Distinguish Like, Alike, And Unlike

Like, alike, and unlike are easily confused because they look so similar and they have many different uses. There are several structures with like, alike, and unlike that you should be familiar with.

The first structures you should already be familiar with are the adjectives alike and like (see Skill 50). Study the use of alike and like in the following examples.

• John and Tom are alike.
• John and Tom worked in a like manner.

In both these examples, alike and like are adjectives that mean similar. In the first example, alike is a predicate adjective describing John and Tom. Because alike is a predicate adjective, it can only be used after a linking verb such as are. In the second example, like is the adjective form that is used immediately before the noun manner.

The next structures you should be familiar with are the prepositions like and unlike, which have opposite meanings. Because they are prepositions, they must be followed by objects.

• John is (like Tom).
• John is (unlike Tom).

In the first example, the preposition like is followed by the object Tom. It means that Tom and John are similar. In the second example, the preposition unlike is followed by the object Tom. It means that Tom and John are not similar.

The prepositions like and unlike can also be used at the beginning of a sentence.

• (Like Tom), John is tall.
• (Unlike Tom), John is tall.

In the first example, the preposition like is followed by the object Tom. It means that Tom is tall. In the second example, the preposition unlike is followed by the object Tom. It means that Tom is not tall.

The following chart outlines the structures and meanings of sentences with like, alike, and unlike:

LIKE, ALIKE, AND UNLIKE

• like
  • Grammar: adjective
  • Meaning: similar
  • Use: As an adjective, like is used before a noun.
• alike
  • Grammar: adjective
  • Meaning: similar
  • Use: As an adjective, alike is used after a linking verb.
• like / unlike
  • Grammar: preposition
  • Meaning: similar / different
  • Use: Both prepositions are followed by objects. They can both be used in many positions, including at the beginning of the sentence.