Can I use "like" instead of "as" in this context?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
I would say, in this context, we cannot switch like for as. Most of the time, like compares two things, saying that they are similar but not the same. However, as means that they are. Here he is saying that they are gentlemen and should continue to be such. Using "like" would mean that they are not gentlemen, but will act similar to gentlemen for a moment. Ex: Imagine a grown woman acting as a child. (A woman cannot also be a child so this would be wrong) Ex: Imagine a grown woman acting like a child. (This compares the two so is correct) Ex: I worked like an actor for two years. (This is strange because it means he worked similar to an actor which is confusing) Ex: I worked as an actor for two years. (Tells us his job for two years was an actor)
