What is the difference of like this/that, this/that way and thus?

Question

Hello. I have a question about the use of: Like this/ that, this/ that way  and  thus.Could you explain me if there're differences among them and in what cases I can use them?Thank you so much.

Rvw · Accepted Answer

You should do it like this/that. (Like is a preposition. This is a pronoun. Like this is a prepositional phrase that modifies do. This points to an something at hand; that points to something farther away.)

You should do it this/that way. (This is a limiting adjective. Way is used as an adverbial noun. This way modifies do. Again, this points to things closer than those pointed to by that.)

You should do it thus. (Thus is an adverb, modifies do, and means "In a manner previously stated or to be stated; in this manner." ---AHD)

All three sentences mean the same thing. (Thus corresponds to this.) I think thus is less frequently used than like this or this way.

Anonymous · Answer

Hello again.

Can I ask one more question about this topic?

I've been told that there is a little difference in using like this/that and this/that way:

---> I want you to cook like this. (In this sentence, the person who tells you to cook, mimics the way to cook, like in TV, for you to do)

--->I want you to cook this way (But in this sentence, this person tells you to do it as a cookbook says, that's to say, following steps).

I am a little confussed about this. Thank you.

Rvw · Answer

I think the person using like this could be mimicking the procedure or pointing to a cookbook, and the person using this way could also be doing either. The two expressions are very similar, as these definitions show:

like prep. 1. Possessing the characteristics of; resembling closely; similar to.

way n. 6. The manner of doing something or a course of action. ---American Heritage Dictionary

Then, like this = closely resembling this series of actions or this list of procedures in a cookbook,

and this way = this course of action -- the course being illustrated either by acting it out or pointing to a cookbook's procedures.

CalifJim · Answer

I'm confused, too. I don't see any difference at all between "this way" and "like this" in the contexts you have presented, i.e., adverbial. Of course there's a difference when they are adjectival:

"I want another book like this." (Correct)
"I want another book this way." (Incorrect)

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Up until now, we've been discussing "Like this/Like that" in the  context of "in this manner". Generally speaking if you can replace  "like this,that,etc" with "in this manner", you can use any phrase.  Such is not the case with "I want another book like this." where the  "like this" is a short form of "like this one". Hope this clarifies,  somewhat...

What is the difference of like this/that, this/that way and thus?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions