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The myth of "such as" vs. "like"

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(@grantbarrett)
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A Word Please. Like most grammar myths, this one is rooted in the belief that everything in language is either absolutely right or absolutely wrong. So if, at your first copy editing job, the boss tells you to replace every "like" with "such as," you might accept without question that this "like" is wrong. It's fine for a publication's style to prefer "such as" over "like." There are some good reasons to. But that doesn't mean that you should take a red pen to every "like" for the rest of your life.

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(@Anonymous)
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it's easy to make comparisons with a string of likes

“such as” doesn't replace the like simile

"blood like water" cannot be replaced with "blood such as water"

however, "watery blood" does work
so the use of like can often be replaced by using adjectives

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