1. Using Like Correctly No, not as in “I was like 20 feet from the field,” or I was like, “You better not” and then he was like, “I will if I want.” All text from: www.grammartips.homestead.com/like.html

2. Using Like Correctly But, as in I am like my brother and Frank acted like a toddler who just got his toys taken away.

3. Here is the rule: Always use "like" as a preposition, never as a subordinating conjunction.

4. Prepositions are followed by nouns or pronouns (objects of the preposition) He is like a fish. She is like a reporter.

5. Subordinating conjunctions are followed by a subject & verb He swims as though he is a shark circling its prey. She supplies information as if she were a reporter reporting the news.

6. no-no Historically, "like" has often been used as a subordinating conjunction, but in formal modern usage it is considered a definite no-no. like ≠ subordinating conjunction

7. The use of "like" as a conjunction had pretty nearly disappeared among the educated public, until a famous cigarette ad declared, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!"

9. Although it has become generally accepted in colloquial speech and informal writing, it is still considered questionable in formal writing.

10. big Anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer needs to be very careful about unnecessarily breaking this particular rule because most teachers and editors see it not only as an error, but as one of those really big errors.

11. EXAMPLES My face felt like it had been set on fire. correct options: My face felt as if it had been set on fire. My face felt as though it had been set on fire.

12. In college the teachers don't spoon feed you the material like the teachers in high school sometimes do. correct options: In college the teachers don't spoon feed you the material as the teachers in high school sometimes do. In college the teachers don't spoon feed you the material the way the teachers in high school sometimes do.

13. When I was a freshman, I studied like my life depended on it. correct options: When I was a freshman, I studied as if my life depended on it. When I was a freshman, I studied as though my life depended on it.

14. Some people with only a modest income try to live like they are millionaires. correct options: Some people with only a modest income try to live as if they were millionaires. Some people with only a modest income try to live as though they were millionaires.

15. I felt like I had done my best. correct options: I felt that I had done my best. I felt as though I had done my best.

16. We're going to party like it's 1999. correct options: Leave this one alone. It belongs to the rock musician Prince, and no one thinks popular song lyrics are supposed to read as if they were written by an English teacher. Leave this one alone. It belongs to the rock musician Prince, and no one thinks popular song lyrics are supposed to read as though they were written by an English teacher. (Hah! I got the proper subordinating conjunctions in by way of the comment.)

17. Remember the rule: Always use "like" as a preposition, never as a subordinating conjunction.

18. NO Verb follows LIKE He is like a canary. She is like a duck. See, NO VERBS! He is like a canary on speed. She is like a duck with three feet. Still, NO VERBS!

19. But when you use as if or as though, guess what you get to use. VERBS! He sings as if he were a canary on speed. She walks as if she were a duck with three feet. Look At Those Verbs.

20. Look At Those Verbs. He is like a canary on speed. He sings as if he were a canary on speed. He sings the way a canary on speed sings. See, NO VERB!

21. Look At Those Verbs. She is like a duck. She walks as if she were a duck with three feet. She walks the way a duck with three feet walks. See, NO VERB!

22. NO Verb follows LIKENO Verb follows LIKE Squiggly is like a raccoon. Her brain is just like a computer. NO VERBS! Squiggly eats as if he were a raccoon. It acted just as I would expect my computer to behave. Look At Those Verbs.

23. Very Simply: NO Verb follows LIKE

24. That’s because LIKE compares things and AS compares actions.

25. Look At Those Verbs. He talks like Huck. He talks as Huck talks. He talks the way Huck talks. He talks as if he were Huck. What verb is implied?

26. Look At Those Verbs. She sings like an angel. She sings the way an angel sings. She sings as an angel sings. She sings as if she were an angel. What verb is implied?

27. 1.When I act like a star, others find me annoying. 2.He runs like a penguin. 3.When he looks at her, she giggles like a ticklish baby. FIX THESE!

28. Using Like Correctly As in This ending is like so many beginnings, or This lesson ends as it began. Most text from: www.grammartips.homestead.com/like.html