C is correct here

Eastwood wrote:Proponents of artificial intelligence say they will be able to make computers that can understand English and other human languages, recognize objects, and reason as an expert does-computers that will be used to diagnose equipment breakdowns, deciding whether to authorize a loan, or other purposes such as these.
(A) as an expert does-computers that will be used to diagnose equipment breakdowns, deciding whether to authorize a loan, or other purposes such as these - What does these refers to? - OUT

(B) as an expert does, which may be used for purposes such as diagnosing equipment breakdowns or deciding whether to authorize a loan - Incorrect - position of which is not correct - OUT

(C) like an expert-computers that will be used for such purposes as diagnosing equipment breakdowns or deciding whether to authorize a loan - Correct

(D) like an expert, the use of which would be for purposes like the diagnosis of equipment breakdowns or the decision whether or not a loan should be authorized - Incorrect - whether or not is not the correct usage

(E) like an expert, to be used to diagnose equipment breakdowns, deciding whether to authorize a loan or not, or the like - Incorrect - same as D





Can anyone explain why the Official Answer = C? Specifically, why is like used here and not as? Are we not comparing reason (a verb)? Thanks.

I think that either "as an expert does" OR "like an expert" could be correct here. "As" compares verbs, and if the phrase used is "as an expert does," the comparison is between computer reasoning and expert reasoning, so it's valid. When "like an expert" is used, the comparison is between computers and experts, which are nouns, so again, it's valid. The deal-breaker here is the latter part of the underlined portion. In A, the phrase used to describe what the computers will do is "to diagnose equipment breakdowns, deciding whether to authorize a loan," and that's not parallel. The correct answer C uses "diagnosing... and deciding," which are parallel.

Proponents of artificial intelligence say they will be able to make computers that can understand English and other human languages, recognize objects, and reason as an expert does-computers that will be used to diagnose equipment breakdowns, deciding whether to authorize a loan, or other purposes such as these.

Let's break the sentence into SKULL:

Proponents of artificial intelligence say they will be able to make computers that can understand English and other human languages, recognize objects, and reason as an expert does-computers that will be used to diagnose equipment breakdowns, deciding whether to authorize a loan, or other purposes such as these.

LIKE VS AS:

Like: is used to compare two nouns.
AS: is used to compare two clauses.

=> Compluters that can understand like an expert. [Like +NOUN=Correct]
=> Computers, like an expert, can understand.

Again:
=> Computers that can understand as an expert does. [As +Clause=Correct]

So, the deal is not with As Vs Like.

The second part of the sentence:

computers that will be used to diagnose equipment breakdowns, and (to decide) deciding whether to authorize a loan, or other purposes such as these.

=> to diagnose and to decide could have been parallel.

All the options except C, fails to maintain parallelism.

Answer is C.

First I had some confusion with this, then after re-reading another similar question in the blue book solved my confusion.

Question 32 on verbal guide 2 is a very similar question, except that the comparison is flip-flopped.

My initial confusion was that "the computer can reason..." is an action, how can "like" be used to compare to the expert. Now I am much more clear on the issue. The usage of like/as isn't hinged on the subject, but rather on the object (in most cases).

So in this particular question, even though the comparison is introduced with what a computer can do, the choice between like/as is determined by what the object of comparison does...or doesn't do.

As "an expert does" is correct as long as the other comparison is also applying an action, and "like an expert" is correct regardless if the comparison is applying an action or not, the same with "like Rousseau" and "as did Rousseau".

So "as" is a bit more complicated than "like", but the general rule appears to be pretty consistent on GMAT.

Want to open this discussion again ! 2 queires

1. In C - 'such purposes as' - is this a correct usage ? shouldn't it be 'purposes such as'
2. In B - Why do we say that 'which' does not have a clear referent ?

Thanks in advance.

IMO c!