Nate
What is the difference between "similar, looks like, resemble, alike and look after"? i'm not sure which phrase is more appropriate..
Sep 17, 2014 2:08 PM
Answers · 2
2
They are similar phrases, except for "look after" which only resembles the others :) Peachey gave a good description of the sentence structure differences. I think there are some slight meaning differences as well. X is similar to Y: Means X and Y are close to the same. X and Y are alike: There is some similarity. This feels a little more formal than "similar". X resembles Y: X seems, on the surface, similar to Y, often visually. It might or might not actually be similar. It's a slightly more formal word, although there is one common phrase "family resemblance", which means the way two relatives look similar. X looks like Y: Like "resembles", but less formal.
September 17, 2014
2
X is similar to Y. X looks like Y. X resembles Y. X and Y are alike. / X and Y look alike. So you see, the sentence structure changes. I'm not sure why you included "look after", because that means "care for". However, a child can "take after" his or her parents. This can mean physically, or regarding personality.
September 17, 2014
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!