When to remove "like":
“Like” should be left out only when used as a filler word. (E.g. “That’s, like, so great.”)
When to include "like":
When used as a...
- preposition: She's been like a mother to me
- noun: My likes and dislikes
- conjunction: It looks like it will rain
Also retain "like" when used colloquially in place of "said." This is informally known as the quotative like:
He was like, "I need to see a doctor."
A variation of the quotative like in African American English (AAE) is "be like," as in: She be like, "No, I don't want to go."