Word choice: "like" or "as"?

Question

"You are going to fight in the war like David once did."

I have two questions:

Should "like" be replaced with "as"?
Is it ever acceptable to use "like" in this sentence even though "as" is the proper word to use?

Welcome to E.L. & U. None. I am sorry to bother you with this, as I believe somebody would be glad to help you, but there is something we need from you first. Please provide us with your own comparison of the two words in a dictionary of your choice, and tell us what remains ambiguous about the matter as clearly as is possible. The help center's guidelines require questioners to perform some basic research before a question may be answered, for reasons that are mostly explained in Jeff Atwood's post "Are Some Questions Too Simple?" — Tonepoet, Feb 02 '17 at 08:58
This is a possible duplicate of 'like' versus 'as' and Is there a difference beyween 'like' and 'as'?—among (probably) a number of other, similar questions asked at this site over the years. Please check the answers to the two linked questions and see whether they answer your question. — Sven Yargs, Feb 03 '17 at 08:19
Ah, Is there any difference between 'like' and 'as'? is the duplicate. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 01 '22 at 14:40

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 01 '22 at 14:36

1

In standard English, as, and not like, is the correct choice when a clause follows:

You are going to fight in the war as David once did

If no clause follows, only like is correct:

He speaks like his father

However, in casual speech, some native speakers are heard using like when as is due.

edited Mar 01 '22 at 14:36

Edwin Ashworth

answered Feb 02 '17 at 09:11

Rose

What do you want, good grammar or good taste? – Barmar Feb 02 '17 at 19:54
Could you add a supporting reference, please? – Edwin Ashworth Mar 01 '22 at 14:35

1 Answers1