 'Enry 'Iggins" said in My Fair Lady, the teen should be strung up for the cold blooded murder of the English tongue--or something like that.

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