Is "Looks like it's going to rain" acceptable

Question

Some sources assert that it is incorrect to use "like" followed by a clause. To me a sentence such as

Looks like it's going to rain

sounds natural. Is it as acceptable as

Looks as though it's going to rain / Looks as if it's going to rain

Are there any style or meaning differences?

I believe that's a prescriptive rule, rather than a descriptive one. Your first sentence is 100% natural. Only a serious grammar nerd would even notice. — gotube, Dec 31 '21 at 09:49
The "serious grammar nerd" (not me, honest! :) would be more likely to complain about the lack of a *subject* - even if it's only a dummy subject, *It looks like it's gonna rain*. — FumbleFingers, Dec 31 '21 at 12:12
You can search this site and find some other discussions of "like" as a conjunction, for example: https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/248084/conjunctions-like-and-as-after-the-verb-look — MarcInManhattan, Dec 31 '21 at 19:59

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 31 '21 at 18:50

The sentence is missing a subject, but in such a casual context that is quite normal. This is especially true with a linking verb "look". In any case, the subject would be a dummy subject "It".

The use of "like" as a conjunction (or subordinator?) is relatively casual. However the context suggests casual use, and so this is fine.

Your alternatives are also fine, the raised formality with your alternatives would suggest not omitting the subject: "It looks as though it is going to rain."

Is "Looks like it's going to rain" acceptable

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