BE + like + NOUN PHRASE

In the English Grammar Profile, A2 point 19 in the category of CLAUSES/comparatives is defined:

‘be’ + ‘like’ + noun or pronoun


FOR EXAMPLE:

How many people are like you? Are like me?

A search in iWeb for:

_VB like_II _P

1 ARE LIKE ME 7752
2 ‘RE LIKE ME 7377
3 ‘S LIKE YOU 4506
4 BE LIKE HIM 2401
5 BE LIKE YOU 2118
6 BE LIKE ME 1971
7 IS LIKE NOTHING 1814
8 BE LIKE THEM 1728
9 ‘S LIKE IT 1684
10 IS LIKE YOU 1484
11 WAS LIKE YOU 1197
12 WAS LIKE NOTHING 1073
13 WAS LIKE IT 1029
14 ‘RE LIKE US 985
15 IS LIKE IT 967
16 ARE LIKE US 917
17 WAS LIKE SOMETHING 854
18 ‘S LIKE SOMEONE 821
19 WAS LIKE SOMEONE 810
20 IS LIKE ME 810

_NN

1 IS LIKE NIGHT 637 (and day)
2 WAS LIKE NIGHT 401
3 WAS LIKE CHRISTMAS 385
4 ‘S LIKE CHRISTMAS 329
5 IS LIKE CHRISTMAS 304

_VB like_II * * *

1 ‘RE LIKE ME, YOU 2257
2 WAS LIKE, ‘ I 1726
3 WAS LIKE, ‘ OH 1531
4 ARE LIKE ME, YOU 1465
5 WAS LIKE, ” OH 1456
6 WAS LIKE, ” I 1328
7 ‘RE LIKE MOST PEOPLE, 911
8 IS LIKE NO OTHER. 889
9 WAS LIKE, ‘ WHAT 783
10 WAS LIKE, ” WHAT 733
11 WAS LIKE, ‘ YOU 621
12 ARE LIKE MOST PEOPLE, 597
13 IS LIKE NIGHT AND DAY 590
14 BE LIKE, ” OH 537
15 IS LIKE THAT OF A 529
16 WAS LIKE, ” YOU 489
17 IS LIKE A BOX OF 483
18 ‘RE LIKE ME AND YOU 471
19 WAS LIKE, ‘ THIS 453
20 WAS LIKE, ” OKAY 448

 


EXPERT EXAMPLES:

A classics department without Latin and Greek is like a math department without multiplication and division,

or an art department without paint.

theatlantic.com


Also note that there are many examples of a following clause that should be considered as higher complexity.

I meanit‘s like he cast a spell over the entire area.

Bernie

 

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