As or like? Chocolate helps with another common confusion

People often trip up when it comes to using “as” versus “like”, so here are a couple of tips for you.

As often comes before a subject and its verb:

It’s fixed already, as you can see.

She died as she lived, peacefully.

or before an expression with a preposition (at, before, by):

The traffic is terrible in Sydney as in Bangkok.

As when arriving, be careful on the stairs.

As is used in these everyday expressions: as usual, as you know, as I said.

But when people are speaking informally, you may hear like: like I said and Nobody loves him like she does.

In fact, like normally goes before a noun:

Her skin is like silk.

These biscuits taste like sawdust.

or a pronoun:

My brother isn’t like me at all.

Your eyes are like your mother’s.

When talking about jobs, functions and roles, use as before a noun or pronoun:

She worked as a nurse in Australia.

Use the train strike as your excuse for being late.

Which brings us to chocolate.

If I’m your doctor, I’d say:

As your doctor, I advise you to eat more chocolate.

If I’m your friend and I agree with your doctor, then I’d say:

Like your doctor, I advise you to eat more chocolate.

Now have some chocolate and see here, here, here, here, here and here for more common confusions.

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