通常见到的是:
It looks like rain.
It looks like snow.
请问像下面这样用动名词可以吗?
It looks like raining.
It looks like snowing.
从理论上说,look like rain, look like snow 这类表达是可以说成 look like raining, look like snowing 的,因为 like 是介词,后面接动名词,属于介词的基本用法。只不过用动名词raining, snowing 的用法不如用 look like rain, look like snow 普通而已。
至于 look like 后能不能接动名词,《牛津英语用法指南》第三版有这样一句分析:
look like...ing... (非正式)在英国英语里含将来的意思。
It looks like being a wet night. (= It looks as if it will be...) 看样子晚上要下雨。
《牛津英语用法指南》认为 look like 后面接动名词是非正式用法,所以比较少见,所以 look like raining, look like snowing 也比较少见。