It seems [like] a random occurrence?

Question

These seem to mean exactly the same thing. They surely sound different though, so maybe I'm missing some subtlety. Do the sentences have a different meaning?> It seems like a random occurrence. vs > It seems a random occurrence. I'm also curious about this one:> It seems to be a random occurrence.

Answer 1

There is a subtle difference as you implied in your question. Think of it in terms of the difference between a simile and a metaphor. If I were to say, "The house was like a museum," that could imply old things in the house, perhaps dusty, or even large with an eerie echo. However, if I were to say "The house was a museum." one would have an image of old furniture and relics scattered throughout or even an actual museum set up in an old house. Therefore by saying it seems like a random thing, one is showing there is no proof of that certainty or the occurrence had a feel like it was random. Saying it seems a random occurrence brings direct knowledge to the idea that an occurrence had a high probability of being random. Either would work however, so I suppose it depends on how much emphasis one would wish to show on said random occurrence.