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04 Dec 2020, 00:02
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
54% (01:10) correct
46%
(01:01)
wrong
based on 394
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.
A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.
B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales.
C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age.
D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age.
E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age.
04 Dec 2020, 00:03
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
• HIGHLIGHTS
Like must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
Like must not be followed by a clause (with a verb) or a prepositional phrase.
As must be followed by a noun and verb (a clause).
Like means "similar to."
Use like to compare nouns.
Do not use "like" to compare clauses. Clauses have verbs!
That is, the word like means "similar to" and must be followed by a noun or a noun phrase.
(Literally, substitute "similar to" in place of "like"; you may "hear" the need for a noun.)
As means "in the same way that."
Use as to compare clauses. Look for verbs!
→ In comparisons, as should be followed by a subject and a verb (a clause).
If "in the same WAY that" works, then you need AS and you should not use LIKE.
Use a mnemonic: sAme wAy thAt → → As
I explain these concepts in Notes, below, with examples.
THE OPTIONS
Like is incorrectly followed by have.
• not parallel at best, illogical at worst
It sounds as though growth rings on the scales of some fish also "have rings to determine their age."
What does do stand in for?
Trees . . . should be parallel with fish
ELIMINATE A
Like is incorrectly followed by have.
• This option avoids the parallelism problem in option A, but repeats its incorrect use of like.
ELIMINATE B
AS is not followed by a verb and should be.
ELIMINATE C
LHS = trees have rings
RHS = growth rings appear on fish
Trees and fish should be parallel: they're the things under comparison.
ELIMINATE D
This part may sound strange, but like is not followed by a verb.
Yes, I know that [comma + have] comes right after "like trees."
That verb, have, belongs to fish. Not to trees. Why? Because the word trees is "cordoned off" from the verb have by the comma.
• we have a parallel comparison between the rings of both fish and trees.
KEEP
The best answer is E.
NOTES
• LIKE/AS
I pulled out my MGMAT Sentence Correction 6th Edition because I recalled that it contained three effective examples.
About 70 percent of the text in this bullet point is verbatim.
(1) "Like" is used to compare nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases.
Never put a clause or a prepositional phrase after "like"!
(Remember, a clause contains a working verb, [my emphasis] one that can be the main verb in a sentence.)
Take a look at this example:
Right: LIKE her brother, Ava aced the test.
→ Here, like is followed by the noun phrase her brother.
The whole phrase Like her brother indicates a comparison between Ava and her brother (two nouns).
[In the phrase Like her brother, there is no verb.]
(2) On the other hand, as can be used to compare two clauses [i.e., WITH verbs].
Wrong: LIKE her brother DID, Ava aced the test.
Right: AS her brother DID, Ava aced the test.
["Like" cannot be used because like should not be followed by verbs and] [t]he words her brother did form a clause (did is a working verb).
Therefore, use as to make the comparison between the two clauses Ana aced the test and her brother did, too.
On the GMAT, these two sentences mean the same thing:
Like her brother, Ava aced the test
and
As her brother did, Ava aced the test.
In one sentence, you compare Ava and her brother directly [using like followed by only a noun].
In the other sentence, you compare what Ava did and what her brother did [using as followed by a verb].
• Please, be slightly specific in your explanations.
Labels are not explanations.
"Logical shift" or "pronoun error" tells me very little.
If the meaning in an option is nonsensical or illogical, say so, but also explain why the option is illogical or nonsensical.
• TAKEAWAYS
Try not to worry too much about jargon, except these parts:
Like must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
Like must not be followed by a clause (with a verb) or a prepositional phrase.
As must be followed by a noun and verb (a clause).
COMMENTS
GMAC tests like and as in ways very similar to those in this question.
I like the question.
Good questions are very hard to find.
This question gets easier the more you review it.
I am glad to see a mix of people: new, tenured, and in between.
(As always, there is a standing invitation to all aspirants to post. Be brave.
)
Stay safe.
Quote:
• HIGHLIGHTS
Like must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
Like must not be followed by a clause (with a verb) or a prepositional phrase.
As must be followed by a noun and verb (a clause).
Like means "similar to."
Use like to compare nouns.
Do not use "like" to compare clauses. Clauses have verbs!
That is, the word like means "similar to" and must be followed by a noun or a noun phrase.
(Literally, substitute "similar to" in place of "like"; you may "hear" the need for a noun.)
As means "in the same way that."
Use as to compare clauses. Look for verbs!
→ In comparisons, as should be followed by a subject and a verb (a clause).
If "in the same WAY that" works, then you need AS and you should not use LIKE.
Use a mnemonic: sAme wAy thAt → → As
I explain these concepts in Notes, below, with examples.
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• Like should be followed by a noun or noun phrase only: no clauses! A clause has a verb.
Like is incorrectly followed by have.
• not parallel at best, illogical at worst
It sounds as though growth rings on the scales of some fish also "have rings to determine their age."
What does do stand in for?
Trees . . . should be parallel with fish
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
• Like should be followed by a noun or noun phrase. No verbs!
Like is incorrectly followed by have.
• This option avoids the parallelism problem in option A, but repeats its incorrect use of like.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
• AS must be followed by a verb in a comparison. AS compares clauses. A clause contains a subject and a verb.
AS is not followed by a verb and should be.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
• The comparison clauses are not parallel
LHS = trees have rings
RHS = growth rings appear on fish
Trees and fish should be parallel: they're the things under comparison.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
• like is correctly followed by the noun trees.
This part may sound strange, but like is not followed by a verb.
Yes, I know that [comma + have] comes right after "like trees."
That verb, have, belongs to fish. Not to trees. Why? Because the word trees is "cordoned off" from the verb have by the comma.
• we have a parallel comparison between the rings of both fish and trees.
KEEP
The best answer is E.
NOTES
• LIKE/AS
I pulled out my MGMAT Sentence Correction 6th Edition because I recalled that it contained three effective examples.
About 70 percent of the text in this bullet point is verbatim.
(1) "Like" is used to compare nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases.
Never put a clause or a prepositional phrase after "like"!
(Remember, a clause contains a working verb, [my emphasis] one that can be the main verb in a sentence.)
Take a look at this example:
Right: LIKE her brother, Ava aced the test.
→ Here, like is followed by the noun phrase her brother.
The whole phrase Like her brother indicates a comparison between Ava and her brother (two nouns).
[In the phrase Like her brother, there is no verb.]
(2) On the other hand, as can be used to compare two clauses [i.e., WITH verbs].
Wrong: LIKE her brother DID, Ava aced the test.
Right: AS her brother DID, Ava aced the test.
["Like" cannot be used because like should not be followed by verbs and] [t]he words her brother did form a clause (did is a working verb).
Therefore, use as to make the comparison between the two clauses Ana aced the test and her brother did, too.
On the GMAT, these two sentences mean the same thing:
Like her brother, Ava aced the test
and
As her brother did, Ava aced the test.
In one sentence, you compare Ava and her brother directly [using like followed by only a noun].
In the other sentence, you compare what Ava did and what her brother did [using as followed by a verb].
• Please, be slightly specific in your explanations.
Labels are not explanations.
"Logical shift" or "pronoun error" tells me very little.
If the meaning in an option is nonsensical or illogical, say so, but also explain why the option is illogical or nonsensical.
• TAKEAWAYS
Try not to worry too much about jargon, except these parts:
Like must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
Like must not be followed by a clause (with a verb) or a prepositional phrase.
As must be followed by a noun and verb (a clause).
COMMENTS
GMAC tests like and as in ways very similar to those in this question.
I like the question.
Good questions are very hard to find.
This question gets easier the more you review it.
I am glad to see a mix of people: new, tenured, and in between.
(As always, there is a standing invitation to all aspirants to post. Be brave.
)Stay safe.
General Discussion
04 Dec 2020, 00:48
Kudos
Bookmarks
Like is used as a preposition, telling where, when or how the noun in the sentence is doing whatever it may be doing.
As is used as a conjunction, joining two clauses.
A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.
Like- cannot be followed by a clause.
B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales.
Like- cannot be followed by a clause.
C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age.
As is used as a conjunction, joining two clauses.
D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age.
Trees and growth rings are not be compared for what they have/do.
E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age.
Correct comparison of two nouns.
IMO E
As is used as a conjunction, joining two clauses.
A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.
Like- cannot be followed by a clause.
B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales.
Like- cannot be followed by a clause.
C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age.
As is used as a conjunction, joining two clauses.
D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age.
Trees and growth rings are not be compared for what they have/do.
E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age.
Correct comparison of two nouns.
IMO E
