Like vs AS

[cesar.rodriguez.blanco]

Chapter 8, examples 6,8 and 9.
I know that LIKE must be followed by nouns, pronouns or noun phrases, but I do not understand the difference in meaning between LIKE and AS (when as is followed by the same elements)
Ex6: Frankie never went to law school, but he believes that years of watching Law&Order have taught him to think ___ a lawyer.
The answer is LIKE, but I do not understand why we can not put AS

Ex8. Eyewitnesses describe the missing passenger __ a lawyer in his late forties
The answer is AS, but I do not understand why we can not put LIKE

Ex9. __ lawyers, doctors are bound by a code of professional ethics.
The answer is LIKE, but I do not understand why we can not put AS

Thanks!!

[StaceyKoprince]

It might help to think of the meaning. "like" is used when you're trying to say something is similar to something else.

"as" is used in one of several ways:
- a conjunction in a clause (indicating a timeframe or causation, or indicating a comparison) (*Note: this is NOT the case you are asking about; this is with a clause, or a group of words containing a verb)
- a preposition with a noun or noun phrase (this is the case you are asking about)

In the latter case (preposition), "as" does NOT mean "similar to." So if the sentence wants something to say "similar to," don't use "as" - use "like." If the sentence wants to say something IS something else (not just similar to it), then use "as."

Example 6 is trying to say "similar to" - he thinks in a similar manner to a lawyer, but he's not actually a lawyer. So use "like."

Example 8 is not trying to say "similar to" - try it. The missing passenger is similar to a lawyer? No, the missing passenger actually is a lawyer - so use "as."

Example 9 is a comparison and the two items being compared are lawyers and doctors. The part before the comma ("lawyers") does not include any verb, so we cannot use "as" to set up the comparison because "as" can only be used in comparisons when we have two clauses, one for each thing being compared. So we're stuck using "like" here, because "lawyers" doesn't have a verb associated with it.

You could change the sentence to say:
As are lawyers, doctors are bound by a code of professional ethics.
Now, we have to use "as" because we have a clause ("are lawyers") before the comma instead of just a noun ("lawyers").

Does that help?

[deepakdewani]

Does that help?

Briliiant, thanks a lot for sorting out all the confusion Stacy.

[mschwrtz]

That is a nice succinct explanation, isn't it? We're glad that Stacey was able to sort that out.