Use of "equivalent", "equal" and "a

[abhi0697]

According to a study by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, companies in the United States are providing job training and general education for nearly eight million people, about equivalent to the enrollment of the nation's four-year colleges and universities.

(A) equivalent to the enrollment of
(B) the equivalent of those enrolled in
(C) equal to those who are enrolled in
(D) as many as the enrollment of
(E) as many as are enrolled in

Request to explain the use of "equivalent", "equal" and "as many as" in different scenarios. Thanks

[abhi0697]

OA: E

[abhi0697]

E uses correct Idiom "as many as", but I want to understand the usage of "equivalent", "equal to" and "as many as" in different scenarios.

Do post your answers. Thanks.

[mundasingh123]

E uses correct Idiom "as many as", but I want to understand the usage of "equivalent", "equal to" and "as many as" in different scenarios.

Do post your answers. Thanks.

This needs an Expert Reply . Bump !

[Jim@Grockit]

I am not sure I understand the question! Equivalent and equal are nouns or adjectives (so you can have equivalent/equal to or the equivalent/equal of). They are more or less interchangeable, though equivalent gets used of things that cannot be compared as objectively. As many as is a comparative phrase that can be used elliptically (i.e. with the noun being compared left unstated, as with He didn't eat as many as she did). The phrase can also mean "a high estimate would be that" (as many as five thousand people were left homeless by the disaster)

The common usages would be:
X is equal to Y
X is equivalent to Y

X is the equal of Y
X is the equivalent of Y

There are as many X as Y