BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Doubt ----Difference between like and as

Expert replies
by anshulagarwal12 » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:27 pm
More than thirty years ago Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, reported that genes can
"jump," as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(A) as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(B) like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(C) as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(D) like pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(E) as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one

Here, in my opinion as should be used as verb "jump" is compared with pearls moving mysteriously.....

Can someone tell me my mistake??
Join the discussion
Source: — Sentence Correction |

by Kasia@EconomistGMAT » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:47 pm
Genes are compared with pearls. "Moving" is a modifier, not a verb. Therefore, it cannot be treated as parallel with "jump." Therefore, answer B is correct.
Kasia
Senior Instructor
Master GMAT - the #1 rated GMAT course

"¢ If you found my post helpful, please click the "thank" button and/or follow me.

"¢ Take a 7 day free trial and find out why Economist GMAT is the highest rated GMAT course - https://gmat.economist.com/

"¢ Read GMAT Economist reviews - https://reviews.beatthegmat.com/economis ... mat-course
Join the discussion

by anshulagarwal12 » Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:18 pm
Is there any way to identify such kind of modifiers??
Kasia@MasterGMAT wrote:Genes are compared with pearls. "Moving" is a modifier, not a verb. Therefore, it cannot be treated as parallel with "jump." Therefore, answer B is correct.
Join the discussion

by gmatdriller » Sat Jul 21, 2012 1:56 am
"genes can jump" is not parallel to
"moving mysteriously from..."....Phrase.
So, "like Pearls moving mysteriously from ..." looks fine because like is used
with a phrasal expression and not a clause as shown in the comparison.
Join the discussion

by CSASHISHPANDAY » Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:30 am
The first and most obvious "split" here is between like and as. Like is used to compare nouns; as is used to compare clauses (phrases that include verbs).

In this sentence, we are comparing genes to pearls. These are nouns, so we want to use like, not as. Eliminate A, C, and E.

Between B and D, there are two differences.
1) "pearls moving" vs. "pearls do that move"
If we say "like pearls do that move" - what is the "do" referring to? It could be referring to the "jump" but the rest of the sentence tells us the pearls are moving... We don't need both.

2) "one necklace to another" vs. "one necklace to others"
This is just an idiom issue. When you say "one [something] to..." you finish that up with "another." I moved from one place to another, not from one place to others.

see https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/sc- ... mcclintock
Join the discussion

• Page 1 of 1