due to the verb reflect (prensent tense) E is more appropriate than D since 'did' is the past tense 'do' is simple prensent

Yep, I agree 100% with that. My question is, in what cases can you use the word 'as' to compare two nouns?

When I searched the internet I found the same question I think you are options are wrong the one posted here has the correct option with LIKE

https://gmatclub.com/forum/sc-painting-o ... 53080.html

Nope, they copied it wrong. Here's a screenshot:

student22 wrote:The paintings of Georges de La Tour reflect an almost sensuous fascination with the properties of light, much like Vermeer.

A. ...
B. much as Vermeer
C. much as Vermeer did
D. much like Vermeer's did
E. much as Vermeer's do

OA: E

I thought that the answer was D, since you are comparing paintings to paintings and when you compare two nouns you use like not as. I realize that D is wrong because of the improper tense.

So my question is this, are we allowed to compare two nouns (like this sentence did) with the word 'as'?

Like is used to compare two nouns>>X paints like Y
As is used to compare two clauses>> painting of X reflect blabla, much as Y's paintings reflect (so it is a clause comparison)

This is the only rule

we compare 2 nouns or 2 clause which must be COMPARABLE LOGICALLY

in D, "like" is used before a clause. This is not grammatical.

in A, "paitings is similar to " Vermir" person. This is not logic. They are not comparable logically

in B, "as" mean "in capacity of" . This is not logic

C is very important to study. I asked many friends of C before

C means

paitings reflect as (in the same way that) Verfmier reflects

C is quite grammatical but it it not logic to compare 2 these clauses.

E make a logic sense. E means

paiting of G reflect as painting of V.

I TAKE A GMAT CLASS and get good lession

-if you can not find error when reading the original sentence, look for diferences among choices to find error
-gmat finally test logic. This mean you have to find which choice is most logic after you easily realize grammatical mechanic errors. Gmat chang meaning and focus of sentence by changing: place of modifier, word placement. subject of the sentence, object of the sentence, by inserting doing, and by disordering words in the sentence.

there are

7 seven errors (which is in Princeton Review)

3 style errors which is -wordy/arkward-redundancy-change intent (change meaning or focus of the sentence)

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, reading over the sentence again, it does look like that the objects being compared are two clauses rather than two nouns.