How do I explain the uses of like?

[frannie]

in the question what is the weather like? what is the grammatical term for the word like in this sentence, and how can you explain it is different from like as in i like chocolate! thankyou

[Lucy]

Dear Frannie,

I agree; this is something that confuses students when they first see it.

In the question "what is the weather like?", like is a preposition. You can explain to students that some words have 2 distinct meanings. You can find a synonym that they already know; eg read a book and book a hotel. Alternatively, if you speak their language, you could use a synonym in their language to illustrate the point.

Best wishes,

Lucy