Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Concepts tested here: Comparisons

• Comparisons can only be made between similar things.
• “like” is used for comparing nouns, “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses, and “such as” is used for giving examples.

A: Correct. This answer choice correctly uses "like" to compare the similar nouns "Rousseau" and "Tolstoi".

B: This answer choice incorrectly compares "Rousseau" to "Tolstoi's rebellion"; please remember, comparisons can only be made between similar things.

C: This answer choice incorrectly uses "As" to compare the nouns "Rousseau" and "Tolstoi"; remember, “like” is used for comparing nouns, “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses, and “such as” is used for giving examples.

D: This answer choice incorrectly compares "Rousseau" to "Tolstoi's rebellion"; please remember, comparisons can only be made between similar things.

E: This answer choice incorrectly uses "as" to compare the noun phrases "Rousseau's rebellion" and "Tolstoi's rebellion"; remember, “like” is used for comparing nouns, “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses, and “such as” is used for giving examples.

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Like" versus "As" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~2 minutes):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Which of the them are correct? Why ?


X lives in a house, like Y.
X lives in a house like Y.
X lives in a house like Y's

Always keep in mind a very simple use of like:

Like should be used to compare nouns
As should be used to compare actions/clauses.

Now apply this rule and you will find the correct answer.
All are wrong here

Option number one is correct: "Matt lives in a house, like Paul."
Matt is correctly compared to Paul, and the meaning is clear.

Option number two is not correct: "Matt lives in a house like Paul."
This could mean that:
-Matt and Paul both live in a house.
-Matt lives in a house that is like Paul.

The meaning in this one is not clear, thus the sentence is not correct.

Hope it's clear

Official question: like-rousseau-tolstoi-rebelled-against-the-unnatural-136091.html

Zarrolou is correct. A good way to look at the first option is to move the phrase to the beginning: "Like Paul, Matt lives in a house" (In fact, I think you are FAR more likely to see this construction than to see "Matt lives in a house, like Paul.") In this option you are comparing the people. If you wanted to compare how they live, you would use "as" in a clause: "Matt lives in a house, as does Paul". Now you are comparing how they live.

The final option is correct too - it just has a different meaning. Matt lives in a house like Paul's. Now we are comparing the houses instead of the people: Matt and Paul's houses are similar. We don't need to repeat the word house because it's implied with the possessive "Paul's".

KW

hi guys!

i got one question. I familiar with the as vs like problem, but in this particular case I have to come up with a meaning issue.

since the gmat paraphrases like with "similar to" this could mean:
(a) they rebelled in the same way, the same manner etc.
(b) the rebelled both against the unnatural.

because of this meaning issue I choose the awkward, but unambigious E!

can someone help me with this one?

Hi eddyki!
E seems corrects but the trap is that you compare nouns (rebellion in this case) hence you should use "like" to compare nouns.

If (C) was "As Rousseau did, Tolstoi rebelled" or "As did Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled" would it be right? If yes, would it be better than (A)?

Yes, it would be right.
Both would be equally correct. It's only a matter of preference, which one to use. It is not expected that GMAT would test on this.

Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society.

(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - Correct
(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Rousseau is compared to Tolstoi's rebellion
(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - As + Noun is incorrect for comparison
(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Incorrect comparison
(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was - As +Noun is incorrect for comparison

Answer A

Nothing wrong with the original sentence....

Like X, Y is correct usage..

Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society.

Errors in other options, as per my opinio Highlighted in RED. , Correct answer must be (A)

Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society.

Issue: Comparison

Analysis:
1. This is quite a short sentence with a shorted underlined. Only thing that is being test here is comparison.
2. For comparison, we need to make sure that we use the right marker and that the compared objects are equal.

I have highlighted the issues below:

(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - correct marker and comparison
(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Illogical; Rousseau is being compared to Tolstoi's rebellion
(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled- Changed the meaning to sentence intending the Tolstoi rebelled literally as Rousseau did
(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Changes the meaning; wrong objects compared;
(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was - incorrect comparison marker

Choice (E)
Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was

Will this choice be correct if as is replaced by Like ?

when we use LIKE X,Y STRUCTURE
THE COMPASSION IS BETWEEN X AND Y
HERE IT MEANS ROUSSEAU REBELLED AS WELL AS TOLSTOI REBELLED.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THE WAY THEY REBELLED.WE CAN USE AS TO COMPARE THE ACTION

sayantanc2k,

"As did Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled"
"Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled"

Is the meaning of the two sentences also same? or logically it's different?

Hey acacia ,

No it won't change the meaning. The only difference would be When we are using As, we are comparing the two clauses and when we are using "Like" , we are comparing two nouns.

E.g.

Like Sita, Geeta played Soccer. --> I am comparing how they both played.

As Sita did, Geeta played Soccer. --> Here I am comparing how they both played.

Does that make sense?

In B option if Rousseau's is used then whether B option is correct

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