I Like “Like”

[image error]

Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.

I was in the mood for a carmel sundae yesterday.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Which is correct – as or like?

There’s a lot of controversy about like. English teachers used to have fits over a famous cigarette ad: “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.” They clamored for “as a cigarette should.”

Over the years there has been so much uproar about like that some writers are afraid to use it.

I think we should use like confidently – and often. I’m perfectly happy with sentences like (ha!) “The report looks like it’s ready” and “The process is working like it should.”

Many sticklers prefer as in that last sentence:  “The process is working as it should.” I’ll concede that I would use as myself in formal writing. But for most writing, I like like.

[image error]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

[image error]

Instant Quiz ANSWER

Caramel is a smooth, light-brown candy. It has three syllables.

Carmel (two syllables) can refer to a number of things, including a city in California, a mountain range, a Biblical settlement, and a religious order.

I was in the mood for a caramel sundae yesterday.  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.[image error]

“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go