The word "like" gets special attention in this
level because it's so often used and understanding it
will improve your English quickly.
1. "Like" expresses your happiness with something or
someone:
I like this ice cream. / I
like my neighbors.
2. "Like" is used to make comparisons and
to ask questions about people and things:
- Question: What is it like to live
in Minnesota in January?
- Answer: It's like living in Siberia.
- Question: Why is he like that?
- Answer: I don't know. He's just naturally a mean person.
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A cantaloupe is like a honeydew melon.
or use kind of like:
A honeydew melon tastes kind of
like a cantaloupe.
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This YouTube
video provides some more examples.
3. "Like" is
often used with "would" as a polite way of asking
what a person wants. You often hear this in restaurants:
Question: What would you like to
have for lunch? |
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Answer: I'd like a veggie sub, french
fries, and a coke.
(note the use of the contraction: I'd
like = I would like.) |
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4. "Like" sometimes doesn't mean anything at all. Americans
use it in the same way they use "you know" and "uuhhhh...."
Try to avoid doing this when you speak
English. It's a bad
habit. Teenagers use this "like" a lot.
That movie was, like, so good.
I was, like, really mad at my teacher because
he gave me a bad grade, and he was, like, "Here. you earned this."
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Warning: Do not say "I
like." The verb should
have an object somewhere after it. (The exception is example #4.)
- Question: Do you like this car?
- Answer:
Yes, I like. (incorrect!)
- Answer: Yes, I like it. (correct!) Or...I
like this car.
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