- Dictionary
- L
- Like
- Sentences
- He looks like Father Christmas.
- What was Bulgaria like?
- Suggest a topic or article headline you would like the author to write about.
- It may seem like you are the only one that deals with this problem.
- The neglect that large cities like New York have received over the past 12 years is tremendous.
- It also moved those who, like me, are too young to have lived through the war.
- It is like snowboarding on the street and the rider can go anywhere, up or down.
- The use of like to mean such as was formerly thought to be undesirable in formal writing, but has now become acceptable. It was also thought that as rather than like should be used to mean in the same way that, but now both as and like are acceptable: they hunt and catch fish as/like their ancestors used to. The use of look like and seem like before a clause, although very common, is thought by many people to be incorrect or non-standard: it looks as though he won’t come (not it looks like he won’t come)
- I was shaking all over, trembling like a leaf.
- You should have told us. But it’s just like you not to share.
- His arms look like they might snap under the weight of his gloves.
- People are strolling, buying ice cream for their children, just like they do every Sunday.
- There’s nothing like candlelight for creating a romantic mood.
- Three hundred million dollars will be nothing like enough.
- He likes baseball. [VERB noun]
- How do you like America? [VERB noun/verb-ing]
- I’ve been looking at the cookery book. I like the way it is set out. [VERB noun]
- I like to get to airports in good time. [VERB to-infinitive]
- I’d like a bath. [VERB noun]
- I’d like to apologize. [VERB to-infinitive]
- Here’s your change. Would you like a bag? [VERB noun]
- I’d like an explanation. [VERB noun]
- You have to make sure you’re comparing like with like.
- I thought that I knew everything about Jemma: her likes and dislikes, her political viewpoints.
- Acting like a maniac
- like mother, like daughter
- There was this policeman just staring at us, like
- You look like you’ve just seen a ghost
- She doesn’t dance like you do
- Compare like with like
- He likes boxing
- We would like you to go
- How did she like it?
- It likes me not to go
- A cup of sugar and a like amount of flour
- She is like a bird
- She sings like a bird
- It’s not like her to sleep late
- To feel like sleeping
- That sounds like fun; it looks like a clear day tomorrow
- Great dramatists like Sophocles and Shakespeare
- It was just like you said
- It looks like he is late
- I’ve never met her like
- It’s, like, hot
- Leave whenever you like
- I would like to see him
- I like Cleveland in the Series
- Tell me your likes and dislikes.
- To play the like
- I like hamburgers; I like skiing in winter; I like the Seattle Mariners this season
- I like to go to the dentist every six months; She likes to keep herself physically fit; we like to keep one around the office just in case
- He liked to have been too late.
- I really like Sandra but don’t know how to tell her.
- I liked my friend’s last status on Facebook. I can’t stand Bloggs’ tomato ketchup, but I liked it on Facebook so I could enter a competition.
- My partner and I have like minds.
- Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.
- 1966, Advertising slogan for Winston cigarettesWinston tastes good like a cigarette should1978, «Do Unto Others» by Bob DylanBut if you do right to me, baby I’ll do right to you, too Ya got to do unto others Like you’d have them, like you’d have them, do unto you
- It looks like you’ve finished the project. It seemed like you didn’t care.
- These hamburgers taste like leather.
- Divint ye knaa, like?
- He was so angry, like.
- She was, like, sooooo happy.
- There were, like, twenty of them. And then he, like, got all angry and left the room.
- I was like, “Why did you do that?” and he’s like, “I don’t know. ”
- There are lots of ways you might amuse yourself — like taking a long walk, for instance
- like boxes.
- He works like a beaver.
- He is just like his father. Your necklace is just like mine.
- It would be like him to forget our appointment.
- It looks like rain.
- She looks like a good prospect for the job.
- To feel like going to bed.
- There is nothing like a cold drink of water when one is thirsty. What was he like?
- like father, like son.
- Sleeping like a log.
- There are numerous hobbies you might enjoy, like photography or painting.
- The house is more like 40 than 20 years old.
- Like enough he’ll come with us. Like as not her leg is broken.
- I did it like wrong.
- A long list of likes and dislikes.
- I see my comment got lots of likes.
- We all liked the concert.
- His parents like me and I like them.
- You can do exactly as you like while you are a guest here.
- Like us on Facebook to get a free sample.
- We’ll have lunch whenever you like.
Hello, guys! Today I’m going to tell you about one of the most interesting words in the English language: the word LIKE.
Do you know how we can use LIKE? What part of speech is it? What functions can it have?
Let’s begin with a quote that I really like:
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” (Maya Angelou)
Do you agree with Maya?
So, in this quote, what is the meaning of LIKE? Can you replace it with another word?
Yes, you can. We can say “if you don’t love,” or “If you don’t enjoy”, or “if you’re not fond of”, or “if you’re not keen on” etc. So in this sentence LIKE is a verb which shows preference.
I like swimming, I like dogs, I don’t like rap music. 
- What do you like?
- What do you dislike?
Let’s look at this picture. “Would you like some tea?”
This woman is asking the man if he wants tea.
So when we talk about what we want or when we ask someone what they want, we can use “would like”.
Would you like to do an exercise on this topic? =)
I really like this song. It is “Help” by The Beatles. Take a break, listen to this great song!
“We can help you, if you like.”
What does “if you like” mean? We use “
if you like
” when we offer our help, or when we suggest something.
We can go to the movies, if you like. (if you like = if you want to do this).
Look at this girl! She’s as graceful as a swan. She dances like a goddess.
What does LIKE mean here? She dances like a goddess.
It means in a similar way, happening in the same way as something else.
What can we say if a man eats too much and too fast?
We can say that he eats like a horse, in the same way as a horse.
Here, like is used as a preposition.
From the Wikipedia article on Keira Knightley, famous English actress: “Knightley was cast in the role due to her close resemblance to Portman; even the two actresses’ mothers had difficulty telling their daughters apart when the girls were in full makeup.”
Can you tell which picture (left or right) shows Keira Knightley and which one shows Natalie Portman?
You’re right, Portman is on the left and Knightley is on the right.
They look like each other, don’t they? Knightley was hired because she looks like Portman.
“Look like someone” means that people have similar appearance. We can also say that two people look alike. We can also use taste, feel, sound, smell with this meaning.
For example: «Your perfume smells like my boyfriend’s! It feels like I just saw him».
We can use “look like” and “feel like” with a more idiomatic meaning.
Compare:
- She looks like my mother.
- It looks like Sasha is late again.
In which sentence is “look like” used idiomatically? Yep, in the second one. In the first sentence we’re talking about outward appearance, about eyes, skin, hair color. In the second sentence we mean “it seems that” when we say “it looks like”.
Compare:
- I feel like he’s here.
- I feel like singing a song.
In the first sentence, I actually feel as if he’s here, I feel that he’s here, even if he’s not here.
In the second sentence, I want to sing a song, I feel like singing a song. In this case “feel like doing something” is idiomatic.
What do you feel like doing right now?
I love big cities like New York! Just listen to this song from Frank Sinatra — New York, New York
Do you want to visit big cities like New York?
What does “like” mean in this sentence? Here, we use it to give an example. I can say “I love big cities, such as NY.” It will mean the same thing.
Do you often eat fruits like apples, bananas and berries?
Have you seen the new Les Misérables musical? What’s it like? I want to watch it, but I don’t know if I’ll like it.
So what did I want you to tell me when I said “What’s it like?”
I wanted to hear your opinion about it; I wanted you to tell me what you thought of it. So when we ask someone to describe something or give their opinion, we can ask “What is it like?”
By the way, Les Miserables is a REALLY great film, you should watch it!
So we can use like in these cases:
| to like = to enjoy, to think something is nice | I like fresh coffee, what do you like? |
| would like – to ask what someone wants | What would you like to eat? |
| if you like – to suggest or offer something | I’ll help you, if you like. |
| to do something like someone – to do something in the same way | She dresses like a princess! |
| to look like someone, sound like, feel like, taste like = similar to something | You look like me! |
| it looks like… = it seems that | It looks like he is late again. |
| to feel like doing something = to want to do this right now | I feel like going to sleep. |
| like = for example, such as | Big cities like London are very expensive. |
| What… like? – to ask someone for their opinion | What is she like? Is she nice? |
There are also some more uses of like.
Like can be used as a noun: likes and dislikes. For example: «My friend and I have the same likes and dislikes».
Likes and dislikes are the things you like and don’t like.
What are your likes and dislikes?
We can use “like” as part of an adjective, as the suffix. For example: «This portrait is very lifelike. Who painted it? «
Some of these adjectives are:
- Childlike (like a child)
- Ladylike (like a lady)
- Catlike (like a cat)
- Lifelike (the same as in life)
Do you know childlike adults?
I also wanted to tell you about this English saying: Like father, like son. What do you think it means?
This photo can help you figure it out.
And now check your understanding with the help of these exercises:
- Match the question and the answer: http://absolutenglish-972.pagesperso-orange.fr/notes/grammar/like/like.htm
- You have the answer, write the question: http://absolutenglish-972.pagesperso-orange.fr/notes/grammar/like/like2.htm
- What part of speech is “like” in this sentence?: http://absolutenglish-972.pagesperso-orange.fr/notes/grammar/like/likeprep.htm
- Fill in the gaps in the conversation: http://absolutenglish-972.pagesperso-orange.fr/notes/grammar/like/like3.htm
Good luck! Hope you like this blog =)
Ми розглянули правила та приклади використання слова like в англійській мові. Щоб дізнатися більше про англійську граматику, читайте інші публікації в розділі Grammar!
Like has a number of meanings and uses.
Like as a verb meaning ‘enjoy’
We use like to talk about things or people which we enjoy or feel positive about:
like + noun phrase
I like Sarah but I don’t like her brother much.
Do you like pasta?
She really likes the singing of Luciano Pavarotti.
like + -ing
I like swimming before breakfast.
He likes telling jokes.
like + to-infinitive
She likes to go and see her parents at the weekend.
I don’t like to cycle in the dark.
He likes his friends to call him Hank.
Do you think she would like us to bring some chocolates or flowers?
like + wh-clause
I don’t like what he did.
We liked how they cooked the fish.
Would like in offers and requests
We use would like or ’d like to offer something to someone in a polite way or to ask them to do something politely (requests), or politely to say what we want. We use the to-infinitive form of verbs that follow:
Would you like another coffee?
Would you like to watch a DVD?
[At a fast food restaurant]
B:
I’d like a cheese burger and fries please.
[In an email to a company that has advertised a job]
… I’d like to enquire about the Sales Manager position which you have advertised …
Would you like to follow me, please? (Please follow me)
Like as a preposition meaning ‘similar to’
Like means ‘similar to’. We often use it with verbs of the senses such as look, sound, feel, taste, seem:
My sister is like my mother. (My sister and my mother are similar)
I think this tastes like coconut.
That looks like Marco’s car.
He seems like a nice man.
When we use like to mean ‘similar to’, we can put words and phrase such as a bit, just, very, so and more before it to talk about the degree of similarity:
It’s a bit like skiing but there’s no snow.
Isn’t that just like the bike we bought you for your birthday?
That smells very like garlic.
The car was more like a green than a blue colour.
Like as a conjunction
In informal contexts, we can use like as a conjunction instead of as. Traditional grammar books consider this use of like incorrect:
Like any good cook book will tell you, don’t let the milk boil. (or As any good cook book …)
Like as a suffix
We can use like as a suffix at the end of a noun to mean ‘similar to’:
There is something child-like about Marianne. She always seems so innocent.
Like in spoken English
In informal speaking, you will hear like used very commonly. It has a number of functions. It is important not to use these forms in formal writing such as academic essays.
Filler
We can use like to fill in the silence when we need time to think about what to say next or how to rephrase what we have just said:
I want to … like … I think we need to think carefully about it. It’s … like … it’s a very difficult decision for us to make.
Focusing attention
We can use like to bring attention to what we are going to say next. We do this especially when talking about quantities and times:
There were like five hundred guests at the wedding. (like brings focus to the large number of guests)
It wasn’t till like 12:00 that I actually got to start on the project. (like brings focus to how late it was)
Asking for an example (Like what?)
In speaking, we often use like what? to ask for an example:
A:
Some really funny things happened on the last day of school.
B:
Funny things? Like what?
It can also be used to ask a question, meaning ‘similar to what?’:
[talking about a new restaurant]
A:
There was kangaroo steak on the menu. I decided to try it.
A:
Yeah. It actually tasted good.
A:
I don’t know. Like steak but softer.
Softening what has just been said
We can use like at the end of what we say to modify or soften what we have just said especially if we are not sure if it was the right thing to say:
[A and B are talking about B’s holiday]
A:
So did you buy anything there?
B:
No. It was too expensive, like.
I hated the film. It was very violent, like.
Reported speech
It has become common in very informal speaking to use like as a reporting verb. It can be used to report what someone said or what someone thought. It is used especially by young people, and it makes what is reported sound more dramatic:
Jason was like ‘I’m not going to Alma’s party because Chris is going to be there’ and I’m like ‘he’s so afraid of Chris’. (in the first use of like, it means ‘he said’, but in the second use it means ‘I thought’)
Saying something is like something else
We can use the structure it + be + like to introduce an example or say that something is similar to something else:
It’s like when you go to the airport and you keep thinking that you have forgotten something important.
[a woman talking about her husband Bob]
Everyone is always saying hello to Bob. It’s like being married to a superstar!
Be like or what is … like?
We can use be like to ask for a description of someone or something (e.g. their appearance, their character, their behaviour):
What’s your new apartment like?
Not: How is your new apartment like?
Be like or look like?
We use be like to talk about someone’s character or personality. We use look like to talk about someone’s appearance:
A:
What’s your new boss like?
B:
She’s nice. She’s very professional.
Not: She’s like a very professional person.
A:
What does your father look like?
B:
He’s very like me but taller and older!
Compare
|
What is his personality like? Is he nice? |
|
What is his appearance like? Is he handsome? |
Synonym: comprise, consist of, control, curb, hold, include, involve, restrain. Similar words: container, maintain, confrontation, on the contrary, retain, obtain, sustain, certain. Meaning: [kən’teɪn] 
v. 1. include or contain; have as a component 2. contain or hold; have within 3. lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits 4. be divisible by 5. be capable of holding or containing 6. hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of.
Random good picture Not show
1. I am a does not contain any additives lunatic.
2. Most wines contain between 10% and 15% alcohol.
3. All natural minerals contain impurities.
4. Nebulae contain very large amounts of ionized gas.
5. Some mushrooms contain a deadly poison.
6. Fruit juices contain natural sugars.
7. Our products contain no artificial preservatives or colourings.
8. He could hardly contain his fury.
9. This drink doesn’t contain any alcohol.
10. The regional editions of the paper contain specific information for that area.
11. To explain this, they hypothesise that galaxies must contain a great deal of missing matter which cannot be detected.
12. This brand of tinned food does not contain artificial coloring.
13. Doctors are struggling to contain the epidemic.
14. It might contain something of value.
15. Her blood was found to contain poison.
16. The records contain the bank details of all employees.
17. UN peacekeepers are struggling to contain the escalating violence.
18. Most fertilizers contain nitrogen and phosphates.
18. Sentencedict.com try its best to collect and build good sentences.
19. Tomorrow’s papers will contain full details of the case.
20. He struggled to contain his resentment.
21. The liquid was found to contain 7.4g of phenylamine.
22. The little boy couldn’t contain his urine any longer.
23. What does that box contain?
24. Magazines often contain caricatures of well-known film stars.
25. Does the sentence contain an adverb?
26. Government forces have failed to contain the rebellion.
27. Butter and cream contain a lot of saturated fats.
28. Please contain your enthusiasm for a moment.
29. Some magazines contain nothing but scandal and gossip.
30. The food was analysed root and branch and found to contain small amounts of poison.
More similar words: container, maintain, confrontation, on the contrary, retain, obtain, sustain, certain, curtain, captain, uncertain, for certain, certainly, retaining, sustainable, certainly not, uncertainty, control, contest, context, contend, confront, contract, continue, contrast, continent, continued, contribute, entertainment, constraint.
Adverbs can take different positions in a sentence. It depends on the type of sentence and on what role the adverb plays and what words the adverb defines, characterizes, describes.
Most often, we put adverbs after the verb but before adjectives, other adverbs, or participles.
She walked quickly away.
He runs slowly along.
Adverb and three main positions
There are three main positions for an adverb in a sentence:
- before the verb
- at the beginning of a sentence
- at the end of a sentence
Let’s look at these positions separately.
At the end
We put an Adverb at the end of a sentence after the predicate and the object.
The water is rising fast.
At the beginning
We put an adverb at the beginning of a sentence before the subject.
Today I have a piano lesson.
In the middle
Most often, we put an adverb in the middle of a sentence. But “middle” is not an accurate concept. Where exactly this middle is located, it depends on the words next to which we use the adverb.
- In interrogative sentences, we put an adverb between the subject and the main verb.
Did he often go out like that?
- If the predicate in the sentence is only one verb, then we put the adverb before the verb.
You rarely agree with me.
- If the predicate contains more than one word, then we put the adverb after the modal verb or after the auxiliary verb (if there is a modal verb or auxiliary verb).
You must never do this again.
There are adverbs that we can put before a modal verb or an auxiliary verb.
He surely can prepare for this.
Adverb placement depending on the type of adverb
The place of an adverb depends on what type of adverbs it belongs to. Different adverbs can appear in different places.
Adverbs of manner
We usually use Adverbs of manner:
- before main verbs
- after auxiliary verbs
- at the end of the sentence
- If the verb is in the Passive Voice, then we use an adverb between the auxiliary verb and the verb in the third form.
- We usually use Adverbs of manner after the verb or after the Object.
- We can NOT use an Adverb of manner between the verb and direct object. If the sentence has a verb and a direct object, then we use an adverb of manner before the verb or after the object.
- Usually we put an adverb of manner that answers the question HOW after the verb or after the verb and the object.
She held the baby gently.
We are running slowly.
- We usually put the adverbs well, fast, quickly, immediately, slowly at the end of a sentence.
I wrote him an answer immediately.
The truck picked up speed slowly.
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency are adverbs that indicate how often, with what frequency an action occurs.
Adverbs of frequency answer the question “How often?“
- Most often we put Adverbs of frequency before the main verb.
- We can use normally, occasionally, sometimes, usually at the beginning of a sentence or at the end of a sentence.
- We usually put Adverbs of frequency that accurately describe the time (weekly, every day, every Saturday) at the end of a sentence.
We have another board meeting on Monday.
I wish we could have fried chicken every week.
Maybe we could do this every month.
- We put Adverbs of frequency after the verb to be if the sentence contains the verb to be in the form of Present Simple or Past Simple.
My routine is always the same.
- We often use usually, never, always, often, sometimes, ever, rarely in the middle of a sentence.
I often wish I knew more about gardening.
- We can use usually at the beginning of a sentence.
Usually, I keep it to myself.
Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree express the degree to which something is happening. These are such adverbs as:
- almost
- absolutely
- completely
- very
- quite
- extremely
- rather
- just
- totally
- We put Adverbs of degree in the middle of a sentence.
- We put Adverbs of degree after Auxiliary Verbs.
- We put Adverbs of degree after modal verbs.
I feel really guilty about that.
- We put Adverbs of degree before adjectives.
When guns speak it is too late to argue.
- We put Adverbs of degree before other adverbs.
He loses his temper very easily.
- Sometimes we put Adverbs of degree before modal verbs and before auxiliary verbs. Usually, we use such adverbs as:
- certainly
- definitely
- really
- surely
You definitely could have handled things better.
I think I really could have won.
- The adverb enough is an exception to this rule. We put the Adverb enough after the word it characterizes.
I have lived long enough.
Adverbs of place and time
Let’s see where we use the adverbs of place and adverbs of time.
- Most often we put the adverb of place and time at the end of the sentence.
I thought you didn’t have family nearby.
They found her place in Miami yesterday.
- We put monosyllabic adverbs of time (for example, such as now, then, soon) before main verbs but after auxiliary verbs including the verb to be.
Now imagine you see another woman.
Yes, he is now a respectable man.
- We can use adverbs of place and time at the very beginning of a sentence when we want to make the sentence more emotional.
Today, we have to correct his mistakes.
- We put the adverbs here and there at the end of the sentence.
Independent thought is not valued there.
- Most often we put adverbs of place and time after the verb or verb + object.
I can’t change what happened yesterday.
You have to attend my wedding next month.
- Most often we put such adverbs as towards, outside, backward, everywhere, nearby, downstairs, southward, at the end of the sentence or in the middle of the sentence, but immediately after the verb.
I made iced tea and left it downstairs.
With this speaker, you can hear everything outside.
I can run backward!
- We put adverbs of time that accurately define the time (for example, yesterday, now, tomorrow) at the end of the sentence.
The ship is going to be back tomorrow.
He wants it to happen now.
If we want to emphasize time, we can put an adverb that accurately specifies the time at the beginning of the sentence.
Tomorrow I’m moving to Palais Royal.
Adverbs that show the speaker’s degree of confidence.
Let’s talk about the place in the sentence occupied by Adverbs that show the speaker’s degree of confidence in what the speaker is saying.
- We can put at the beginning of the sentence such adverbs as:
- definitely
- perhaps
- probably
- certainly
- clearly
- maybe
- obviously
Certainly, you have an opinion about that.
Definitely think twice before correcting one of your mistakes again.
Maybe someone else was in her apartment that night.
We can also put adverbs like this in the middle of a sentence:
They’ll probably name a street after me.
This assumption is clearly no longer valid.
Adverbs that emphasize the meaning of the word they describe
The next group of adverbs is adverbs that emphasize the meaning of the word they describe.
- Look at the following adverbs:
- very
- really
- terribly
- extremely
- almost
- quite
- pretty
We usually put such adverbs in the middle of the sentence before the word that these adverbs characterize.
He is very tired.
She found it extremely difficult to get a job.
I’m quite happy to wait for you here.
Adverbs defining a verb
- We put an adverb after the verb to be. If the adverb defines the verb to be in one of its forms.
He was never a good man.
- If an adverb defines another adverb or adjective, then we put such an adverb most often before the word that it defines.
I can see it quite clearly.
They walked rather slowly.
Adverbs connecting sentences
Adverbs can connect sentences in a logical sequence.
Such adverbs can appear at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle of the sentence. These are such adverbs as:
- next
- anyway
- however
- besides
- next
Adverbs that explain the speaker’s point of view
Let’s take a look at Adverbs that explain the speaker’s point of view in what he says.
- fortunately
- surprisingly
- personally
We most often put them at the beginning of the sentence.
Honestly, I wish I had time to do more reading.
Often their homes are their only major material possession.
We can put some of these adverbs at the end of a sentence.
I know what you’ve done for me, honestly.
Always, Never, and Only
Now let’s talk about some adverbs separately. These are very popular adverbs that we often use in English.
- Always and never.
We usually put always and never in the middle of the sentence before the verb they define.
The bread always falls buttered side down.
Love is never paid but with true love.
- Only.
Only is an incredibly popular adverb. Most often, we put only before the word that the adverb only characterizes.
Wisdom is only found in truth.
A man can only die once.
Additional tips
If we have two or more adverbs to define one verb, then the order of these adverbs should be as follows:
- Adverb of manner
- Adverb of place
- Adverb of time
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