202 Chapter 12 Grade and comparison
adjective same marking non-scalar equality (as in [19iv] or [17i]). As can also occur
in non-scalar comparison without any such preceding item to license it:
[20] i As we 'd expected, he refused to compromise.
ii He didn 't behave as he usually does.
In [i] the comparison is between what we'd expected to happen and what did in
fact happen. We can gloss as "We'd expected x; y (i.e. he refused to compromise);
x = y". Here the y corresponds to a whole clause rather than to just a part of a
clause.
In [ii] we are comparing his behaviour on a particular occasion with his usual
behaviour. We understand: "He didn't behave in x manner; he usually behaves in
y manner; x = y".Comparative clauses as complement to like
In non-scalar comparison of equality we also find comparative clauses after the
preposition like - though like takes content clauses as well. Compare, then:
[21] i They don 't get on like they used to.
ii It looks like it's going to rain.
[comparative clause]
[content clause]
In [i] we have the familiar kind of comparison between the way they get on (now)
and the way they used to get on.
The content clause construction in [ii] most often occurs after look or sound, and
the meaning is similar to that with appear + content clause: It appears that it's
going to rain. Unlike they used to in [i], it's going to rain is not reduced.Prescriptive grammar noteConservative usage manuals tend to disapprove of both constructions in [21], where like
takes a finite clause as complement. They would recommend replacing like by as in [i]
and by as if(or as though) in [ii]. The versions with like are relatively informal, but they
are very well established, especially in AmE.