As, like and as if: interview like a pro – like vs as and as if exercises for B2 students

Q: When do you use like and when do you use as?

Like means similar to; as means in the role of . He swims like a fish : he isn't one. She works as a nurse : it's her job. As also comes before a clause ( As I said… ) and in fixed phrases such as as usual and the same as . As, like and as if: interview like a pro , a B2 drill lesson on edio.ai, gives each use a chapter of its own.

Q: What are some examples of like and as?

Four from As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai: My aunt got her first job as an engineer when she was 24. The new mattress is so soft. It's like sleeping on a cloud. As the only doctor on the plane, she had to help the sick passenger. When I come home, our dog jumps around like a kangaroo. The as sentences name a real role ; the like sentences compare.

Q: What's the difference between like and as if?

Like goes with a noun, as if with a clause : You look like a zombie! but You look as if you haven't slept. In American speech, like + a clause is common too: It looks like it's going to rain. In a formal email or a report, as if sounds better. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai accepts both before a clause.

Q: Is it “a job like a waiter” or “a job as a waiter”?

It's a job as a waiter : a job or a role takes as . The same goes for was hired as , was chosen as and my first year as . Like a waiter only compares: someone who isn't a waiter can carry plates like one. The first find-the-mistake quiz in As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai opens with this slip: I got a job like a waiter at a hotel downtown.

Q: Can you say “like I said”?

Yes, in everyday American English: Like I said, I'll call you later is fine in speech and in casual writing. In a formal email or a report, use as : As I said, the job starts in May. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai accepts like before a clause in its gap-fills and never uses it as a wrong option there.

Q: What does “as if” mean?

As if starts a clause about how something seems: You look as if you need a vacation. For something that isn't true, the verb moves into the past : He talks as if he knew everything (he doesn't). For something that's probably true, the tense stays normal: It looks as if it's going to rain. Chapter 4 of As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai, “It looks as if…”, drills both.

Q: What's the difference between as if and as though?

There's no difference in meaning : It sounds as though they're having a party and It sounds as if they're having a party say the same thing. Both take a clause, and both take a past form for things that aren't true: She spoke to the waiter as though he were her servant. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai accepts either one in its gap-fills.

Q: Are there interactive like or as exercises?

Yes. Without an account, this page plays five parts of As, like and as if: interview like a pro , a B2 lesson on edio.ai: a sort into like or as ; a choice between similar to and in the role of; a gap-fill of fixed phrases with as ; Gabi and Oksana's texts about a hot yoga class, with words to drag in; and Soledad's chat before her job interview. Harriet's blog and the homework need an account.

Q: How do I teach like and as to B2 students?

Teach the meaning before the phrases : first like for similar to against as for a role, then as + a clause and the fixed phrases, then look and sound with as if . As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai takes that order, one chapter each, and finishes with a job-interview coach's blog.

Q: What's a good game for practicing like and as?

Play “Job or joke?” : a student says a sentence such as My dad cooks like a chef or My aunt works as a chef , and the class calls out whether it's a real job or a comparison. The memory game in the homework of As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai pairs meanings with forms, such as when she was a little girl and as a little girl .

This B2 drill lesson gives like or as exercises, from He swims like a fish and She works as a nurse to as usual and as if.

Grammar: Like for similar to, as for a job or role, as + a clause (As I said…), fixed phrases such as the same as, and as if / as though after look, sound and feel.
Topic: An invented job-interview coach's blog, where a reader who sounds like a robot in interviews gets five tips and later lands the job.
Activities: Choices, sorting, gap-fills, rewrites, meaning quizzes, matching, word order, drag-and-drop texts, a chat before a job interview and a final test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: as, like and as ifGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: like or as?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right words: as, like or as ifChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: a job or a comparison?Fill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Like a fish, as a nurse
- Choose like or as: similar to or in the role of?Choose the optionTry it
- Write the sentences again: a role or a comparisonFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right meaning: as or like?QuizUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: as or likeMatchUnlock
- Read the family story and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: as and likeUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: as or likeQuizUnlock
Chapter 3As I said, as usual
- Choose the right words: fixed phrases with asChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: fixed phrasesFill in the gapsTry it
- Match the phrases with their meaningsMatchUnlock
- Write the sentences again: phrases with asFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or incorrect? Fixed phrasesSort into columnsUnlock
- Read the office email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: phrases with asUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 4It looks as if…
- Sort the endings: what comes after “You look…”?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right words: look, sound, feel, tasteChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: it looks, it sounds, it feelsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: things that aren't trueFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the text messages and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropTry it
- Choose the right sentence for the situationQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: as if and as thoughUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The Hire Ground
- Read the interview coach's blog postReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the post again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the coach's checklist and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read next week's question and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read the reader's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Soledad texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose like or as: work, family and free timeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: everyday comparisonsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: like or as?Drag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: everyday sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: two ways to say itFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: at workQuizUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: like, as and as ifMatchUnlock
- Choose the right words: look, sound, feel and seemChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: people acting as ifFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or incorrect? Everyday EnglishSort into columnsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: two ways to say itMemory gameUnlock
- Read the restaurant review and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Zofia's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or false: at home and at workTrue or falseUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock

Grammar: like, as and as if

Like and as say different things before a noun: He swims like a fish (he isn't one), She works as a nurse (it's her job). Learners ask whether the person really is the thing named, learn the fixed phrases, and use as if or as though when something seems true.

As, like and as if: interview like a pro

Like for things that are similar, as for a job or a role, and as if / as though when something seems true.

Like or as + a noun

Like means similar to: She looks like her mom. As means it really is the job, role or use: He used his coat as a pillow. As a child, I was shy means when I was a child.

like = similar to (but it isn't)

He swims like a fish. (He isn't a fish.)
She looks like her mom.
Like me, Ana hates long meetings. (Ana and I are similar.)
Stop acting like a child! (= the way a child acts)

as = it really is: a job, a role, a use

She works as a nurse. (It's her job.)
He used his coat as a pillow. (It was his pillow that night.)
As your coach, I say you're ready. (I am your coach.)
As a child, I was shy. (= when I was a child)

What comes after like, as and as if?

Like takes a noun, a pronoun or -ing: It's like talking to a wall. As takes a noun or a clause: Do it as I showed you. As if takes a clause. After look or sound, a plain adjective needs no like: You look tired.

Word	What follows	Example
like	a noun, a pronoun or -ing: similar to	It tastes like chicken. · It's like talking to a wall.
as	a noun: a job, a role, a use	Grandpa worked as a mail carrier for forty years.
as	a clause: the way, in the same way that	As I said, the job starts in May. · Do it as I showed you.
as if / as though	a clause: it seems so	You look as if you need a nap.
look / sound / feel / seem	an adjective, with no like	You look tired. · That sounds great.

Look, sound, feel, seem, smell

These verbs have three patterns: You look tired. You look like a zombie! You look as if you haven't slept. As though works just like as if: It sounds as though they're having a party.

+ an adjective	+ like + a noun	+ as if / as though / like + a clause
You look tired.	You look like a zombie!	You look as if you haven't slept.
That sounds fun.	That sounds like a great plan.	It sounds as though they're having a party.
I feel nervous.	I feel like a beginner.	I feel as if everyone is watching me.
She seems happy.	She seems like a good teacher.	It seems as if nobody is home.
It smells delicious.	It smells like coffee.	It smells as if something is burning.

As if for things that aren't true

For something untrue, use a past form: He talks as if he knew everything. After I, he, she or it, was and were are both fine. For something that's probably true, keep the normal tense: It looks as if it's going to rain.

As if / as though for things that aren't true

For something that isn't true, use a past form: He talks as if he knew everything. (He doesn't.) With I / he / she / it, was and were are both fine. In speech the present is common too: He acts as if he owns the place. For something that's probably true, use the normal tense: It looks as if it's going to rain.

Fixed phrases, and like I said

Some phrases are fixed with as: as usual, as expected, the same as (not the same like), known as, see … as. Like I said is everyday American speech, but formal writing prefers as and as if: As I said, the job starts in May.

Fixed phrases with as

as usual: Tom ordered pizza, as usual. (Not: as usually)
as expected: As expected, the interview was hard.
as you know · as I said · as we agreed: As I said, I can't come on Friday.
the same as: My bag is the same as yours. (Not: the same like)
such as (= for example): skills such as teamwork (like teamwork is fine too; not: such like)
known as · see / describe … as: She sees this job as a chance. (Not: sees it like a chance)

Like I said…

In American English, like + a clause is everywhere: Like I said, I'll call you later. · It looks like it's going to rain. · He talks like he's my dad. That's fine in speech and in casual writing. In a formal email or a report, as and as if sound better.

Common mistakes

He got a job like a teacher needs as, and As I, she loves music needs Like me. As if wants a clause, not a noun: He looks like a banker, not as if a banker.

He got a job like a teacher.
He got a job as a teacher.
a job or a role: as
As I, she loves music.
Like me, she loves music.
similar to: like + a noun or a pronoun (me, him, her)
He looks as if a banker.
He looks like a banker.
as if + a clause; like + a noun
You look like tired.
You look tired.
look / sound / feel + an adjective: no like

Examples

She got a job as a flight attendant, so now she travels all over the world.as: her job
Our new manager talks like a politician.like: similar to (he isn't one)
As a child, I wanted to be a firefighter.as a child = when I was a child
He cried like a child when his team lost.like a child = the way a child does
It felt as though the interview lasted five minutes.as though + a clause: it seemed so
As we agreed, the meeting is at ten.as + a clause: the way we agreed

Try the like, as and as if exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

41 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

use like for things that are similar: My little brother eats like a bird: two bites and he's full.
use as for a job, a role or a time of life: He was hired as a driver. As a little girl, Nadia lived in Lagos.
use fixed phrases with as: The bus was twenty minutes late, as usual. Your shoes are exactly the same as mine!
follow look, sound and feel with an adjective, like + a noun or as if + a clause: Look at the sky. It looks as if it might snow.
use a past form for things that aren't true: He looked at me as if I were crazy.

As, like and as if: interview like a pro is lesson 21 of English Grammar Practice · B2 and appears on the English grammar page. Lesson 20, Articles with general ideas: life or the life?, comes before it, and lesson 22, Negative and echo questions: didn't you know?, after it. Because the interview lesson teaches grammar and no new words, it can run beside any course book.

The rule chapter has the scheme, a true or false check, a sort into like or as, a three-way choice and a gap-fill of jobs and comparisons. “Like a fish, as a nurse” sets similar to against in the role of, with meaning questions and a family story about a great-grandfather who sailed to New York. “As I said, as usual” drills fixed phrases and Dorota's office email about a move. “It looks as if…” sorts what follows You look… and fills in Gabi and Oksana's texts about a hot yoga class. Real life is an interview coach's blog, her checklist, a reader's question, good news by email, Soledad's chat and a 12-question test.

The 15 homework tasks all check themselves: like or as at work and at home, everyday comparisons, word order, a table, quizzes, a memory game, people acting as if, a correct-or-incorrect sort, a restaurant review with a magician for a waiter and Zofia's email from a whale-watching boat in Alaska.

Grammar:: as vs like · as if / as though · look / sound / feel like · fixed phrases with as
Topic:: grammar practice · job interviews · work and careers · comparisons

Teaching tips

Ask “Is it really?” about every noun: in She works as a nurse, she is one, so as; in He swims like a fish, he isn't, so like. Students test the first sort with that question.
Write three endings for You look… on the board: tired, like your dad, as if you need a hug. Students add an ending to each column about a classmate, then read them out.
Collect the fixed phrases on one card: as usual, as expected, as I said, the same as, such as, known as. Students use each one about their own week before the chapter 3 drills.
Read Harriet's five tips aloud and have students find every as, like and as if in them, such as as a map, not as a script and as if they were a new colleague, then say why each fits.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B2

English Grammar Practice · B2 has 24 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the future perfect and continuous, the third and mixed conditionals, wishes, past modals, the impersonal passive, have something done, participle clauses, reporting verbs and verb patterns. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

Questions about this lesson

When do you use like and when do you use as?

Like means similar to; as means in the role of. He swims like a fish: he isn't one. She works as a nurse: it's her job. As also comes before a clause (As I said…) and in fixed phrases such as as usual and the same as. As, like and as if: interview like a pro, a B2 drill lesson on edio.ai, gives each use a chapter of its own.

What are some examples of like and as?

Four from As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai: My aunt got her first job as an engineer when she was 24. The new mattress is so soft. It's like sleeping on a cloud. As the only doctor on the plane, she had to help the sick passenger. When I come home, our dog jumps around like a kangaroo. The as sentences name a real role; the like sentences compare.

What's the difference between like and as if?

Like goes with a noun, as if with a clause: You look like a zombie! but You look as if you haven't slept. In American speech, like + a clause is common too: It looks like it's going to rain. In a formal email or a report, as if sounds better. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai accepts both before a clause.

Is it “a job like a waiter” or “a job as a waiter”?

It's a job as a waiter: a job or a role takes as. The same goes for was hired as, was chosen as and my first year as. Like a waiter only compares: someone who isn't a waiter can carry plates like one. The first find-the-mistake quiz in As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai opens with this slip: I got a job like a waiter at a hotel downtown.

Can you say “like I said”?

Yes, in everyday American English: Like I said, I'll call you later is fine in speech and in casual writing. In a formal email or a report, use as: As I said, the job starts in May. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai accepts like before a clause in its gap-fills and never uses it as a wrong option there.

What does “as if” mean?

As if starts a clause about how something seems: You look as if you need a vacation. For something that isn't true, the verb moves into the past: He talks as if he knew everything (he doesn't). For something that's probably true, the tense stays normal: It looks as if it's going to rain. Chapter 4 of As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai, “It looks as if…”, drills both.

What's the difference between as if and as though?

There's no difference in meaning: It sounds as though they're having a party and It sounds as if they're having a party say the same thing. Both take a clause, and both take a past form for things that aren't true: She spoke to the waiter as though he were her servant. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai accepts either one in its gap-fills.

Are there interactive like or as exercises?

Yes. Without an account, this page plays five parts of As, like and as if: interview like a pro, a B2 lesson on edio.ai: a sort into like or as; a choice between similar to and in the role of; a gap-fill of fixed phrases with as; Gabi and Oksana's texts about a hot yoga class, with words to drag in; and Soledad's chat before her job interview. Harriet's blog and the homework need an account.

How do I teach like and as to B2 students?

Teach the meaning before the phrases: first like for similar to against as for a role, then as + a clause and the fixed phrases, then look and sound with as if. As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai takes that order, one chapter each, and finishes with a job-interview coach's blog.

What's a good game for practicing like and as?

Play “Job or joke?”: a student says a sentence such as My dad cooks like a chef or My aunt works as a chef, and the class calls out whether it's a real job or a comparison. The memory game in the homework of As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai pairs meanings with forms, such as when she was a little girl and as a little girl.

What's good homework for like and as?

Good homework mixes the uses so students must decide each time: like or as in work and family sentences, fixed phrases, and as if after look and sound. The 15 homework tasks of As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai check themselves and include a restaurant review and an email from a whale-watching boat.

How do you practice like and as one-to-one?

Hold a mock job interview: the teacher asks about past jobs and roles, and the student answers with I worked as… and As a team leader, I…, then describes the teacher with You look like… or You sound as if…. Soledad's chat in As, like and as if: interview like a pro on edio.ai gives the same interview advice to practice alone.

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