Friday, June 20, 2008

Usage - "Like" versus "Such As"

Did you know that formal writing makes a very clear distinction between the terms "like" and "such as" when using them to cite examples? (Don't worry, I didn't know that either until I researched it a bit, but it does make sense!) Both terms are used to make comparisons, and here is how to know when to correctly use each one.

The term "like" is used if you're citing only one example. Look at the sentence below that demonstrates this.
Search engines like Google help people locate information quickly.

Conversely, the phrase "such as" is used if you're citing more than one example. The sentence below shows this.
Search engines such as Google and Yahoo help people locate information quickly.

Try it out! Write two sentences where one uses the term "like" and the other uses the phrase "such as." Let's see how you do!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

mirlene - Usage of like and such as.

My daughter acting like me when I was in her age.

She is capable to speak three languages such as English, Creole and French.

Anonymous said...

A car like the Toyota Camry is very dependable.

Cars such as the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry get pretty good gas mileage.

Anonymous said...

I really like shoes, pumps and heals.

My next pair will be something such as nike cortez or phat farms.

-Jolene H

Anonymous said...

A product like Raid will kill ants and roaches.

Products such as Rid X and Baygon will also kill ants and roaches.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy pastries like cheese danishes.

I enjoy pastries such as croissants, danishes, tarts, and cookies.

Rebekah W.

Anonymous said...

Usage of "like" and "such as."

There is nothing like a good night sleep.

Methods such as power naps are very helpful for long days.

-Angelica

Anonymous said...

Wearing a color like black will make you look slimmer.

Try to avoid colors such as white, pink, and yellow if you want to hide a few inches.

Archarna J.

Anonymous said...

He is so smart just like you.

He likes to play sports such as soccer, football and baseball.

Geraldine G.

Anonymous said...

Gas is expensive now, so its better if you buy a car like the Smart car; it barely uses gas.

Unlike other cars such as BMW, Audi and Jaguar, burn a lot of gas.

Luz Croce

Anonymous said...

I like to read the Wall Street Journal.

You are able to read information regarding the house market in the newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the Sun Sentinel.

Maria Rodriguez-Trelles