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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 31 Dec 2020, 09:21
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Thegmatboy
Hi Everyone, I thought the idiom was Just as X so Y, I instantly crossed off B when I saw Just as without the so. Can anyone help me with this please?

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Hello Thegmatboy and imSKR,

Wish you a Very Happy 2021. :-)

I am not sure if your doubt still persists. Here is my response anyway. :-)

It is true that generally the expression Just as X so Y is used to present comparison. However, the expression Just as X, Y (without so) is also a valid expression. This official question bears the proof of the same. The intended logical comparison still remains the same without the usage of the word so.

So, let's just add this idiom to our list of correct idioms used in GMAT SC problems.


Hope this helps. :-)
Thanks.
Shraddha
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 31 Dec 2020, 09:28
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The basic idea is that we are comparing situations, not just nouns. The point is not just that the telegraph is like the Internet, but that what people said about the telegraph is similar to what people said about the Internet. The modifier in E, "Similar to the Internet," applies only to the following noun, "the telegraph." Meanwhile, the structure in B compares two complete clauses: what we say about the Internet today is similar to what people said about the telegraph in the past.

Thank you, I understood your explanation well.

I can conclude that if we compare situation we should use construction "Just as", while we compare only the noun we should use construction "Like" or "Similar to"
Let me know if I am wrong.
Thanks!
Ross
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Hello RossItaly,

Wish you a Very Happy 2021. :-)

Although your question is not addressed to me, here is my response anyway.

Generally, the expressions like or similar to are used to present comparison between two nouns. For example, Like the sun, the moon is also a celestial orb.

The expressions as, Just as X so Y and Just X, Y are used to present a comparison between two actions. For example, As the earth revolves around the sun, the moon revolves around the earth.


Hope this helps. :-)
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Shraddha
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 31 Dec 2020, 10:37
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Dear Shraddha

Happy New Year to you and to all GmatClub community!

Thanks for explaining, please let me know how is called this type of question, idioms? I should master this material.

Thank you again!
Ross
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 31 Dec 2020, 13:44
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RossItaly
Yes, that's a form of idiom, but specifically these are comparison markers or comparators. In English (or at least in formal written English), we tend to use one set of words and modifiers to deal with nouns and one set to deal with everything else. For instance, adjectives (little, green, intelligent) apply only to nouns, while adverbs (quickly, slightly, very, well) may apply to verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even whole clauses. The same goes for modifying phrases: some modify just nouns, while others are adverbial and work more flexibly. These comparison markers fit in that category. "Like" compares nouns, although in everyday speech we sometimes use it more broadly. "As" compares actions, clauses, or modifiers.
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 20 Feb 2023, 23:33
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GMATNinja DmitryFarber EducationAisle IanStewart Isn't a finite verb missing in option C? Please confirm!
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 27 Feb 2023, 19:54
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It depends on how you look at it. C is quite the mess, so it's hard to pick just one issue to fix. Sure, if we wanted it to be like B, it would need a verb. However, in its current form, the first part is a modifier, and the part after is an independent clause, so no verb is needed. The trouble is just that the modifier doesn't make much sense. B has a verb because it's using "as" to compare two clauses.
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 09 Mar 2023, 04:00
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The trick to tackle this question is just pure elimination.
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Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information super 24 Jan 2024, 03:10
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EMPOWERgmatVerbal - I must say you have a very different step-by-step procedure for answering questions. Really love your solutions. Thanks a lot for your contributions on this platform.

EMPOWERgmatVerbal
Hello Everyone!

Let's tackle this question, one thing at a time, and narrow down our options quickly so we know how to answer questions like this when they pop up on the GMAT! To begin, let's take a quick look at the question and highlight any major differences between the options in orange:

Just like the Internet today, often being called an “information superhighway,” the telegraph was described in its day as an “instantaneous highway of thought.”

A) Just like the Internet today, often being

B) Just as the Internet is today often

C) As with the Internet being today often

D) As is often the case today with the Internet,

E) Similar to the Internet today, often

With such a short underlined portion, there are really only 2 places we can focus on here:

1. Just like / Just as / As with / As / Similar to (Idioms & Comparisons)
2. today, often being / is today often / being today often / often the case today / today, often (Diction & Parallelism)

Let’s start with #1 on our list, which is mainly deciding between using “like” or “as” for this particular comparison. We understand that like vs. as can get confusing, but here is an easy way to think about it when comparing two things:

Like = used to compare two nouns; the word after “like” should be a noun
As = used to compare two actions or verbs; the work after “as” can be either a noun or verb

So what are we really comparing here? The Internet and the telegraph? NO! We’re comparing what the Internet is called to what the telegraph used to be called. That means we’re comparing two actions - not two nouns! Let’s see how our options break down:

A) Just like the Internet today, often being

B) Just as the Internet is today often

C) As with the Internet being today often

D) As is often the case today with the Internet,

E) Similar to the Internet today, often 
(Note: ”like” and “similar to” are the same thing, and follow the same rules)

We can eliminate options A & E because they use some version of “like” to compare two actions, which isn’t correct. Now that we have it narrowed down, let’s tackle #2 on our list. We mainly need to make sure the meaning is clear and logical, while also ensuring the two things being compared are parallel. (To make problems easier to spot, we’ve added in the non-underlined parts.)

B) Just as the Internet is today often called an “information superhighway,” the telegraph was described in its day as an “instantaneous highway of thought.”
This is our CORRECT choice! The two items being compared are parallel, and the way they’re worded is rather parallel too. It’s also clear and logical for readers.

C) As with the Internet being today often called an “information superhighway,” the telegraph was described in its day as an “instantaneous highway of thought.”
This is INCORRECT because “as with” is not an idiomatically correct way to talk about comparisons. Also, the phrase “being today often” is incredibly awkward and confusing!

D) As is often the case today with the Internet, called an “information superhighway,” the telegraph was described in its day as an “instantaneous highway of thought.”
This is INCORRECT because the comparison is no longer parallel! By making the phrase “called an ‘information highway’” a non-essential phrase, we’re now comparing the Internet (a noun) with “the telegraph was described in its day as an ‘instantaneous highway of thought’” (an action).

There you have it - option B is our winner!


Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.
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