dumb.doofus wrote:B and E are as such out because Like is used for nouns and as is used for clauses.

C is out because it should end with "as people do" and not "as people can"

A is out because computers can be programmed or could be programmed, computers by themselves are not able to program..

Only choice left is D.

I dont like this sentence though.. coz we are comparing computers with people.. we are comparing ability to think.. and so I would have preferred a clause starting with "as"...

Hi DD!
Can you explain a bit when to use do, be or the auxiliary forms in case of comparison as done in the choices?

Hi all,
when explaining the wrong ones, i could see many facets of explanations but the Verb tense one.

(A) are able to be programmed to think like people (Wrong because AI emerged and not emerges)
(B) were able to be programmed to think as people (it is rather stating a fact than an assumption. further as in place of like is incorrect)
(C) can be programmed to think as people can (although can can express an assumption, its in present tense. can at the end wrongly gives an impression that people can be programmed)
(D) could be programmed to think like people (Right because this expresses the assumption and is also in line with the past tense emerged. like is used)
(E) are capable of being programmed to think like people do (again tense problem with are.)

Thanks in advance guys
~srini

Hi all,
Artificial intelligence emerged during the late 1950's as an academic discipline based on the assumption that computers are able to be programmed to think like people.
when explaining the wrong ones for the above question, i could see many facets of explanations but the Verb tense one.

(A) are able to be programmed to think like people (Wrong because AI emerged and not emerges)
(B) were able to be programmed to think as people (it is rather stating a fact than an assumption. further as in place of like is incorrect)
(C) can be programmed to think as people can (although can can express an assumption, its in present tense. can at the end wrongly gives an impression that people can be programmed)
(D) could be programmed to think like people (Right because this expresses the assumption and is also in line with the past tense emerged.like is used)
(E) are capable of being programmed to think like people do (again tense problem with are.)

Help me evaluate my reasoning on the choices (C) and (D) (can/could -> present/past)
thanks
~srini

"able" and "capable" are wrong because we do not say about qualification but about probability.

"as person can" mean "as person can be programed" and wrong

D is left.

simplyjat wrote:Artificial intelligence emerged during the late 1950's as an academic discipline based on the assumption that computers are able to be programmed to think like people.

(A) are able to be programmed to think like people
(B) were able to be programmed to think as people
(C) can be programmed to think as people can
(D) could be programmed to think like people
(E) are capable of being programmed to think like people do

OA D

IMO D

...based on the assumption infers that there is a chance of this possibility. C is too concrete and assumes that this has already been accomplished. D allows for the possibility that that this may not be true.

A is awkward due to the use of "are able to be".
B is awkward due to use of "were able to be"
C can be eliminated due to the use of "as people can", leading to comparison between a noun and a process.
E is wordy.
D is the best choice.