unlike
part of speech
preposition (unlike); adjective (unlike — formal, rare)
meaning for a pupil
1) Different from; not the same as. tree →
2) Not typical of someone: it's unlike her to be late. tree →
3) (maths) Unlike: having different denominators or signs. tree →
sense in the lessons
In comparing in science, maths and English writing, unlike shows a difference: unlike mammals, birds lay eggs. In maths, unlike fractions have different denominators and need a common one before adding; unlike terms in algebra cannot be added together. Phrases: unlike ... , it's unlike someone to, unlike fractions.
examples
- Unlike my brother, I love vegetables. tree →
- It's unlike Sam to forget his homework. tree →
- Unlike cats, dogs love to swim. tree →
- To add unlike fractions, find a common denominator. tree →
- 3x and 2y are unlike terms. tree →
- Unlike a square, a rectangle can have sides of different lengths. tree →
- A whole new world stretched out before him, quite unlike the one he had left. tree →
note
Unlike is mostly a preposition, followed by a noun: unlike me, unlike frogs. Do not confuse with dislike (not like, a verb). In maths, unlike fractions such as 1/2 and 1/3 must be changed to the same denominator (3/6 + 2/6) before adding.
In the corpora
- Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole: like poles push apart, unlike poles pull together.
- Unlike a playground scrap, many ordinary people, called civilians, lose their homes, their safety or their lives.
- Unlike a debate, an ethics bowl does not give teams a side they must defend; they may agree with each other.
- Like poles repel each other and unlike poles attract.
- Surely I am brutish, unlike a man, and have not the understanding of a man;
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «unlike» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.