Sentence Correction

According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.

(A) like that of earlier generations
(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations


Here the OG Answer is "E".

But as per OG, like is used to compare nouns. So shouldn't "A" be the answer ? Are we not comparing the below two in this question ?
1. Goal of earlier generations.
2. Goal of current generation.

Thanks
Mohit

goelmohit2002 wrote:According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.

(A) like that of earlier generations
(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations


Here the OG Answer is "E".

But as per OG, like is used to compare nouns. So shouldn't "A" be the answer ? Are we not comparing the below two in this question ?
1. Goal of earlier generations.
2. Goal of current generation.

Thanks
Mohit

it is comparing the phrase "owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land"

and so e

Does "it" refers to "owning and living" as in option "E" ? If yes, then original sentence becomes:

"According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as owning and living in a freestanding house.... of earlier generations "

Doesn't the modified sentence look a bit awkward or I am missing something here ?

Thanks
Mohit

Yes, I am also of the opinion that "it" refers to goal.....so are we are not comparing the goals. So should not we use "like" as that in option "A"

But as "maihuna" suggested we are comparing the "owing and living" so we need "like" as mentioned in choice "E".

I am a bit confused...if "it" refers to goal, then how "as" is correct ?

In my humble opinion, we are comparing the action TO BE.

We are comparing something like this: something IS to someone AS it IS to otherone.

In this case:

owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land IS still a goal of a majority of young adults, AS it was of earlier generations.

Kind of mixing de ideas: something IS a goal of someone, AS it IS of otherone.

(By the way, now that I see it more clearly, maihuna was wright about the reference of "it").

So we are comparing the action TO BE a goal. We are not comparing two different goals (one for current generations and another one for earlier generations). We are saying that one same goal IS of someone as it WAS of otherone.

Hope it helped.

Hi uymba,

Can you please explain a bit more in more simple words . If we are comparing the actions, then what to replace "it" with ?

does the modified sentence becomes like

""According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as owning and living in a freestanding house.... of earlier generations "

Please tell is this sentence correct ? or the modified sentence will be something else ? To me the above sentence looks a bit awkward.

Please tell if I am missing something here ?

Thanks
Mohit

dear goel,
looking by your posts i guess u have manhattan sc guide
Its 7th chapter is about comparisons..
If u read it, ur fundae about like vs as will be clear

wrt the above question:

(A) like that of earlier generations
uses like to compare actions, hence it is wrong
(B) as that for earlier generations
for is used incorrectly
(C) just as earlier generations did
this comes close but 'owing an living is a goal, its not an action performed by earlier ppl.
(D) as have earlier generations
incorrect comparison
(E) as it was of earlier generations
this is correct.
try replacing the word it by the phrase it relates to i.e. owing and living
you will find E to be logically correct

Thanks dgr8onerip.

I think the last one would be more appropriate if we add that to refer to the goal

e. as it was that of earlier generations

There is no "it" ambiguity in the right answer?

it can refer to freestanding house too isnt it?

goelmohit2002 wrote:According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.

(A) like that of earlier generations
(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations


Here the OG Answer is "E".

But as per OG, like is used to compare nouns. So shouldn't "A" be the answer ? Are we not comparing the below two in this question ?
1. Goal of earlier generations.
2. Goal of current generation.

Thanks
Mohit

In A and B, like that and as that imply two separate goals, one similar to the other. But in the SC above there is only one goal: owning and living in a freestanding house. The intended meaning of the sentence is that this one goal is common to all the generations. Eliminate A and B.

In C, it is unclear what verb is being replaced by did. Eliminate C.

In D, it is unclear what earlier generations have done. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E.

E uses ellipsis, the omission of words in a comparison:

...owning and living in a freestanding house...is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as it [owning and living in a freestanding house] was [a goal] of earlier generations.

In E, it refers to owning and living in a freestanding house. The phrase a goal has been omitted, but its presence is understood.

211. The period when the great painted caves at
Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper
Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-
14 dating, but what is much more difficult to
determine are the reason for their decoration, the
use to which primitive people put the caves, and
the meaning of the magnificently depicted
animals.
A) has been established by carbon-14 dating, but
what is much more difficult to determine are
B )has been established by carbon-14 dating, but
what is much more difficult to determine is
C )have been established by carbon-14 dating,
but what is much more difficult to determine
is
D )have been established by carbon-14 dating,
but what is much more difficult to determine
are
E) are established by carbon-14 dating, but that
which is much more difficult to determine is
Two instances of subject-verb agreement must be
observed in this sentence: The period ... has been
established and what is much more difficult to
determine ... is. Both clauses have singular subjects and
must have singular verbs. Only B, the best choice,
observes these requirements. A incorrectly uses the plural
form are in the second clause. Choices C and D incorrectly
use the plural form have in the first clause, and D
incorrectly uses are in the second clause as well. E
incorrectly uses the plural form are in the first clause.
Furthermore, because the date of the period in question
was established before the writing of the sentence, the
verb of that clause must be in the present perfect form
(has been established).

I have a problem with the explanation, in the second part of the underlined sentence which uses is should be are because here we are talking about three different things which also closes with and and hence the answer should be A.

Kindly help friends.

Thanks a lot Mitch for the clear explanation

GMATGuruNY wrote:

goelmohit2002 wrote:According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.

(A) like that of earlier generations
(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations


Here the OG Answer is "E".

But as per OG, like is used to compare nouns. So shouldn't "A" be the answer ? Are we not comparing the below two in this question ?
1. Goal of earlier generations.
2. Goal of current generation.

Thanks
Mohit

In A and B, like that and as that imply two separate goals, one similar to the other. But in the SC above there is only one goal: owning and living in a freestanding house. The intended meaning of the sentence is that this one goal is common to all the generations. Eliminate A and B.

In C, it is unclear what verb is being replaced by did. Eliminate C.

In D, it is unclear what earlier generations have done. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E.

E uses ellipsis, the omission of words in a comparison:

...owning and living in a freestanding house...is still a goal of a majority of young adults, as it [owning and living in a freestanding house] was [a goal] of earlier generations.

In E, it refers to owning and living in a freestanding house. The phrase a goal has been omitted, but its presence is understood.

Hi,

For new question please make a new thread and also underline the doubtful part