VOA慢速英语2018--Like or Alike?

 

Have you ever wanted to talk about similarities between people or things but were unsure what words to use? Today’s question comes from Nagim of Israel.

Question:

Hello from Israel. How can we use “alike¹” and “like”? These two words are very difficult for me. - Nagim, Israel

Answer:

Hello, Nagim, and thanks for asking a teacher!

The words “alike” and “like” are easy to confuse. We use both to show similarities between people or things. They also sound alike.

Did you see how I used the word “alike”? I used it as an adverb.

“Alike” can be an adverb or an adjective².

Alike: adverb

As an adverb, it means “in a similar way.” We use it after an action verb – a verb that expresses physical or mental action. Here is an example that is also a popular expression:

Great minds think alike.

It means that very intelligent people have the same ideas at the same time.

Here’s another:

Teens sometimes try to dress alike.

One other meaning for the adverb "alike" is “both.” We use it to talk about two individual people or things or two groups of people or things:

Students and teachers alike can listen to Ask a Teacher.

For this meaning, notice that the word “alike” comes after the two groups – students and teachers.

Alike: adjective

As an adjective, “alike” means “similar in appearance, nature or form.” We use it after linking verbs, such as “be,” “look” and “sound.”

Let’s hear some examples.

You and your brother are so much alike!

Those sports cars look alike. They’re the same shape and color.

My mom and I sound alike on the phone.

Like: preposition³

Now, let’s talk about “like.” The main meaning we are talking about today is as a preposition. It means “similar to” and comes before a noun⁴ or pronoun⁵ object. Here are some examples:

You are just like your brother.

This sports car looks a lot like that one.

I sound like my mom on the phone.

We can use the preposition “like” for all five senses.

Like: conjunction⁶

The use of "like" that often confuses English learners is the conjunction. When a conjunction, “like” means “as if” or “as though” and is informal. Here’s how that sounds:

The plane felt like it was going to crash!

It means that the plane felt as if it were going to crash. There was probably a lot of turbulence⁷, for example.

But, avoid this use in formal writing.

And that’s Ask a Teacher.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

teen – n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

linking verb – n. a verb that connects a subject with an adjective or noun that describes or identifies the subject

sense – n. one of the five natural powers (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing) through which you receive information about the world around you

conjunction – n. a word that joins together sentences, clauses⁸, phrases, or words

informal – adj. not suited for serious or official speech and writing

turbulence – n. sudden, violent movements of air or water

1 alike   

adj.同样的，相像的；adv.一样地；同程度地　

参考例句：

• The twins are so alike that I can't tell which is which.这对双胞胎一模一样，我分辨不出谁是谁。
• All stories seemed dreadfully alike,no matter who told them.看来，不管谁讲，故事都是千篇一律的。

2 adjective   

n.形容词；adj.形容词的，用作形容词的

参考例句：

• Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
• The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。

3 preposition   

n.介词

参考例句：

• You should cancel this preposition in the sentence.你应该删去句子中的这个介词。
• We use different preposition to talk about time,days,months and seasons.我们用不动的介词来谈论时间，日，月和季节等。

4 noun   

n.名词

参考例句：

• What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词？
• This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。

5 pronoun   

n.代词

参考例句：

• The relative pronoun is often dropped if it is the subject.关系代名词做受词时常被省略。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

6 conjunction   

n.联合，连接，接合；连接词

参考例句：

• Two or more sentences may be joined together by a conjunction.两个或两个以上的句子可以用连词连接。
• The conjunction of heavy rains and high winds caused flooding.暴风雨的同时发生引起了洪水泛滥。

7 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

8 clauses   

从句( clause的名词复数 )； （法律文件等的）条款

参考例句：

• Relative pronouns and adverbs introduce attributive clauses. 关系代词和关系副词引导定语从句。
• Please underline the noun clauses in the passage. 请用线画出短文中的名词性从句。