Sentence Correction

Ok I think I read somewhere that GMAT doesn't distinguish between compare to and compare with. But still if we are left with two choices where we have to deal with compare to and compare with. THis is how I understand it

compare to --> dissimilar things
compare with --> similar things

One noted economist has made a comparison of the Federal Reserve and an automobile as racing through a tunnel, bouncing first off one wall, then the other; the car may get where it is going, but people may be hurt in the process.

(D) compared the Federal Reserve to an automobile racing through a tunnel, bouncing
(E) compared the Federal Reserve with an automobile that races through a tunnel and it bounces

Here the OA is D . But arent we comparing similar things instead of looking at their differences?. So shouldnt the OA be E

Federal reserve and automobile are not similar things they can never be.....
compared to is correct

thephoenix wrote:Federal reserve and automobile are not similar things they can never be.....
compared to is correct

based on this logic ...none of two things in thsi world are similar ....so why do we have compare with then ? ....

neoreaves wrote:Ok I think I read somewhere that GMAT doesn't distinguish between compare to and compare with. But still if we are left with two choices where we have to deal with compare to and compare with. THis is how I understand it

compare to --> dissimilar things
compare with --> similar things

One noted economist has made a comparison of the Federal Reserve and an automobile as racing through a tunnel, bouncing first off one wall, then the other; the car may get where it is going, but people may be hurt in the process.

(D) compared the Federal Reserve to an automobile racing through a tunnel, bouncing
(E) compared the Federal Reserve with an automobile that races through a tunnel and it bounces

Here the OA is D . But arent we comparing similar things instead of looking at their differences?. So shouldnt the OA be E

One noted economist has made compared the .......
past tense is already indicated by verb compared, why is "has made" rather "made" used here ?
How can OA contain such error ?

neoreaves wrote:

thephoenix wrote:Federal reserve and automobile are not similar things they can never be.....
compared to is correct

based on this logic ...none of two things in thsi world are similar ....so why do we have compare with then ? ....

I think that, in this context, using the word "similar" is akin to comparing two automobiles, two banks, two cities, two musical groups, etc. This is different than comparing a bank with an automobile.

compared to is to compare unlike things.. and compared with is used to point out differences between like things..

Compared with other Native Americans of the Southwest, the Quechans were singularly uninterested in the accumulation of material wealth or in the crafting of elaborate pottery and basketry.