<p>So I recently learned about using like to compare things.</p>
<p>For example, the following sentence would not be formally correct.</p>
<p>“She shopped like it was going out of style.”</p>
<p>The correct sentence would be…</p>
<p>“She shopped as if was going out of style.”</p>
<p>Apparently, like is used to compare noun phrases, like “He plays tennis like a seasoned pro.” but not to compare when there’s an “implied verb”. What is this implied verb? Aren’t the verbs, shopped and plays, overt?</p>
<p>Bumping. I guess this is a pretty hard question.</p>
<p>This is just a guess, but it made sense to me when I was thinking about it, so it could be wrong. </p>
<p>“She shopped as if it were going out of style.” (should be subjunctive btw)
The verb is a form of “to be” (were). </p>
<p>“He plays tennis like (he is) a seasoned pro.”
The verb is also a form of “to be” (is), but in this case, it need not be stated explicitly. The verbs shopped and plays are not the ones in question; rather, we should look at the verbs directly linked to the “like” or “as.”</p>
<p>You’re over-thinking the matter. When you’re using these kinds of comparisons, use “like” whenever the second half of the comparison does not involve a verb, and “as if” when it does. As the person above me stated, “as if” always involves the subjunctive mood.</p>
<p>He plays tennis like a pro<a href=“No%20verb”>/U</a></p>
<p>He plays tennis as if he were a pro<a href=“verb”>/U</a></p>
<p>The candidate was speaking as if he were about to lose the election<a href=“verb”>/U</a></p>
<p>The candidate was speaking like *he was/were going to lose the election<a href=“verb,%20therefore%20this%20sentence%20is%20%5BB%5D%5BI%5D%5BU%5DINCORRECT%5B/U%5D%5B/I%5D%5B/B%5D”>/I</a></p>
<p>When you’re talking about “implied verbs” I believe you’re thinking about a different kind of comparison:</p>
<p>Joe is taller than she (is)
“Is” is the implied verb</p>
<p>John plays better than we (do)
“Do” is the implied verb</p>
<p>However, correct me if I’m wrong, there are no “implied verbs” in “like” or “as if” comparisons.</p>