方式状语从句通常由as, (just) as…so…, as if, as though, by,with引导,多用来谈论某人的行为或者做某事的方式。

由as, just as...so...引导

as, just as...so...引导的方式状语从句通常位于主句后，但在just as...so...结构中位于句首，这时as从句带有比喻的含义，意思是"正如…"，"就像"，多用于正式文体；

例如：

Always do to the others as you would be done by.
  你希望人家怎样待你，你就要怎样待人。
As water is to fish, so air is to man.
  我们离不开空气，犹如鱼儿离不开水。
You must try to hold the tool as I do.
  你必须像我这样拿工具｡
Leave the things as they are.
  别动这些东西｡
We must do as the Party tells us; to do.
  我们必须按照党的指示办事｡
Just as we sweep our rooms, so we should sweep backward ideas from our minds
  正如打扫房屋一样，我们也要扫除我们头脑中落后的东西。
由as if, as though引导
as if 和as though 引导的从句中的时态取决于说话者对所谈内容的态度。若说话者认为其看法是真的或可能会成为事实，从句谓语就按常规变化。
例如：
He looks as if he is angry.
  他看上去好像生气了。
It looked as if there would be an exciting race.
  看来要有一场激动人心的比赛。
When the spaceship leaves the earth at tremendous speed，the astronauts feel as if they are being crushed against the spaceship floor.
  当宇宙飞船以巨大的速度离开地球时，宇航员们觉得自己好像正在被压向宇宙飞船的底壁上去。
如果从句的内容是不真实的，是与事实相反的，从句的谓语时态要用虚拟语气。主句谓语用一般现在时态，对从句的谓语形式没有影响。
两者的意义和用法相同，引出的状语从句谓语多用虚拟语气，表示与事实相反，有时也用陈述语气，表示所说情况是事实或实现的可能性较大。汉译常作"仿佛……似的"，"好像……似的"。这两个连词经常用在be，act，appear，behave，fell，look，seem，smell，sound，taste及其他描写行为举止的动词之后，引导一个方式从句。

例如：
They completely ignore these facts as if (as though) they never existed.
  他们完全忽略了这些事实，就仿佛它不存在似的。（与事实相反，谓语用虚拟语气。）
He looks as if (as though) he had been hit by lightning.
  他那样子就像被雷击了似的。（与事实相反，谓语用虚拟语气。）
It looks as if the weather may pick up very soon.
  看来天气很快就会好起来。（实现的可能性较大，谓语用陈述语气。）
说明：as if / as though也可以引导一个分词短语、不定式短语、形容词或介词短语；

例如：
He stared at me as if seeing me for the first time.
  他目不转睛地看着我，就像第一次看见我似的。
He cleared his throat as if to say something.
  他清了清嗓子，像要说什么似的。
The waves dashed on the rocks as if in anger.
  波涛冲击着岩石，好像很愤怒。
 I'll do as I am told to. 我会按照我被告知的那样做的。