Like / As / Unlike / Such as

Like / As / Unlike / Such as

* Like
- it is followed by a noun or a pronoun
- it is used to compare things
- it means ' similar to '
She is like her mother.
You speak like a native speaker.
Ann looks like a princess.

* As
- it is used to refer to something or someone's appearance or function
Before she became a waitress she worked as a cleaning lady.

- in the same way
I always drink strong black coffee as they do in my country.

- to refer to the degree of something
Your son will soon be as tall as his father.

- as a conjunction ( to connect two clauses )
As they were leaving, Mary called.

* Like and As
- they can both be used to show how things are similar
He runs like a panther.
He runs as a panther does.

* Unlike
- not alike, dissimilar, not equal
For twins, the girls are very unlike.
I am unlike my sister in many ways.

- not typical or characteristic for someone or something
It is unlike her to be late.

- when using to contrast somebody or something with another person or thing
Unlike the old generation of computers, the next generation of computers will be more efficient.

* Such as
- to introduce an example or series of examples
- it means ' for example ', ' of a kind '
Animals such as elephants and lions...

* Such as and Like
- they can both be used to introduce examples
- in formal academic writing 'such as' is better than 'like'