Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of

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

(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - The use of 'like' is perfectly when it is used to compare nouns. Hence, (A) is the right answer.

(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - here, the noun 'Rousseau' is being compared to 'rebellion' - this comparison is illogical. Hence, eliminate (B).

(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - This literally means that Tolstoi took the role/identity of 'Rousseau' to rebel. This does not make any sense. Hence, eliminate (C)

(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - if you compare this to (A), (D) is certainly awkward. Hence, eliminate (D).

(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was - here, we are literally equating Tolstoi's rebellion to Rousseau's rebellion. In other words, Tolstoi's rebellion took the identity of Rousseau's rebellion - this does not make any sense. Hence, eliminate (E)

(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - Correct
(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Rousseau compared with Tolstoi's rebellion.
(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - As used to compare 2 Noun
(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Wrong Comparison
(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was - As used to compare Nouns.

(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled
best option

(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was
(1) Illogical comparison – “Rousseau” to “[Tolstoi’s] rebellion”

(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled
(1) Wrong comparison marker – “As” for clause comparisons (i.e., whatever immediately follows “as” should be a clause), but “like” for noun/noun phrase comparisons

(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was
(1) Illogical comparison – “Rousseau” to “[Tolstoi’s] rebellion”

(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was
(1) Wrong comparison marker – “As” for clause comparisons (i.e., whatever immediately follows “as” should be a clause), but “like” for noun/noun phrase comparisons

Option D's variation - As did Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society.
Is this right ?

Yeah...seems fine..though in that case, I would just flip the clauses..

Tolstoi rebelled..., as did Rousseau.

Hi if in the above question,

I had an option: As did Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human
relations in modern society

Would that be correct? Please, someone, reply. Appreciate it. Thanks!

I think,
"As did Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society" is grammatically equal to
"As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society".
So, both sentences should be correct. (we can omit intended verbs -like did here- in "as" structures).

But the meaning is a bit distorted. This sentences kind of mean that Rousseau and Tolstoi literally did similar things when they rebelled.
So, Like Rousseau, Tolstoi gives a better comparison in this sense.

Correct Answer : option A

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

Elimination Process:
1. Like vs As
- "Like" is a preposition that means "similar to", A preposition is a word that positions nouns in relation to one another, i.e. the when, where, and how regarding the noun’s role in a sentence: in the house, at home, like him etc.
- "As" is a conjunction. A conjunction is a more simple connecting word— it can connect everything from full sentences to individual words and does not itself define the relationship between the two items it connects

Selected "Like", which eliminates - C, D, and E
Left with A and B
B is Rejected as Rousseau is compared to rebellion

(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - Correct
(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Rejected
(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled - Rejected
(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was - Rejected
(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was - Rejected

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


Like (used to compare nouns) Rousseau, Tolstoi (sub) rebelled (verb) against the unnatural complexity of human relations in modern society.

comparison is between R & T.


(A) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled
yes

(B) Like Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was
comparing R to reb

(C) As Rousseau, Tolstoi rebelled
as is used to compare non-noun - it should have been - As R did, T rebelled

(D) As did Rousseau, Tolstoi's rebellion was
comparison between action of R with R was with xyz

(E) Tolstoi's rebellion, as Rousseau's, was
same as D

Many replies of this question state that "as" cannot be used with nouns. However, reading through Manhattan prep SC guide(Chapter8-Comparisons,5th edition) , I see that it mentions the below -
" 'as' can be either a preposition (appearing with a noun) or a conjunction (appearing
with a clause). "

The above states that "as" can be used with a noun.
Can you please confirm what is the correct usage of "as"? Can it be used with nouns or not?

Hello gmdsat,

We hope this finds you well.

To clarify, "as" cannot be used as a comparison marker between nouns.

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

It can, but NOT as a parallel marker for a COMPARISON. If you remember seeing a source that said "you can't put a noun after 'as' ", the surrounding discussion was almost certainly limited to comparison constructions, with any construction representing something other than a construction treated (for the purposes of that specific conversation) as 'disallowed' or 'rejected'.

"AS + [noun]" is an altogether different kind of "as".
This is NOT the conjunction "as" that is used to set up a comparison between two clauses. It's the preposition "as", which is followed by a more general category/classification to which something belongs, is ascribed, bears a resemblance, etc.
It's the preposition that appears in sentences such as, for instance, Dara dressed up as a wolf for Hallowe'en (which is tomorrow!).

Hey gmdsat

Happy to add clarity to the uses of 'as'.


"As" as Conjunction:

'As' can be used as a connector to join a dependent clause of time, manner, reason, comparison, concession/contrast, and even additional information. For example:

a. As he grew older, he grew naughtier. (Time)

b. Do as I do. (Manner)

c. I borrowed money as I was completely broke. (Reason)

d. Improbable as it seems, it is true. (Concession/Contrast = though)

e. Her hair is as soft as silk (is). (Comparison)

f. As you may have heard, Rishi Sunak has been elected the PM of the United Kingdom. (Additional Information)


'As' as a preposition:

As can be used to introduce specific examples or roles. For example:

a. Various trees, as oak or pine, are used to make furniture. (Specific examples; similar to 'such as')

b. I speak to you as a friend and not as a teacher. (Role/Capacity)


So, yes, "as" can certainly be followed by nouns. What matters is the meaning associated with each application. Adopting a meaning based approach to learning these roles will be far more fruitful than focusing narrowly on grammatical jargon.


I hope this improves your understanding.


Happy Learning!

Abhishek

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