 Re: as vs. like
Hi Beatrix,
M75 has some parts LIKE model C68
Your final question gives it away. as is used to indicate that two things are equivalent, while like shows that theyīre similar. Neatly summed up in the two sentences :
a) I work as a teacher
b) I work like a slave
In (a) Iīm saying that I am a teacher - thereīs no distinction between the words I and teacher whereas in (b) Iīm simply comparing myself to a slave.
In your example, they arenīt the same parts, just the same type of parts - so itīs seen by the language as similarity rather than equivalence.
So as is often used together with the same - Her hair is the same colour as her mothers and in as..as.. constructions expressing equivalence or lack of it : Heīs just as idiotic as always.
as can of course also be combined with such with the meaning "of a type" which makes it equivalent to likein its meaning of for example : I enjoy talking about certain aspects of grammar, like/such as the verb system and itīs probably this which causes the most confusion for students.
Hope that helps, and have a very happy Christmas. |