I. SIMILARITY

 

A. AS and LIKE

AS and LIKE are used to express a resemblance, a likeness.

LIKE is a preposition. It can be used to introduce a noun :

• Like his mother, he is very fond of football

Or a pronoun :

• Why don't you come by bus, like me ?

AS is a conjunction. It introduces a proposition, that is to say a SUBJECT + VERB. It is a less familiar form than LIKE :

• Why don't you come by bus, as I do ?
• As you say, it is a matter of opinion

 

 

BE CAREFUL

AS is the most correct form before a proposition when expressing a similarity, although you may hear people using LIKE (with a proposition) instead of AS.

For instance : "LIKE I DO", or "LIKE YOU SAY". It is incorrect, but frequently used among the popular classes.

AS is also used before a title, a quality or a function :

• I protest as a free citizen
• He is greater as a poet than as a philosopher

 

BE CAREFUL

It is important to understand the difference between AS and LIKE, because it changes the meaning of the sentence.

For instance :

• He acted as a judge means that it is his function.
• He acted like a judge means that he acted with the wisdom of a judge.

The verbs used with AS or/and LIKE :

The verbs to regard can only be followed by AS, and never by LIKE

• to look upon
• to consider

For instance,

• We regard her as a friend
• look upon
• consider

But the verb to treat can be used with AS or with LIKE.

For instance,

• She treated them like children
• She treated them as children

 

B. Similar

To express a similarity, you can of course also use SIMILAR.

It is then used as an epithet:

• We have similar opinions

But it can also be used as an attribute. It is then followed by TO you say SIMILAR TO :

• My opinions are similar to yours

 

C. The "TAGS"

If you want to express a similarity between attitudes or behaviours, you can use what we call a "TAG" (so do I, neither do I…) :

• She likes smoking cigarettes, so do I
• She does not like smoking cigarettes, neither do I
• nor do I
• I don't either

This is quite simple

 

D. Too

On the contrary, the use of TOO is difficult. It is usually placed after the word to which it is applied. Nevertheless, the meaning of the sentence is not always easy to determine.

For instance,

• I, too, like classical music means that the person whom I am talking to likes classical music.

And I want to introduce some kind of solidarity with him on that point of view. In other words, I say that I agree with him. This sentence is then a synonym of :

• I as well like classical music

If you say I like classical music, too , it means theoratically that I like many kinds of music, and also classical music. But the problem is that sentence can also mean the same thing as the the latter… Everything depends on the context.

 

II. CONTRAST, DIFFERENCE

 

A Unlike

UNLIKE expresses the opposite of LIKE :

• He is very unlike his brother
• Unlike his brother, he is very patient

 

B. Contrary to

CONTRARY TO can be followed by an abstract noun :

• Contrary to accepted opinions…

Or by the pronoun WHAT :

• Contrary to what I had thought…

 

C. Whereas and while

WHEREAS is a conjunction. It introduces a proposition expressing a contrast. WHILE can sometimes be used in the same sense :

• She works very hard, whereas her brother is very lazy
• while
• His wife is fond of jazz, whereas he prefers chamber music

 

D. Instead of

INSTEAD OF introduces a noun :

• I would like fish instead of meat

Or a gerondive :

• He watched a film on television instead of doing his work

But the gerondive can also be preceded by its subject or by a possessive adjective :

• We will take a taxi instead of your coming to fetch us

The adverb INSTEAD (without OF) is especially used at the end of the sentence :

• As the theatre was full, we went to the cinema instead
• There isn't any wine left, we will drink beer instead

There are many other forms to express in a more nuanced way the idea of CONTRAST, of DIFFERENCE. We will not and can not give them all. We will restrain ourselves to the main forms.

 

E. May not ... but

This form is used to express two different sides of a reality :

• Your pronunciation may not be good, but I can understand you

 

F. Expressing the contrast between an illusion and the reality

The more commonly used forms are THOUGH and WHEREAS. They can be followed by ACTUALLY or

IN FACT :

• I congratulated him on his new hat, though actually I didn't like it very much
• I congratulated him on his new hat, whereas in fact I didn't like it very much

 

G. The "TAGS"

• She likes him, I don't
• She does not like him, I do