Which Is Correct: As or Like?

Instant Quiz

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

I remember the lyrics to “Eleanor Rigby”, said James, “but I’m not sure what they mean”.

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Because my field of study is English, I rely on the Modern Language Association (usually abbreviated to MLA) for help with research citations.

I also use their Style Guide to keep up with changes in writing rules. So I was very interested when the MLA sent me an article about the difference between as and like. That’s a word pair that sometimes befuddles me, and I was looking forward to some enlightenment.

Here’s the kind of sentence I find confusing:

I wish I could dance like she does.

I know that most grammarians (Strunk and White, for example) would disapprove. But why?

This is the explanation I found in the MLA email:

Wilson Follett has a handy rule: “as tells in what role or capacity the deed is done; like introduces a comparison.”

The sentence I just typed for you is a comparison, right? I don’t see a “role or capacity.” But I have enough of a grammar background to know that most grammarians would still say that it’s wrong. What to do?

After tying myself in knots for a few minutes, I came up with a solution: just rewrite the sentence.  Here’s my new version:  “I wish I could dance the way she does.” Problem solved!

You won’t find this advice in most grammar books, but every professional writer I know swears by it: When you run into a grammar problem you can’t solve, rewrite the sentence. Done!

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

In the US, periods and commas always go inside quotation marks. There are no exceptions. (Other countries may use a different system.)

I remember the lyrics to “Eleanor Rigby,” said James, “but I’m not sure what they mean.”  CORRECT

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