Sensory Verbs and Like in English Grammar

Sensory Verbs + Like

• Use like after sensory verbs to show that two things are similar in terms of a specific sense (e.g., smell, feel, look, sound, taste).
• Examples of sensory verbs with like:
  • The shampoo smells like coconuts.
  • Your hair feels like silk.
  • They look like movie stars.
  • Her alarm sounds like a bird.
  • This butter tastes like garlic.

Degree of Similarity

• Use a little or a lot before like to express the degree of similarity:
  • She looks a little like her mother.
  • This tofu tastes a lot like chicken.

Important Grammar Notes

• Sensory verbs express states, not actions.
• Do not use sensory verbs or other non-verbs in the present continuous tense:
  • My room smells like flowers. ( Correct )
  • Not: My room is smelling like flowers. ( Incorrect )