So far, I love this thread! Please continue.

Can you give me the rules (please) for like and as?

Sometimes it looks like I'm the only one who knows the difference in your and you're, lie and lay. DRIVES ME NUTZ!

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Like

Since the 1950s, when it was especially associated with hipsters, “like” as a sort of meaningless verbal hiccup has been common in speech. The earliest uses had a sort of sense to them in which “like” introduced feelings or perceptions which were then specified: “When I learned my poem had been rejected I was, like, devastated.” However, “like” quickly migrated elsewhere in sentences: “I was like, just going down the road, when, like, I saw this cop, like, hiding behind the billboard.” This habit has spread throughout American society, affecting people of all ages. Those who have the irritating “like” habit are usually unaware of it, even if they use it once or twice in every sentence: but if your job involves much speaking with others, it’s a habit worth breaking.

Recently young people have extended its uses by using “like” to introduce thoughts and speeches: “When he tells me his car broke down on the way to my party I’m like, ” I know you were with Cheryl because she told me so.” To be reacted to as a grown-up, avoid this pattern.

as far as

Originally people used to say things like “As far as music is concerned, I especially love Baroque opera.” Recently they have begun to drop the “is concerned” part of the phrase. Perhaps this shift was influenced by confusion with a similar phrase, “as for.” “As for money, I don’t have any,” is fine; “As far as money, I don’t have any,” is clumsy.

asfollow

“My birthday requests are as follows.” This standard phrase doesn’t change number when the items to follow grow from one to many. It’s never correct to say “as follow.”

as of yet

“As of yet” is a windy and pretentious substitute for plain old English “yet” or “as yet,” an unjustified extension of the pattern in sentences like “as of Friday the 27th of May.”

as per

“Enclosed is the shipment of #2 toggle bolts as per your order of June 14” writes the businessman, unaware that not only is the “as” redundant, he is sounding very old-fashioned and pretentious. The meaning is “in accordance with,” or “in response to the request made”; but it is better to avoid these cumbersome substitutes altogether: “Enclosed is the shipment of bolts you ordered June 14.”

as such

The expression “as such” has to refer to some status mentioned earlier. “The CEO was a former drill sergeant, and as such expected everyone to obey his orders instantly.” In this case “such” refers back to “former drill sergeant.” But often people only imply that which is referred to, as in “The CEO had a high opinion of himself and as such expected everyone to obey his orders instantly.” Here the “such” cannot logically refer back to “opinion.” Replace “as such” with “therefore.”

as time

Events may progress in time, but time itself does not progress—it just passes.

Which is correct?

a. When I returned to my childhood home, it was like I had never left.

b. When I returned to my childhood home, it was as if I had never left.

Thanks

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Thanks so much for the useful information. I'd never heard of that book, but now I intend to get a copy. 

Karen B.

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I'm a little saddened that you didn't mention the problems some people have with the 3 2's - two, to, and too.  I think most people know that "two" is used for the number 2, but "to" and "too" are often misused.

I had an eighth grade English teacher who gave an explaination that makes this easy to remember.  Here's an example:  When the two boys went to the ice cream store, their baby sister wanted to go, too.

Okay, "two" is easy - there are "2" boys.  They're going "to" the store.  But the way you know it's "too" when their baby sister wanted to go, too (NOT to), is because you can substitute "also" for the "too".

The rule my eighth grade English teacher taught us is that if you can substitute "also" you use "too".

There's one other time when "too" is used:  when you can ask "how much".  For instance:  Tommy ate too much cake.  It's "too" because you can ask how much cake Tommy ate.

Now if anybody  knows a neat litle trick like this for keeping the uses of "lay" and "lie" correct, please pass it on; I never get it right no matter how many times I look it up.

- writeroffthelake - www.writeroffthelake.com

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