as in / like in

[Verona_82]

Hello!

I seem to have a little problem with 'as' and 'like'. I used 'as' in the sentences below, but I doubt it was the right choice. I'd be grateful if anyone could have a look at them

You can see that there're few tourist attractions in Nburg, as in Mburg.
You should say "oi", as in "toy" .

Thank you in advance.

[TheParser]

Hello!

I seem to have a little problem with 'as' and 'like'. I used 'as' in the sentences below, but I doubt it was the right choice. I'd be grateful if anyone could have a look at them

You can see that there're few tourist attractions in Nburg, as in Mburg.
You should say "oi", as in "toy" .

Thank you in advance.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Verona,


(1) I am very excited to see what the teachers say, for those two

little words interest me, too.

(2) I would say that you have used them correctly.

(a) Let's first discuss the second sentence:

You should say/pronounce "oi" as [you pronounce "oi"]

in "toy."

(i) "as" is a conjunction = in the way in which.

(ii) Many native speakers do use "like" here. It is so

common that more "modern" books no longer call it

"bad" English.

(3) Your first sentence is more problematic.

(i) I think (only my opinion, remember) that the use of

"as" is correct.

(ii) I also most respectfully suggest that the sentence should be

stated in another way. I had to read it several times before I

was confident that I understood the meaning. As you know,

writing teachers tell their students: if a reader has to read your

sentence another time before understanding its meaning, then you

have failed as a writer. Here is something that I once read and have

never forgotten:

The hardest thing in the world to write is one clear sentence.

(iii) If I understand the sentence, it means:

Both Nburg and Mburg have few tourist attractions.

I believe that this, too, is a case of ellipsis (missing words) -- as

[it was] in sentence No. 2.

You can see that there are few tourist attractions in Nburg, as [there

are few tourist attractions] in Mburg.

I most respectfully suggest that it be written as:

You can see that, as in Mburg, there are few tourist attractions

in Nburg. / As in Mburg, there are few tourist attractions in Nburg.

In other words, putting the "as" clause at the end is confusing.

Yes, some native speakers would use "like" in that sentence, too.

According to most books, "like" is a preposition or adverb. And

according to super strict books, it is an adjective.

BOTTOM LINE: I feel that you have used "as" correctly.


***** NOT A TEACHER *****

[billmcd]

Hello!

I seem to have a little problem with 'as' and 'like'. I used 'as' in the sentences below, but I doubt it was the right choice. I'd be grateful if anyone could have a look at them

You can see that there're few tourist attractions in Nburg, as in Mburg.
You should say "oi", as in "toy" .

Thank you in advance.

I think most readers/listeners would understand your "as in Mburg" however,I would prefer to say/write "as there are in Mburg". Also, "there are" is usually pronounced the way you have written it, but it is not acceptable to write it as a contraction.

[hermeneuo.com]

You can see that there're few tourist attractions in Nburg, as in Mburg.

Perhaps the author of the sentence meant to say:

As you can see, there are fewer tourist attractions in Nburg than in Mburg.

Is that possible?

[Verona_82]

Thank you for your replies!

No, the author wanted to say that there were as few tourist attractions in Nburg as in Mburg. Perhaps it's the most natural way to express the idea.
I do also agree with TheParser that putting 'as in' at the beginning of the sentence makes it more compehensible, but I had very little time to think about it as the original author asked me about 'as' and 'like'. My first impulse was to use 'as', and it was later when I came to realize that 'like' (pehaps) would sound there fine too, and it was a bit confusing. Now I see from TheParser's reply that native speakers might have used 'like' too - is it just because it's modern English?

[5jj]

The Parser's suggested amendments are clear:
You can see that, as in Mburg, there are few tourist attractions in Nburg.
As in Mburg, there are few tourist attractions in Nburg.

I am not so happy with billmced's "as there are in Mburg". It is certainly not wrong but, in my opinion, the positive 'there are' sounds a little strange after the negative idea of 'few'. Had the word been 'many', I would have had no objection at all.

There is an increasing tendency for some people to use 'like' in sentences like () yours. This is a fairly modern usage, and some dislike it. If you stay with 'as', you will upset nobody.