Comments on: like/as though/as if

By: grammarNewb

grammarNewb — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:57:25 +0000

Also, it doesn’t have to be a NOUN, a NOUN PHRASE will also nicely fit in that position; just NOT. A. CLAUSE. (a.k.a Noun/Pronoun + corresponding Verb).

By: grammarNewb

grammarNewb — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:55:18 +0000

Just because a modifier stands directly before something does not necessarily mean it directly modifies that exact something.

1/ LIKE + NOUN + NOTHING ELSE = like modifying the NOUN

2/ LIKE + NOUN + SOMETHING ELSE (in this case, “will rain” or “is on its way”) = that SOMETHING ELSE makes all the difference.

You can’t have LIKE modify the noun and leave a VERB all alone by itself, it makes no structural sense. A Verb needs a Subject to form a clause.

By: Donal Knight

Donal Knight — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:01:56 +0000

Thank you for a very simple and concise answer.

By: Tracy Bloor

Tracy Bloor — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:44:16 +0000

What about
“looks like rain is on its way”
a common expression.
Here “like” funcions as a preposition with “rain” a noun (which is grammatically correct) but “is on its way” part of a noun phrase (hence grammatically correct) or is it a subordinate clause (incorrect)?.

By: Gerry Puchalski

Gerry Puchalski — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:52:39 +0000

Of course, many people just say “It looks like rain” which is wrong if the “like it will” is implied, but is grammatically correct since it like is modifying the noun rain. “The dust in the air was so thick it looked like rain.”