{"id":12423,"date":"2021-04-30T22:49:01","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T22:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=12423"},"modified":"2023-04-08T19:43:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-08T19:43:29","slug":"comma-before-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-like\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma before &#8220;like&#8221; \u2014 A Comprehensive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}<\/style><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Words having multiple meanings never fail to make most, if not all, language learners scratch their heads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To make the scalp bleed a bit, we can also combine the intricacies behind the punctuation system, especially the notorious comma.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, luckily enough, today&rsquo;s post will help you get rid of that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seborrheic dermatitis. You know, dandruff.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on to know more about how to punctuate the word &ldquo;like&rdquo; with a pre-comma properly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n[toc]\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>When should we place a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo;?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>&ldquo;Like&rdquo; is punctuated with a pre-comma when it is used as a filler word, used after an introductory expression, introduces a parenthetical remark midway or at the end of the sentence, as well as when it appears after a mid-sentence parenthetical interruption. Whereas, no comma should come before &ldquo;like&rdquo; when it is used as a verb, preposition, conjunction, noun, and adjective in a non-parenthetical nor serial manner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Defining the word &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-albeit\/\"><b>Albeit<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> superficially easy to understand, the word &ldquo;like&rdquo; contains several meanings, and it also belongs to several <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uts.edu.au\/current-students\/support\/helps\/self-help-resources\/grammar\/parts-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>parts of speech<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Determining its denotative meaning is dependent on how it is used within a sentence, and knowing how it functions would help us in our comma decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the different faces of &ldquo;like&rdquo; together with some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-e-g\/\"><b>examples<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"grow-exclusive-content-widget-aa70192d-d134-4c49-86a3-d6f2effb13c9 grow-allow-content-ads\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1FcGWj9ZmJCqbVuKMOa6A7yA_r8YRdtsq\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Rules Cheat Sheet\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16942 size-full eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3Crect%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Comma Rules Cheat Sheet\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>The verb &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;To like someone&rdquo; means to be fond of the person, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-long-is-a-while\/\"><b>while<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &ldquo;to like something&rdquo; means to want a certain object.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">April and Beth like Kpop stars.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the sentence <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/as-above-so-below-meaning\/\"><b>above<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the subjects are fond of the performers mentioned, which means they idolize this group of people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-however\/\"><b>However<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the object in the context of the next sentence, the meaning of &ldquo;like&rdquo; means &ldquo;to want.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They would like to have some coffee.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>The preposition &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;Like&rdquo; can also function as a preposition similar to &ldquo;as&rdquo; in one sense and similar to &ldquo;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-for-example\/\"><b>for example<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&rdquo; or &ldquo;such as&rdquo; in another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To know <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/whether-or-not-vs-whether\/\"><b>whether<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &ldquo;like&rdquo; is functions as a preposition, we have to check the subsequent word which needs to be a noun or a noun phrase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s how to use &ldquo;like&rdquo; to mean &ldquo;as.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">She looks like a carrot in that dress.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-and\/\"><b>And<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, here&rsquo;s how to use &ldquo;like&rdquo; to mean &ldquo;for example&rdquo; or &ldquo;such as.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Words like &ldquo;get&rdquo; and &ldquo;have&rdquo; can be confusing.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>The conjunction &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conjunctive sense of &ldquo;like&rdquo; is similar to &ldquo;as&rdquo; or &ldquo;as if&rdquo; but followed by a clause <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/but-rather-in-a-sentence\/\"><b>rather<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than a noun or noun phrase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s how to use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/that-that\/\"><b>that<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">It seems like I just gave birth to him yesterday.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>The adverb &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, we can also use &ldquo;like&rdquo; as an adverb as a filler word when we can&rsquo;t get hold of the right term easily, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-especially\/\"><b>especially<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the informal, spoken language.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">I can&rsquo;t believe how Aubrey was, like, so unbothered by the smell.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, we can also use it to casually report a speech used by another person to pass on some information to a hearer or reader.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">And he went like &ldquo;What on earth have you done to your hair?!&rdquo;<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>The noun &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a noun, &ldquo;like&rdquo; also means anything that may be considered as a preference.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/everyone-has-vs-everyone-have\/\" title=\"Everyone has\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">Everyone has<\/a> likes and dislikes.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the digital age, the nominal sense of the word &ldquo;like&rdquo; has become a form of a social validation tool.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">This photo has only got one like.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, it could also mean &ldquo;similar items or things,&rdquo; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-which\/\"><b>which<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also one way to read the abbreviation &ldquo;etc.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">The city discourages throwing non-biodegradable items, such as plastic bottles, tin cans, disposable utensils, and the like<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>The adjective &ldquo;like&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adjectival sense of &ldquo;like&rdquo; also denotes the meaning &ldquo;the same&rdquo; or &ldquo;similar to,&rdquo; but it is used in front of a noun.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">As expected, she disobeyed her parents in like manner.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complete phrase &ldquo;in like manner&rdquo; is similar to the adverb &ldquo;similarly&rdquo; or &ldquo;in the same way.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12429 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Before Like\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-735x1103.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-223x335.jpeg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-231x347.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-347x520.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-427x640.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-512x768.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-640x960.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-720x1080.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-12429 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Before Like\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-735x1103.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-223x335.jpeg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-231x347.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-347x520.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-427x640.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-512x768.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-640x960.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin-720x1080.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Comma-Before-Like-Pin.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Cases in which a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; is necessary<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We normally have to use commas when we talk about word series, but there are several other considerations apart from that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When in doubt, the default analysis on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-to-use-whether-or-not-in-a-sentence\/\"><b>whether or not<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a comma should be placed is to check how essential the word, phrase, or clause is in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-of-course\/\"><b>Of course<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, these explanations are insufficient in illustrating how commas work, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-after-so\/\"><b>so<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> here&rsquo;s a list of conditions that guide the pre-comma placement to the word &ldquo;like.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When like is used as a filler word<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Filler words are grammatically-inessential sentence elements because they do not contain meaning most of the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When used as a filler word, a comma should be placed before &ldquo;like,&rdquo; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-as-well-as\/\"><b>as well as<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, as much as possible, we have to avoid using filler words in writing, so that we can do away with unconsciously using them during formal correspondence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of using &ldquo;like&rdquo; as a filler word.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Hey, that&rsquo;s really, like, unbelievable!<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; comes after a sentence&rsquo;s introduction<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introductory elements are used to provide an initial context to the reader or connect a previously mentioned idea.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All introductory expressions are offset with a comma before the main idea comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, a comma should come before &ldquo;like&rdquo; when it comes after an introductory expression, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-regardless\/\"><b>regardless<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the part of speech it belongs to.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">As a result, like what happened before, her request has been rejected.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; introduces a parenthesis or non-restrictive information<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A parenthesis is a syntactically non-restrictive remark added to create emphasis, clarification, or opinion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parenthetical remarks are set off with commas to mark their grammatical removability in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The commas also help in creating prosody or rhythm that guides the reader in knowing that the information should be read with emphasis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, inessential sentence elements are to be set off with commas, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-therefore\/\"><b>therefore<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a similar idea applies to the word &ldquo;like&rdquo; when it introduces parenthetical information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s a mid-sentence parenthesis.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">He can&rsquo;t easily forgive and forget, like his dad, and that&rsquo;s why he isn&rsquo;t responding to your texts.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, here&rsquo;s a sentence-final parenthesis.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">This perfume smells so good that it has always been the best-seller, like real jasmine in bloom.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is used after a parenthesis or non-restrictive information<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we know that we can insert parenthetical remarks <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-either\/\"><b>either<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> midway or at the end of a sentence, this condition shouldn&rsquo;t be a hard nut to crack.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-since\/\"><b>Since<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a mid-sentence parenthesis ends with a comma, the same comma should also precede &ldquo;like&rdquo; whenever it comes after a parenthetical remark.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example to represent the explanation.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">As you can see, they get along pretty well these days, which is great, like coffee and cream.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>When is a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; incorrect?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we have enumerated the guidelines on pre-comma usage, let&rsquo;s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-also-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>also<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> look at the conditions guiding the incorrect comma placement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In all of the cases below, the idea is that the word &ldquo;like&rdquo; is essential to the holistic meaning of the sentence it belongs to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-hence\/\"><b>Hence<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, no comma should be found before it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is non-serially and non-parenthetically used as a verb<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The verb &ldquo;like&rdquo; is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-often-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>often<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> used in conveying a feeling of fondness, preference, want, or wish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-apparently\/\"><b>Apparently<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we have to make sure that &ldquo;like&rdquo; isn&rsquo;t used in series nor parenthesis to meet this condition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Placing a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; is grammatically incorrect in the sentence below.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">I like spending lazy hours by the beach.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is non-serially and non-parenthetically used as a preposition<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another condition is when &ldquo;like&rdquo; functions as a preposition that denotes the meaning &ldquo;similar to.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/coma-vs-comma\/\"><b>comma<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> becomes incorrect when the preposition &ldquo;like&rdquo; is an essential element in the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/thus-in-a-sentence\/\"><b>thus<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, removing the prepositional phrase would make the sentence problematic or ambiguous.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">She really looks like Amy Schumer.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is non-serially and non-parenthetically used as a conjunction<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using like as a conjunction that connects either a dependent or independent clause also makes the pre-<a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-rules\/\" title=\"comma placement\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">comma placement<\/a> inappropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the same vein as earlier, the conjunction &ldquo;like&rdquo; should not be used parenthetically, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-nor\/\"><b>nor<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> serially, to make this condition valid.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">It seems like he had been shot point-blank.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We also mentioned paragraphs ago that nonessential remarks can be removed from the sentence without hurting grammaticality, right?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The clause introduced by &ldquo;like&rdquo; in the last example is crucial to the meaning of the whole sentence because it only leaves the following information when taken away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is non-serially and non-parenthetically used as a noun<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nouns can function as subjects or objects in a sentence, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-obviously\/\"><b>obviously<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they can also be serially listed or parenthetically used.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if these two conditions are excluded, no comma should come before &ldquo;like&rdquo; when it functions as a noun, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-such-as\/\"><b>such as<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the example below.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Although he&rsquo;s got the big C, he still eats processed food, sugary pastries, barbecues, and the like.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though placing a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; would be incorrect in the example above, the comma before the entire phrase &ldquo;and the like&rdquo; is optional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is non-serially and non-parenthetically used as an adjective<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When &ldquo;like&rdquo; is used as an adjective that means &ldquo;similar,&rdquo; and a noun is to be found afterward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; in its adjectival sense is also wrong, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-not\/\"><b>not<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> unless it introduces parenthetical information.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">She and her best friend are of like minds.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other common phrases using &ldquo;like&rdquo; as an adjective are &ldquo;in like manner&rdquo; and &ldquo;of like abilities,&rdquo; and it can also be used in the compounded form as in &ldquo;like-minded&rdquo; or &ldquo;well-liked.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Frequently Asked Questions about &ldquo;like&rdquo; with regards to commas<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Should we use a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; in a simile?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, &ldquo;like&rdquo; in similes are not punctuated with a pre-comma as in &ldquo;He eats like a panda.&rdquo; &ldquo;Like&rdquo; often functions as a preposition in similes, which is an essential sentence element. However, a pre-comma would be necessary if the comparison introduced by &ldquo;like&rdquo; is used as a parenthetical remark within the sentence.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Do we have to place a comma before &ldquo;like&rdquo; in a comparison?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer depends on whether the comparison is an essential part of the holistic meaning of the sentence. If it is, then a comma should not be placed as in &ldquo;He drinks alcohol like a camel.&rdquo; However, a comma would be necessary for the following sentence: &ldquo;He has always been an alcoholic, and he always drinks too much, like a camel in Saraha.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>When do we need a comma after &ldquo;like&rdquo;?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A comma after &ldquo;like&rdquo; would be necessary if it is the last word in an introductory expression, the last word in a mid-sentence parenthesis, the last word in a frontal clause in a compound sentence, and the last word in a frontal clause in a reversed-order complex sentence.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing all the words existing in a language, as well as grammatical rules, is rather a quixotic attempt.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, word classification and understanding repetitive patterns in the punctuation system are actually feasible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Writing may not be for everyone, but, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-after-all\/\"><b>after all<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, good writing skill is key to healthy information sharing and consumption which are necessary for the digital era.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words having multiple meanings never fail to make most, if not all, language learners scratch their heads. To make the scalp bleed a bit, we can also combine the intricacies behind the punctuation system, especially the notorious comma. Well, luckily enough, today&rsquo;s post will help you get rid of that seborrheic dermatitis. You know, dandruff. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1119,1116],"tags":[80,535],"class_list":["post-12423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma","tag-comma-before-like"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12423"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24314,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12423\/revisions\/24314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}