How - like - the way... aaaargh!

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Kooyeen

#464634 Tue, 15 Jan 08 07:01 PM

Hi,
can somebody comment on these, and tell me what you think in terms of meaning, how common they are, etc.?

Do it the way I told you.
Do it how I told you.
Do it like I told you.
Do it as I told you.

It's unbelievable how he can still walk with only a leg.
It's unbelievable the way he can still walk with only a leg.

It doesn't really look like I wanted.
It doesn't really look the way I wanted.
It doesn't really look how I wanted.

I don't like the way she looks at me.
I don't like how she looks at me.

Thanks Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (3,973)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Yankee

#464669 Tue, 15 Jan 08 08:17 PM

Kooyeen wrote:
Hi,
can somebody comment on these, and tell me what you think in terms of meaning, how common they are, etc.?

Do it the way I told you.
Do it how I told you.
Do it like I told you.
Do it as I told you.
To me, these all mean the same thing; the last one would be the least common, and the second one sounds the most informal, in my opinion.

It's unbelievable how he can still walk with only a one leg.
It's unbelievable the way he can still walk with only a one leg.
Both sound equally natural to me if you change 'a' to 'one'.

It doesn't really look like I wanted (it to).
It doesn't really look the way I wanted (it to).
It doesn't really look how I wanted (it to).
To me, the first two would be the most likely. I also think people are likely to add 'it to' rather than to simply omit it.

I don't like the way she looks at me.
I don't like how she looks at me.
For some reason that I haven't yet identified, I prefer the first sentence in the simple present tense, and would be more likely to also feel comfortable with the second in the present continuous.

Thanks

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,157)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Present continuous, Present tenses, Simple present, Tenses

Spides

#464674 Tue, 15 Jan 08 08:39 PM

These are all acceptable ways of phrasing these sentences in colloquial American English. In more formal, careful English the use of "like" and "how" as subordinate conjunctions (Do it how I told you. Do it like I told you. And so forth) would not be as acceptable--meaning that the other sentences might be preferable in that context. But in everyday conversation, these constructions are interchangeable for most speakers.