Like vs. As

Like may be used as a preposition but the general rule is as comes before a clause. If the word is followed by a clause (a group of words with both a subject and a verb), use as: He liked the restaurant, as any gourmet would. If no verb follows, choose like: He walks like a platypus. As and as if are followed by a verb, but like never is. In casual usage, like is gaining steady popularity as a preposition, as in "He tells it like it is" / "She eats ice cream like it is going out of style," which means that the "rule" that like is not followed by a verb can be suspended. You can say, "She felt like meditating." The informal use of like to introduce a clause is fine in conversation or casual writing, but to be grammatically proper, use the "as comes before a clause" rule.