How Like is Used

When introducing how the language should be learnt one should make a mention of the quality of the language as it is being spoken. So many learners are being influenced by a variety of sources which makes it imperative that the teacher explain what the current trends are and where the language is going. I may be opinionated sometimes especially when it comes to the use of like and how it has become incorporated in the spoken language as if there were no other descriptive words. The impetus behind this was a television broadcast some years ago about how the language has become diluted with words like this.

Like is meant to be used as a verb to express preferences especially when talking about hobbies and the people who the speaker wants to be with. Like is also used to express a similarity between one thing and the next as in “I am like you”. So when like is found between the verb and object it functions as a preposition and not as a verb.

The word “like” though is often used as an interjection especially when the speaker moves from one topic to another. In that case the listener will hear an increased usage of like that an articulate speaker like myself will notice quickly. All I can say is that we are not all gifted to be able to speak the same way and that being articulate is unnecessary in being able to speak the language.