The word as in English

 Many short words have several different meanings, sometimes very different meanings. "As" is a classic example of this.

As can imply cause, time or similarity

As is one of the commonest short words in English, and has many different uses. In some situations it is similar in meaning to – though not synonymous with – like. In most cases it is not.

In most cases, the meaning of the word as will be obvious from the context in which it is used, but there are cases when confusion or ambiguity is possible.

1. As expressing cause

One of the common uses of as is a subordinating conjunction used to express cause. In this sense, it has a meaning similar to because.

Being a subordinating conjunction, as must stand at the start of the clause that it introduces, though the clause itself can come either before or after the main clause in the sentence.

Examples:

2. As (and while) expressing time

As is used as a conjunction to relate one event in time to another simultaneous event. It is similar but not identical in meaning to while.

The action or process in the clause introduced by as generally lasts longer than the action or event in the main clause. (With while, the two actions may cover the same period of time.)

Examples:

Compare:

• While I wrote some letters, John cooked dinner.
• The teachers watched while the children played football.

3. As (and like) expressing similarity

When as implies similarity, it is sometimes confused with like – but the two words do not have quite the same meaning. Expressing similarity, as can either be used as a conjunction or as a preposition.

The classic difference between as and like, implying similarity, is this:

as is most commonly found as a conjunction, 

like is most often used as a preposition.

3.1. As used as a conjunction

Used as a conjunction (at the start of a clause), as – implying similarity - means in the same way as (i.e. identically).

Examples:

When the two clauses have different subjects, subject and verb are sometimes inverted in the as clause.

• Monica was born in Ohio, as was her father.

3.2. Confusion with like

In modern English, particularly spoken English, many people use like where, traditionally, the correct word was as. This means that like is replacing as in some situations. Languages always evolve and move forwards, and the growing popularity of like, rather than as, to express identicality, is an example of this in contemporary English.

Examples – many English speakers may say…

(* inversion is not possible with like)

Traditionally, in the examples above, like should mean “in a manner similar to, but not identical to”; increasingly it is being used with the meaning of identically to. In many cases, there is little or no difference anyway.

3.2.1. When should we use like, not as?

Answers:

1. As a conjunction: (see paragraph 2.3.2 above) According to traditional English grammar rules, like is not used as a conjunction. But as explained above, this is changing, and like is replacing as as a conjunction with the meaning of identicality in contemporary English, particularly in the spoken language.
2. As a preposition: (see paragraph 2.3.3. below) There are three different prepositions in English: like, as and such as; they have similar meanings, but they are not synonyms, and in most cases there is no choice.

3.3. Used as a preposition: as, such as or like

The most common use of as as a preposition (before a noun or pronoun) is in the expression such as.

3.3.1. Such as or like

There is a distinct difference in meaning between such as and like.

Such as means for example, or including, and is used to introduce an example or a list of examples following a category word. Like does not traditionally introduce a list of examples.

Like means similar to, or resembling. However, like as a preposition, just as like as a conjunction, is sometimes used with the meaning of such as. Sometimes this may be acceptable, sometimes it is clearly not acceptable.

Compare:

These examples use such as and like in their correct (traditional) meanings. Compare them with the examples below, which are either just incorrect according to traditional usage (like used instead of such as), or incorrect and impossible (such as used instead of like).

Examples of misuse:

Replacing like with such as is impossible: such as Buckingham Palace means including Buckingham Palace, which is impossible because Buckingham Palace is not in the USA. Such as Elvis Presley is wrong, because it is impossible. Elvis died in 1977.

3.3.2. As used as a preposition

As is occasionally used as a preposition (without such). In this case, its meaning is with the condition of or in the role of.

Examples:

3.3.3. As….. as – common English similes or expressions

English has a lot of picturesque similes (expressions of comparison) on the structure as [adjective] as [noun]. Here is a selection of the most common.

As straight as a die	As black as night
As old as the hills	As happy as a sandboy
As clean as a whistle	As easy as pie
As calm as a millpond	As light as a feather
As good as gold	As dull as ditchwater
As strong as an ox	As cool as a cucumber
As white as snow	As poor as a mouse
As dead as a dodo	As blind as a bat
As sick as a dog	As clear as a bell

While most of these similes are logical and clear, some are not. Why As sick as a dog? Why As good as gold? Why as cool as a cucumber? With good and cool, the similes use alliteration; but dogs are not particularly sick…

Some of these similes came into the English language centuries ago, and their origins are not clear.

The as … as structure is not only used for similes, but for many other comparisons too. Note for example expressions formed on the pattern {as + adjective + as + ever}, as in:

4. As used to refer back to a known situation

As is also used, almost in the manner of a nominal relative pronoun, to refer back to a known situation or previous event, or to link an example or quotation to a situation or a person.

Examples:

In these examples, as has the meaning of which is what, or even just which. Sometimes a sentence can be rephrased using which instead of as.

Compare:


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