preposition / informal linker · informal
like
/laɪk/LIKE
used informally to introduce examples or comparisons; common in speech but informal for academic writing
Examples
“I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and cycling.”
“Some countries, like Japan, have ageing populations.”
“People say words like 'sorry' all the time without meaning them.”
Band 8 sentence
“While speaking informally you can say 'like' frequently, but in an academic essay it's better to use phrases such as 'for example' or 'such as'.”
Collocations
- words like + noun
- things like + noun phrase
Word family
Common mistakes
In Task 2, students often write ideas like 'education is important'.→In Task 2, students often give ideas such as 'education is important'.
He looks like he is tired.→He looks tired.
Say it for a higher band
5like→6for example→7+such as
Synonyms
such as
for example
Easily confused
such as
“Cities such as London and Tokyo are large metropolises.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Examples
Learn it with its set