“When I see her it’s like my heart stopped!”

“We were, like, desperate for attention!”

“I ran away from the bear very fast, like I was taught.”

“Imagine a child acting as an elderly man.”

Can you tell which of these statements are grammatically correct? Hint: All of them are used pervasively in English…

Give up? The truth is that none of those statements are grammatically correct. Every single one of them misuses "like" or "as".

Most people hear and use the word “like” more pervasively than many other words in the English language. When it comes to the GMAT (sentence correction, in particular), the correct usage of "like" is usually tested in relation to the usage of “as”, and sentences can be subtle enough to make it difficult to complete an otherwise straightforward sentence or figure out what is correct.

However, the strategy for deciding between these two words is not very complex. (For those of you who are sticklers for grammar, don't worry: We will also go over the more complex logic behind these rules, too.) To help you tackle the tricky decision between "like" and "as", let's take a step back first and review the differences between a preposition and a conjunction.

The more complex explanation for "like" vs "as"

Choosing between "like" and "as" on a Sentence Correction question becomes much easier when you understand the difference between a preposition and a conjunction. You’ll see in the definitions of each below that while they are not too different in nature, the subtle differences between both will point you towards the right answer choice on test day.


  • "Like" is a preposition that means "similar to". A preposition is a word that positions nouns in relation to one another, i.e. the when, where, and how regarding the noun’s role in a sentence: in the house, at home, like him etc.
  • "As" is a conjunction. A conjunction is a more simple connecting word— it can connect everything from full sentences to individual words and does not itself define the relationship between the two items it connects (which prepositions such as ‘around’, ‘above’, and ‘like’ do). Other conjunctions include ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so,’ etc.


So, basically, when you have "as" in a statement, you are connecting two clauses (Ex: I ran as fast as he did) with the bonus that you have a comparison too. With "like" you are explaining the role of a noun in comparison to another (Ex: He is like his mother).

Now that we've covered the complex rules behind these two words, here's a MUCH easier way to remember this on the GMAT:

In comparison situations, there is one major clue within each definition that you should keep in your back pocket: when in doubt, look at the words following "like" or "as".

"Like" (or "unlike") must always be followed by a noun; additionally, the section beginning with "like" (or "unlike") must never include a conjugated verb.

"As", on the other hand, is used to compare verbs (actions), so the section starting with "as" must always include a conjugated verb, though it may be in a different tense than the verb in the other section, depending on the context.

Let’s try it out:

Consider the following example and see if you can identify whether you can select the proper usage of "like" or "as".

Paul demonstrated tenacity for the role and sensitivity to each of his clients’ unique needs, as the sales managers before him.

a. as the sales managers before him
b. almost like the sales managers before him
c. just as the sales managers before him
d. like the sales managers before him
e. like the sales managers before him did

In this example, the phrase in the underlined portion after the word "as" is “the sales managers before him.” Since there is no verb present in that phrase, we have two options: either we choose an answer that includes "like" to complete this comparison (but make sure that if you choose "like" that no conjugated verb is added!) OR we keep the "as" but need a sentence that compares the action, hence, we would need a conjugated verb.

Based on the above rules, we can eliminate A, C, and E. The only answers that follow the proper structure ("like" + noun or "as" + verb) are B and D!

However, with B, the addition of the word “almost” in answer choice A adds uncertainty to these qualities, changing the intended meaning of the sentence. This makes answer choice D our correct answer choice for this example.

Now see if you can fill in the blank in the following example:

Considering how much Paul has been working, _________________ for someone who sleeps so little.

a. he behaved just like I would have expected
b. he behaved just as I would have expected
c. he nearly behaved in a manner like I would have expected
d. he nearly behaved as I expected

Look at the "as" vs "like" divide in the answer choices. In A, since a verb is present (“have”) after "like", this answer choice can be eliminated. Same with C. We are left with B and D. However, again we see in choice D that the additional words would change the meaning of the sentence, adding a level of uncertainty to the statement that does not match. Therefore, the correct answer choice in this case is B because the "as" is followed by a conjugated verb.

While the differences between "like" and "as" are subtle, knowing how they should be used in a sentence will take a lot of the tension out of tricky sentence correct questions on the GMAT. With enough practice, the decision between both will become second nature, and you’ll be well on your way to cracking the exam.
